Sancerre from Thomas-Labaille, Delaporte, Vatan & Morin
3/5/2025
Spring is coming soon, an ideal time to offer a superb collection of Sancerres, mostly from Chavignol and principally from the steep Kimmeridgian slopes of "Les Monts Damnées."
"Les Monts Damnées" from Thomas-Labaille (Jean-Paul Labaille)
"Many, many ears ago, after days of fruitless searching for good wine in Sancerre, Joe Dressner and I visited an old vigneron in Chavignol who had made fabulous wines before his retirement, from old-vine vineyards on Monts Damnés (Sancerre's greatest vineyard site), with élèvage in old foudres, unfiltered bottlings and residual sugar. We asked him who continued to work in that style and he said "Cotat, and my friend Claude." One thing led to another and we were off to meet Claude Thomas, who was busy pruning his vines in the rain. His wife dragged him into the cellar where he stripped off mud-caked boots and gruffly and silently served us several vintages. Wow, the real thing! Claude was then 73, and wished to retire, but he was holding on in the hope that his daughter and son-in-law would take over. This finally happened when Jean-Paul Labaille, his son-in-law, quit his civil servant job and became a full-time vigneron (for the previous ten vintages, he had taken his vacation during the harvest to be the assistant winemaker to Claude).
Only minimal changes have occurred. The vineyards remain among the best in Chavignol, with a large proportion of old vines. The old barrels are not in use any more, but the vineyard and cellar work still follow the same time-honored techniques. The resulting wine is sensational: rich, fat and round, with layered aromas, a subtle nose and a long finish. Not a typical bistro Sancerre, but a graceful wine meant for aging and pleasure." We're happy to offer the 2023 "Les Monts Damnée" and a few bottles of the amazing "Cuvée Buster!" Pictured above, the steep slopes of "Les Monts Damnées" with the village of Chavignol below. (Louis-Dressner Selections/DL)
Domaine Delaporte in Chavignol
This large estate based in Chavignol has been in the Delaporte family since the 17th century. The modern history of the domain begins in 2010 when young Matthieu Delaporte took over from his father Vincent and consolidated the family's holdings into the current 33 hectare estate. The plots are on all three of the Sancerre terroirs and include beautiful parcels on "Les Monts Damnées" and "Cul de Beaujeu," the latter of which was planted to high-quality Burgundy clones (Pinot Noir) in 1999. Quality has improved dramatically here under Matthieu, with superb farming (now certified organic), hand-harvesting into small baskets and careful vinifications with minimal added SO2 which contributes to the purity and elegance of the wines. Today's offers are the 2022 "Chavignol" princpally from "caillottes" soils, 2022 "Silex" from flint soils, 2022 "Silex Rouge" and a few bottles of the 2015 "Cul de Beaujeu Rouge," a unique opportunity to taste mature Pinot Noir from this great site!
[Matthieu Delaporte]
Domaine Vincent Gaudry
Relatively uknown in the US, recommended to us by our friend Pascaline Lepeltier, the Sancerres of Vincent Gaudry are certainly among the finest in the appellation.
Based in the village of Grand Chambre near Sury-en-Vaux, the domain was established by Vincent's grandfather with only a few hectares of vines, then passed to Vincent's father Georges who gradually enlarged the estate to 9.5 hectares. Vincent joined his father in 1991—he was 16 years old—and took over completely in 1993. Very soon thereafter, in 1995, he began conversion to organic and then Biodynamic farming (the first in Sancerre). The estate has a high percentage of old vines, which are replaced by massale selection, on all of the three main terroirs of Sancerre - Caillottes, Silex and Terres Blanches.
Plowing is done in the spring, green cover is maintained the rest of the year and Biodynamic preparations and herbal tisanes are used for vineyard treatments. (Even his barrels are produced with the Biodynamic calendar!) Vincent's great farming is preserved through careful vinifications that reveal the complex fruit and beautiful minerality that the terroirs of Sancerre can offer. Most vinifications are done in temperature controlled stainless steel, a few in barrel, all with wild yeasts, of course, and minimal sulfur is used. On offer today is the beautiful 2022 "Le Tournebride."
Domaine Pierre Morin
Based in Bué, the youthful Pierre Morin has about 9 hectares, mostly on the caillottes soils typical in this village. His farming is organic and yields are low, and although he is somewhat under the radar, we have always enjoyed his wines, including the superb reds which are a specialty of the estate. Today we're offering the delicious 2022 "Chene Marchand" and we feel compelled to include this beautiful review in The View from the Cellar: "Chêne Marchand is the very finest vineyard in the village of Bué, much like Les Monts Damnés is the best in Chavignol. Pierre Morin’s 2022 Chêne Marchand is a gorgeous young Sancerre, delivering up a complex aromatic constellation of lime, gooseberry, beautiful botanical tones, orange zest, a touch of cut grass, limestone minerality and a topnote of lime blossoms. On the palate the wine is vibrant, focused, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with superb mineral drive, impeccable balance and along, zesty and complex finish. This will be a long-lived example of top flight Sancerre." Yum! Drink over the next 5 to 10 years.
[Pierre Morin]
Vatan "Clos la Néore"
We return to "Les Monts Damnées" for Anne Vatan's "Clos La Néore" coming from a small mid-slope parcel on this beautiful slope. Magnums only and please note that the 2020 is only available in wood box.
