Henri Bourgeois, Petit Bourgeois, Sauvignon Blanc 2019

The Bourgeois family have been making wine in Sancerre for ten generations, although until recent times the family business has been small. In 1950, under the control of Henri Bourgeois himself, the domaine was just 2 hectares in size. Today the firm is run by Jean-Marie Bourgeois, with apparent boundless energy, the estate having grown to an impressive 70 hectares. All the wines exhibit the complexity of the terroir of Chavignol, being chalky with a touch of gunflint, initially steely, then ripening in the mouth with a broad array of flavours and wonderful length.

The vineyards for this wine lie just outside the Sancerre appellation and thus this wine cannot be labelled as such, the benefit however is a wine that represents fantastic value, a Sancerre by all but name for just over a tenner!

The Petit Bourgeois Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks followed by a 3-month maturation on its lees, creating an intensely aromatic profile of white flowers and tropical fruit. On the palate it reveals fresh and vibrant citrus fruit, with a smooth and crisply clean finish, it is refreshingly lighter than the big new world styles and has a marked mineral accent that adds complexity. This wine deservedly attracts huge applaud every year for its quality, value and consistency.