Domaine Denizot Sancerre Rouge '22

The eighth-generation winemaker at Domaine Denizot, in the Sancerre communes of Verdigny and Chavignol, Thibauld Denizot farms the estate’s 18.5 hectares with Jennifer Denizot, his wife. Their vineyard holdings are about three-fourths Sauvignon Blanc and one-fourth Pinot Noir. The domaine has been family-owned for six generations. Most of the vines are grown on gravel-rich limestone-clay soil (caillottes), producing refined, chiseled wines. The Denizot grand cru holdings include parcels in Les Bouffants, Côte de l’Épée, and Monts Damnés. About ten percent of the vines are grown on Terres Blanches soil, which is Kimmeridgian marl that creates richer, more expressive wines. They practice organic farming and minimize interventions.

Made from Pinot Noir, the Denizot Sancerre Rouge was fermented with native yeasts in open-top concrete vats for about two weeks, with pump-overs and punch-downs used, then aged for a year in cement tanks.The wine is a juicy, layered, refined expression of Pinot Noir, showing notes of fresh, tart red berries, tea leaf, fennel, and dried herbs. This is an excellent red to pair with summer fare, from grilled foods to a seared tuna salad.