Claude Riffault Les Denisottes 2022

This Sancerre is full-bodied, intense and rich, yet maintains a refined elegance, culminating in a long, structured, and vibrant finish.

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Tasting Notes

Claude Riffault Les Denisottes 2022

"Situated just 100 meters from the estate, the 2022 Sancerre Les Denisottes plot spans a modest 1.3 hectares of clay and calcareous soils known as “terres blanches” in Sancerre. Evoking a pure, delicate bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, spices, pear and licorice, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and mouth coating with a seamless texture, a fleshy core of fruit and a tense, ethereal, delicate finish enhanced by notes of citrus. Matured for 14 months in large wood barrels, this wine has the potential to gracefully reach its 15th anniversary in fine form." 94+ points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 

"The 2022 Les Denisottes offers ripe fruit and tenderness. The clay-chalk soils provide a mouth-filling texture. And yet, it maintains a line of tension and purpose that you might not have anticipated on the first sip. The structured grip on the finish offers assurance and a frame for this wine to mature nicely. It is long and scented with nectarine, honeydew melon and subtle oak-derived nuances." 93 points, Vinous.

Stéphane Riffault is a winemaker to keep an eye on: shy in nature, he is diligent in nurturing the most expressive wines he can. After studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune, he came back to the Loire and took over his parent's domaine in the late 2000s. Since his return to the quiet village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane has been focussing on the individuality of each lieu-dit, seeking to obtain the most precise wines that are directly linked to their origin as possible. Where his father, Claude, had always produced a single Sancerre, Stéphane releases five or more each vintage. He says, "my early years weren't easy, it has taken me years to understand each parcel."

Producer website: https://www.clauderiffault.com/

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