Sancerre’s Charm Offensive

BY REBECCA GIBB MW | JULY 27, 2023

In 2023, Sancerre will commemorate 450 years since the siege of the town was lifted. The people of Sancerre, a haven for Huguenots, resisted Catholic attacks and a blockade on the fortified town for over nine months, with many of the townspeople dying of starvation within its walls. Although the French army had tried to storm the city numerous times and lost as many as 600 troops, the city held out until it became part of a wider peace deal, ending the fourth war of religion. At the time, Sancerre’s wine cellars were raided as part of reparations to King Charles IX.

The rooftops above Sancerre looking out towards the vineyards, including Les Romains.

While the village’s fortifications were pulled down, its lofty hilltop position now makes it the perfect vista over the surrounding villages. With its latest harvest, Sancerre is mounting a charm offensive, and it is on a large scale. Warm, dry conditions in 2022 created a healthy and abundant crop which marked a contrast with 2021, when growers faced an onslaught of frost, hail and rot. Tanks and barrels that had stood empty for a year filled quickly as the vines provided bountiful yields. 

Contrasting 2021, there was little trouble for grape growers in 2022. The spring passed without incident despite a relatively early bud break, but frost fighters were primarily given a rest. The vines were in a fruitful mood, producing many buds, while a warm and dry spring ensured smooth flowering. The only cause for concern was a few downpours caused by unusually warm weather in June, which raised the risk of fungal disease. But the skies remained clear throughout the rest of June, July and August, with four separate heatwaves occurring (+35˚C), which caused the Le Trail de Sancerre (Sancerre’s annual sporting event) organizers to bring forward the runners’ start time to early morning to avoid the 40˚C afternoon temperatures.

The region headed towards an early harvest under a blazing sun. There was certainly some water stress, but on September 6, rain swelled the small, concentrated berries, leading to a larger harvest and a few minor botrytis worries. Another hot and dry summer in Sancerre? Sounds like 2020 all over again. However, the wines are much better balanced in 2022. Yes, these whites display ripe, often tropical fruit with few green Sauvignon characters and have richness and charm, but alcohol levels are not excessive. You’re more likely to find a wine with 13.5% alcohol in 2022 rather than 14.5% in 2019 and 2020, which is a relief. It’s widely thought this resulted from the season’s naturally higher crop load, which took longer to ripen its fruit. As Sebastien Redde of Michel Redde explains, “If you have 35hL/ha, and it’s a hot year, you make jam.” Acid levels are on the low side, providing gentle refreshment rather than crispness, unlike 2021. In the better examples, which speak more clearly of their site, the chalky texture of the different limestone-based soils and the precision that comes from flint contribute tension when acid fails to provide.