2007 Domaine Daulny Sancerre Le Clos de Chaudenay

2007 Domaine Daulny Sancerre Le Clos de Chaudenay

There are only three great villages for Sancerre, and the last, Verdigny, is only great when the vines are old, have impeccable exposure and are in perfect health. That's what we found 25 years ago on the Daulny brothers' Clos de Chaudenay.

One brother, Etienne, has the permanent tractor tan. The other, Bertrand, is Sancerre's top enologist. Together, they make up one of the region's most formidable Sauvignon Blanc winemaking teams. But when we asked them about the secret behind this wonderfully pure, pink grapefruit beauty, Bertrand just shrugged and pointed to the Clos de Chaudenay. "We don't do much. The vineyard does it all."

The wines of Verdigny are mineral, but when the hillside is perfectly exposed and the vines are 70+ years of age, that minerality is spiked with this gorgeous kernel of pink grapefruit richness, offering the best case scenario -- a wine that has the richness of the village of Chavignol and the verve of the village of Bue. Thus, it's not surprising that the 2007 Clos de Chaudenay is one of the very best Sancerres of the vintage.

View of Sancerre

This wine is a brilliant pale green in color. There's a rich nose of green apples, pear and just a hint of honey (with a promise of more to come). On the palate, there are beautifully concentrated kernel of apple/quince flavors, initially tightly bound, unwinding slowly, enhancing the richness at the core. The fine vibrant finish is at once all Verdigny and all old vines.

As with all good Sancerre, this wine is a perfect match for fresh goat cheese. It's also wonderful with thin white fish fillets; try it with sauteed flounder served with a capers and a little lemon.

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