Sancerre undoubtedly represents one of the world’s best areas for growing Sauvignon Blanc, but even here, site plays paramount importance. The sleepy town, just west of the Loire River, is surrounded by gently rolling hills, with tidy vineyard rows covering every conceivable surface save the occasional hilltop village.

      However, not all vineyards are created equal: differences in exposure, slope, and altitude—along with minor variations in soil type—give drastically distinct wines from one plot to the next. The Neveu family is fortunate to own land in the Clos des Bouffants, an unusually steep parcel with a very poor, thin soil composed of rocky limestone. Facing due south, the Sauvignon here receives generous sunshine to produce an ample, concentrated wine.

      True to its terroir, it possesses striking nerve and minerality that underscore the mouth filling citrus flavors. This is serious Sancerre made by a family whose roots in the region date back to the twelfth century.