Domaine Pierre Cherrier et Fils
Chaudoux | Loire ValleyThe estate founder, Maurice, planted some of the first vines in the village. His son, Pierre, took over in the 1960s and expanded the family holdings to some 35 acres of prime vineyard land. Today it is Pierre’s sons, François and Jean-Marie, who have taken winemaking at this generations-deep family estate to a whole new level, with terroir-true wines that are stunning values for their high quality.
The jewel in the family’s crown is ‘Croix Poignant,’ a single-vineyard selection of older Sauvignon Blanc vines. Separately, the brothers (under another label; see wine list) have captured a picture-perfect example of this native Loire grape in a new selection from Menetou-Salon.
FARMING & WINEMAKING
The family tends some 35 acres of vineyard land in and around the village of Chaudoux, north of the village of Sancerre. The estate practices sustainable farming, using organic treatments when needed.
Soils represent a classic Sancerre mix of flint, plus clay and chalk, the “terres blanches” which are believed to contribute to Sancerre’s racy profile and sea-salty minerality.
Grapes are harvested by hand. Wines are fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, and aged on fine lees.
The ‘croix poignant’ is a monument to a general from the Napoleonic era. While not the “official” name of a vineyard, it is long-established tradition that the family identifies this particularly chalk-rich plot with this name.
Sancerre Blanc ‘La Croix Poignant’
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Sancerre Rosé ‘La Croix Poignant’
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Domaine Les Chezeaux Menetou-Salon
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