Claude Riffault: Vineyards
The domaine is located in Chambre, just around the corner from Vincent Gaudry. There are 15.5 hectares of vines altogether, including 12.5 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 3 hectares of Pinot Noir. Many of these are gathered close around the domaine. Stéphane has vines planted on all three of the classic Sancerre terroirs, including terres blanches (Kimmeridgian marl, in case you need a reminder), caillottes (a much more stony limestone soil, often Oxfordian) and he even has a little flint. This latter soil type is rare in Sury-en-Vaux, being much more common around the geological fault line that runs northwards through Sancerre and Saint-Satur, so Stéphane’s holding is noteworthy. As noted, the domaine is run according to organic methods.
The domaine is run with great respect for its various terroirs, so it is worth considering each of these in turn. One of the largest is Les Boucauds which is located next to the estate. The soils here are terres blanches and the parcel accounts for more than half the domaine’s plantings of Sauvignon Blanc. The vines here are between 10 and 15 years old. Next is Les Chasseignes, with classic caillottes soils, although locals won’t need reminding of this as chasseignes is a local word that denotes this type of soil, which explains why there are many different vineyards around Sancerre with the same name. This particular one is north-east of Sury-en-Vaux, enjoys a south-easterly aspect, and is planted with Sauvignon Blanc. This is also true of Les Denisottes, which is a vineyard of terres blanches close to the estate and which is planted with 40-year old vines.
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