Jean-Laurent Vacheron in "Les Romains"

Standing in the heart of Sancerre's “Les Romains” vineyard site, it's easy to understand why this Domaine Vacheron cuvée is among the appellation's most noble and long-lived white wines.

Each step over the vineyard's 100% silex (flint) soil sounds like the crunching of so many oyster shells, a physical cue that tells you volumes about the terroir. What's underfoot is the power that makes “Les Romains” so fresh, so mineral-driven, so long-lived. It's also why Domaine Vacheron today is 100% organic/biodynamic—what you taste in every glass is exactly what nature intended.

The cousins Vacheron, Jean-Dominique and Jean-Laurent, are some of the most disciplined growers in the Loire we know, with yields consistently lower than the average—if not a third lower than a typical Sancerre harvest. This is just one reason why “Les Romains” is so outstanding—not only does it represent the finest terroir in Sancerre, but its yields (30 ha/hl) make most vignerons in the region gasp. Grapes are pressed whole, then aged in large foudres for more oxygen contact and thus more complexity. The 2004 Sancerre “Les Romains” is as profound as the greatest white Burgundy, yet as firecracker-fresh as only this flinty terroir can deliver. LIMITED!