Domaine François Crochet - Le Chêne Marchand 2024
Domaine François Crochet is among the most precise and sought-after signatures of Sancerre. Located in Bué, a historic village of the appellation, François Crochet has established over the years a style of great purity, driven by the definition of the terroirs and the natural tension of Sauvignon Blanc. The estate works a mosaic of plots, each vinified with particular attention to reveal the nuances of the Sancerre soils. Le Chêne Marchand holds a major place in this range, as this lieu-dit is one of the most renowned in Bué for great age-worthy whites. In 2024, a demanding and selective vintage in the Loire, this cuvée takes on an even more singular dimension, as it is one of the very rare single-vineyard whites maintained by the estate. It embodies the Crochet style in its most refined version: a limestone Sauvignon, precise and with great length. It is a connoisseur’s Sancerre, both taut, deep, and perfectly tailored for the table.
The Le Chêne Marchand 2024 cuvée is made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc, the emblematic grape variety of Sancerre. The grapes come from a terroir of caillottes, these stony limestones that store the day’s heat and promote a fine, regular, and expressive ripening. The south and southeast exposure allows the grapes to reach a beautiful aromatic maturity while retaining the essential acidic energy for great Sancerre. The harvest is done manually, with rigorous sorting to keep only perfectly healthy fruit. Whole cluster pressing is gentle and progressive, in a logic of precision and respect for the juice. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in a tapered wooden vat, then the wine is aged on fine lees for about 18 months. This vinification produces a white deeper than a classic Sancerre, with more texture, density, and persistence.
In the glass, this wine reveals a chiselled, bright, and intensely mineral profile. The nose evokes ripe lemon, grapefruit, fresh apple, white flowers, and a touch of anise, with a very clear chalky nuance. The palate is straight, energetic, and refined, carried by a limestone tension that gives a lot of drive. The aging in wooden vats brings body and depth, without ever masking the purity of the Sauvignon nor the signature of the terroir. The finish is long, saline, slightly bitter, with that sensation of wet stone that distinguishes the great whites of Bué. This Sancerre can be enjoyed after a slight aeration, but it will clearly gain complexity with a few years of cellar aging. It will ideally accompany oysters, scallops, a noble fish, asparagus, creamy poultry, a Loire-aged goat cheese, or a vegetable cuisine with fresh herbs.
Grape variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
