2014 Domaine Daniel Chotard Sancerre

Ah, France – home of delicious food, beautiful scenery and, for many non-experts, an often confusing way of naming their wines.

“This is a wonderful, refreshing wine.  What is it?”

“It is a Sancerre.”

“Hmmm, I’ve never heard of Sancerre.  It tastes like a Sauvignon Blanc.”

“It is a Sauvignon Blanc.”

“Wait, I thought you said it was a Sancerre.”

“It is a Sancerre.”

“Oh, so you mean the winery is called Sancerre.”

“No, the winery is called Domaine Daniel Chotard.”

“Look, just tell me what kind of wine this is.  I am Sancerre-ly confused.”

You see, the French like to name their wine by region, rather than by grape varietal.  Most wine drinkers have heard of Bordeaux or Burgundy.  Even as well-known as they are, some may assume those wines are named after the grapes they are made from, much like Merlot or Chardonnay, but, alas, they are not.  Bordeaux is a region in France known for producing great red wines, made from various combinations of up to six grapes.  Burgundy is known for great reds, especially those made from Pinot Noir.  It would be similar if Americans referred to any wine from that famous area in California as a “Napa”, as opposed to a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.  It’s just an extra layer of learning that is required with French wines, perhaps so they can laugh haughtily at the uninformed.

You can henceforth enjoy a glass of Sancerre emboldened with the knowledge that Sancerre is a region in France known for making delightful Sauvignon Blancs.  Sancerre is located right in the middle of France, in the Loire Valley.  The relatively cool climate, variety of soil types and different methods of tailoring vines results in distinct styles produced in the region, but Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre are typically very dry, fairly acidic and quite aromatic, with nice mineral and citrus notes.  Most Sancerres are unoaked and do not go through malolactic fermentation, which gives many white wines a buttery flavor.

The 2014 Sancerre produced by Daniel Chotard at his family owned winery is an excellent, somewhat subdued representation of the region.  Chotard prefers to harvest the grapes a bit later than many neighboring wineries, which results in a Sancerre with lower acidity than most; however, the wine exhibits wonderful limestone minerality, both in aroma and taste, for which many Sancerres are known.