Claude Riffault Sancerre Les Chasseignes 2023
Sancerre AOC, Loire Valley, France
Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Farming: Certified biodynamic (BiodyVin)

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Description

We wanted so much to meet Stéphane Riffault in person that we rerouted an entire trip just to taste his electrifying wines with him at the Biodyvin fair in Paris. The reason is simple: Stéphane is now one of the finest vignerons in Sancerre and the Loire — a biodynamic master who takes cellar risks to showcase the many facets of his different soils: Kimmeridgian marl (Boucauds), limestone (Chasseignes), and flint (Chailloux), vinified in concrete or in large truncated wooden vats, with both dramatic flair and precision.

Les Chasseignes 2023 comes from pure limestone soils known as caillottes, formed from white Oxfordian pebbles of the Upper Jurassic era, over 165 million years old. These soils are typically found at the foot of Sancerre’s slopes, beneath younger Kimmeridgian layers.

Vines grown on caillottes give wines with a more open, aromatic, and generous profile, in contrast to the austerity of flint soils. This Sancerre stands out for its intense, precise expression of citrus, white flowers, and orchard fruits (pear, green apple), all carried by an elegant and refined texture.

A luminous, expressive take on Sauvignon Blanc, combining structure, freshness, and immediate purity.

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Technical details

• Region: Sancerre, Loire Valley
• Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
• Soil: Caillottes (Oxfordian limestone, Upper Jurassic)
• Farming: Certified biodynamic (BiodyVin)
• Ageing: Foudre
• Intervention: Minimal

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Tasting notes

Bright and aromatic with citrus, white blossom, orchard fruits and a fine mineral texture. Elegant, pure and immediately accessible.

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Food pairings

Perfect with grilled fish in citrus butter, summer salads with fresh herbs, sautéed scallops, pasta with green vegetables, or fresh goat’s cheese. Also ideal as a refined aperitif.

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