The family has been at this longer than most appellations have existed.At Domaine Roger et Didier Raimbault, vine growing has been in the family for 400 years; the result of a father-and-son merger in 1996, the estate now totals 17.5 hectares, with 80% of the vines on sharp slopes of 10–35 degrees in the communes of Verdigny, Sury and Vaux. The domaine sits in Verdigny, right in the heart of Sancerre.

The patchwork is the secret weapon.The family's 51 parcels sit on hills 200 to 400 meters high with prime sun exposure, and the estate holds two of the region's three great terroirs: terres blanches, a calcareous clay with Kimmeridgian limestone that yields fuller-bodied wines, and les caillottes, limestone and gravel that makes delicate, fruity, well-balanced whites. Blend across both and you get a Sancerre with weight and snap.

Tasting notes 

• Color: pale yellow with glimmers of gold
• Nose: an elegant nose of citrus and tropical fruit, with green gooseberry, elderflower and a whiff of freshly cut grass
• Palate: vibrant and crisp, zesty lemon and juicy grapefruit over subtle mineral notes
• Finish: long, dry, saline — Sauvignon Blanc precision with excellent purity and crisp acidity, without excess fat
• Drink: now through 2029

The 2024 vintage: 2024 tested the vines with rain, cloud and mildew, yielding smaller harvests — but from that restraint came clarity: bright fruit, crisp acidity and a mineral edge that speaks of place. A well-balanced vintage, faithful to classic Sancerre. Translation: taut and nervy, not tropical. Exactly what you want from this address.

In the vineyard & cellar

• Old vines, steep slopes — 18 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc on slopes rising 200–400 meters with up to 40% incline, vines averaging 30 years, planted at 6,800 per hectare and trained in single Guyot
• Gravity-flow winery — a modern cellar completed in 2005, built into a hillside across three levels to allow gravity flow throughout winemaking
• Cool, clean, unoaked — grapes gently pressed, settled 24–48 hours, then fermented cool in stainless steel at 14–18°C and matured on fine lees for texture
• Careful farming — lutte raisonnée, with cover grass between the rows to nourish the soil and fight erosion

Perfect with Shrimp, mussels in white wine, asparagus sautéed with black pepper, and anything with goat cheese — plus oysters, sole, sushi, and a wedge of Crottin de Chavignol from just up the road. Serve cold, 45–50°F (8–10°C). No decanting required.