![]() Was it a far-sighted move that anticipated the success of Sancerre’s Sauvignon in the latter part of the 20th century? ‘It was a commercial decision,’ says Jean-Marie Bourgeois of Domaine Henri Bourgeois. I have long been intrigued as to why this established, predominantly red wine area was transformed into a white one. It was not until 1959 that it was extended to cover reds and rosés made from Pinot Noir. Thereafter, Pinot was so overshadowed by Sauvignon that when the first ACs were created in 1936, the Sancerre appellation was for whites only. ![]() Sauvignon Blanc was present before phylloxera, as it was just across the Loire river in Pouilly, but it didn’t become the main variety until the vineyards were replanted in the early 20th century. Before the arrival of phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, Sancerre was mainly planted to red varieties, Pinot among them but also Gamay and other grapes that have since disappeared. The increased profile these wines have attracted has led some to the mistaken belief that producers have jumped on the global Pinot bandwagon and that its planting in Sancerre is a recent development. In 2003 we started picking by hand, and now we sort both in the vineyard and the winery.’ Between then and 2002 yields fell from 60hl/ha (hectolitres/hectare) to 40hl/ha. Others have followed, says Gilles Guillerault of Domaine des Caves du Prieuré: ‘Things started to change in 1996. I first became aware of the change in the late 1990s when I tasted the 1995s and ’96s from Mellot, Domaine Vacheron and Nicolas and Pascal Reverdy. Mellot Jr’s recipe for success was not complicated – yields were cut and he started to take the same care in the vineyard with Pinot as his father had with Sauvignon Blanc. March releases on the Place de Bordeaux 2023.September fine wine releases on La Place de Bordeaux 2023.
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