Alix Carlin Sancerre 2022

A crowd-pleasing staff pick made by woman winemaker Alix Carlin who hails from Crézancy-en-Sancerre, and is the daughter of Jack Crisset, who made Domaine La Voltonnerie famous in Sancerre. Alix crafts this delicious and refined Sancerre Blanc in a gentle, flowery, mineral style. It is generous, yet perfectly balanced with a dry refreshing mineral finish, and it’s a terrific value. Serve with goat’s milk cheese, oysters, shellfish and white fishes, or as a the perfect aperitif.

Alix Carlin farms 12 ha planted with Sauvignon and 2 ha with Pinot Noir. The vineyard is located in Crézancy-en-Sancerre (South of the AOP) and is facing south-southeast. Vines are mostly planted on hillsides composed of mostly limestone (caillottes) with clay-limestone and clay soils. She took over the family vineyard in 2006 from her father: Jack Pinson. By the time the estate was called Domaine de la Voltonnerie (created in 1970). She now works with her husband Nicolas Carlin. 

The work of the vine is governed by the rhythm of seasons. Winter is for pruning, including the 'Guyot' cutting, consisting in leaving a two "eye" spur and a shoot with 7 - 8 plain "eyes", as well as the 'Cordon de Royat' cutting, a simple or double repartition of 5 spurs over 1 or 2 branches lined along the wire guide. In Spring, the last stage of the cutting process takes place including bending of branches on the wire, de-budding in order to withdraw all excess buds and control productivity. Summer is for 'accolage', that is holding branches between 2 wires using hooks. In Autumn grapes are harvested from September to October.

This Sancerre is made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc, with pressing done so that the juice flows by gravity to limit the handling of pump. The vats are thermoregulated stainless steel. No use of oak for both the cuvée domaine in white and rosé to keep the wines fresh, pure and thirst-quenching.