Sancerre has long been celebrated for its Sauvignon Blanc, even recently attracting the attention of Taylor Swift and her fans. But what else does the appellation have to offer, and what is happening in the surrounding regions? Lizzy O’Riordan travels to France to find out

Stepping into Sancerre, there’s a rush of excitement running through the famous French appellation. It’s late May and the area is gearing up for the Foire Aux Vins de Sancerre: a two-day wine festival bringing together wine producers from all 14 villages that make up the region.

An annual occurrence, this edition marks the 90th anniversary of the region’s AOC, and there’s an atmosphere of celebration but also contemplation as growers consider both the past and the future.

Sancerre today

For a UK audience, there is little need to introduce Sancerre, with England being one of its top-three export markets. But there is still plenty to learn as the AOC continues to evolve rapidly.

Travelling around the appellation, the most apparent shift is the growing emphasis on premiumisation, with a particular focus on telling the story of the terroir rather than the grape itself. For white Sancerre, made from Sauvignon Blanc, producers are keen to distance themselves from the exuberant styles commonly associated with New Zealand, instead aiming for something straighter, more elegant and precise.

Homing in on the three soil types of Sancerre – the clay-limestone terres blanches, the pebbly caillottes and the flinty-clay silex – producers in the area say the terroir supersedes the importance of the grape itself. “A good Sancerre is one that doesn’t smell of Sauvignon,” says Stéphane Cherrier, owner of Domaine Paul Cherrier. Instead, he says, the distinct nature of the region should shine through.
A different approach from 10 or 15 years ago. Damien Laurent, winemaker at Domaine Fournier Père et Fils, says he has watched the evolution in real time. Previously, he explains, producers would have a few basic cuvées.

But now: “It’s like a pyramid structure. At the first level you’ve got the general cuvée, then the different terroirs, before finally a certain terroir in a specific geographical area at the top.”

With this complexity, greater ageing potential has also emerged, with more layered and honeyed notes appearing after five years in many premium bottles. Counterintuitive to some drinkers, who previously associated the region with wines for earlier consumption, this is part of the changing quality perception of the AOC.

Elsewhere, some of the most exciting developments are happening around red wine production. Though
most domaines focus more heavily on whites, the improved quality of Pinot Noir is striking. The reason for this, winemakers say, is that many younger people from the Central Loire travel to Burgundy to study before bringing those techniques and influences back to their home region.

François Crochet, owner of Domaine François Crochet, is among those who trained in Burgundy before returning to produce both red and white Sancerre. As he works in the vineyard, his wife and partner Carine Crochet explains: “His Burgundy friends always used to tease him about red wines in Sancerre, and he kept in mind that one day he’d be able to prove them wrong” – a vision that has now come true.

On the region more broadly, Carine Crochet adds that the quality of Pinot Noir in Sancerre has improved exponentially. Alongside the Burgundy influence, “some of this is due to the fact that many people who used to harvest mechanically are now harvesting by hand,” she says.

Outside Sancerre

While Sancerre is the best-known appellation in the Central Loire, there is also plenty happening across the eight AOCs in the area, many of which offer slightly more affordable alternatives to their upmarket neighbour.

Perhaps the closest in style, and often more accessible in price, the wines of Pouilly-Fumé prove themselves equal in calibre to those of Sancerre, though generally with a rounder palate. The differences between the appellations are subtle, says Jérôme Rousseau, head of commercial and export at Serge Dagueneau & Filles, “Pouilly-Fumé is fuller bodied and more fruit expressive, whereas Sancerre is more minimal and linear,” he begins. Yet, he adds: “You can have two Sancerres that are very different, and a Sancerre and a Pouilly-Fumé that are much closer”.

Moving slightly further away stylistically, the Quincy AOC is also producing compelling Sauvignon Blanc wines. More fruit forward, these wines have zesty citrus characteristics alongside white floral notes and a mineral finish. “They are very approachable, with a fuller body,” says Adèle Rouzé, owner of Domaine Adèle Rouzé, and are generally consumed quite young, unlike some of the more premium Sancerres.

With only 350ha of planted vineyards compared to approximately 3,000ha in Sancerre, the much smaller region is keen to assert itself, doing so through a communal spirit in which many estates share equipment and collaborate on purchases.

Maxime Hubert, owner of Domaine Maxime Hubert in Quincy, theorises that the agricultural history of the area inspired this ethos. He says: “Many people here used to be farmers and they were already working together in agricultural cooperatives. So, when people began making wine, they simply continued in the same way.” A story of a small AOC working together to thrive, it is difficult not to root for them.
sense of optimism

As locals prepare for the Foire Aux Vins de Sancerre then, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors, there is a strong sense of achievement and possibility running through the appellation as the wines continue to grow in sophistication.

And, as the biggest name in the Central Loire rises further, there is optimism among the surrounding AOCs too, all of which are producing quality wines that will hopefully become better known in the years ahead.