Wine of the Week – a classic Sancerre from Domaine Delaporte – £14.50

by Ed H-B

This week’s WOTW is one of the classics of the L&S list.

Long before anyone even thought of planting Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand Domaine Delaporte was growing and bottling its Sancerres and finding a ready market. Located in the village of Chavignol (also famous for its goat’s cheese), in the shadow of the famous ‘Monts Damnés’, with its classic silex soils, these central Loire vineyards are the original home of great Sauvignon.

2013 SANCERRE Chavignol Domaine Vincent Delaporte

2013-SANCERRE-Chavignol-Domaine-Vincent-Delaporte

£15.95 single bottle or £14.50 ‘case price’

This is the flagship wine of the estate, the main production, the most popular, and this is really its time of year too. Perfect precision, delicate aromas, refreshing in the warmth, a gorgeous foil to classic summer cuisine as well as more contemporary dishes with eastern spice.

Lea & Sandeman review

‘A full flavoured muscular wine from classic ‘silex’ (silica) soils, not as overtly Sauvignony as those grown on the chalk soils to the west, nor as firmly dry as the wines from the limestone of Bué. A perfect balance of fruit and firm minerality. This wine is composed of vines with an average age of 30-35 years. Thanks to a diversity of soils types, principally flint and limestone and a strict blending of wines from 28 plots, which adds finesse, aromatic complexity and minerality to this wine.’ L&S

Jean-Yves and Matthieu Delaporte

Jean-Yves & Matthieu Delaporte

Delaporte’s Pinot Noir Rosé, Reds & Sauvignon Whites

It is worth looking at all the wines of the estate, which include Rosé and reds from Pinot Noir, and especially since they have added some wines which may be new to you, the cuvées ‘Maxime’, wines aged in oak (not to make them oaky but to add a touch of complexity) and this year they have also added single vineyard ‘Monts Damnés’ white Sancerre, and a ‘Cul de Beaujeu’ red.

Why not mix this up with some previous ‘Wines of the week’?

Case Price?

* ‘Case price’ refers to the discounted price per bottle which applies to all orders of 12 bottles or more from L&S, however mixed and including delivery on all orders over £100.