Andre Vatan, Les Charmes Sancerre 2023

Jancis Robinson
"From magnum. Very pale. Green fruits and minerals. The magnum looks rather splendid – but it seems to attract quite a premium! Good spine. Salivatory. Fair price by the bottle with real life on the palate. 16.5/20 points."

Vinous Reverie Notes
Andre Vatan has been at the helm of this small family domaine in the Sancerre appellation since 1988. He works from the meticulously aligned vineyards to the carefully controlled yields, to the tidy cellars where he makes his wines. All of this care and consideration has resulted in stunning Sancerres, like this Les Charmes. Most of the fruit is grown in silex, a flinty, limestone-free soil that gives the fruit powerful, exotic, perfumed character. But there's also a small proportion from fruit planted in limestone soils, which adds smokiness and complexity.