Sancerre rouge "Belle Dame" 2023

A dense, deep Pinot Noir with plenty of tension. The 2023 shows concentrated, dark-toned fruit while remaining clear and precise, and is still very young today: ideally, the oak should continue to integrate further. Opening it now means giving it air, which lets the fruit come through more strongly while the mineral, smoky notes add depth.

The Belle Dame comes from the flinty Les Romains vineyard in the Sancerrois, on the Loire. The flint soils give the Pinot Noir a particularly distinctive mineral signature. Domaine Vacheron farms 46 hectares of vineyards and has been BIODYVIN-certified since 2005, one of the first estates in the region to achieve this. The family estate is run by cousins Jean-Dominique and Jean-Laurent Vacheron, who vinify their individual plots separately.

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified dry, 13.0% vol. In recent years the estate has invested heavily in red winemaking, including a particularly gentle destemming process. The oak ageing is still clearly perceptible in the young wine, lending a touch of caramel to dark cherry, plum, bilberry and blackcurrant.

Firm, concentrated and structured, without ever feeling heavy. Sour cherry, cranberry and blackcurrant provide freshness and juiciness, while graphite, flint and an austere spiciness underline its flinty origin. The tannins are present, finely polished and of medium grain. A mouth-watering minerality and subtle bitter notes add further definition.

Four generations of family ownership, BIODYVIN-certified since 2005. Jean-Dominique Vacheron gained experience in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Jean-Laurent Vacheron with Aubert de Villaine in Burgundy. The Belle Dame is the estate's only red cru.