2023 Domaine Fouassier Sancerre Clos Paradis Loire, France

2023 Sancerre Clos Paradis (Sauvignon Blanc)

Wine Production: 100% Sauvignon Blanc, grapes go through pneumatic pressing and undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeast. The wine is aged for one year on the lees in stainless-steel tanks. Work in the cellar is based on the lunar calendar.

Tasting Notes: Nose of pear, honey, acacia flower, wet stone, a little touch of grapefruit. With aeration, stone and citrus take over. Full, airy and rounded mouthfeel, stretched by a fine acidity that lengthens the wine. Lingering finish, between the chewiness of chalk and the bitterness of citrus zest, the whole is very soft and refined.

Domaine Fouassier

The Fouassier family is one of the oldest winegrowing families in the village of Sancerre. Benoit and Paul Fouassier, cousins at the head of the estate today, are the 10th generation of Fouassier to have worked the estate's vines since 1742. The Fouassier family pioneered vinification by lieu-dit in the early 1980s. Since then, their work has focused on selecting the best parcels to express in the bottle the taste of the terroir on which the vines flourish. All work is carried out as naturally as possible, which is why the estate turned to organic and biodynamic farming over 15 years ago.

Location of Vineyard: The estate and plots are located in the heart of the Sancerre appellation, in the historic village of Sancerre. The different terroirs of Sancerre are so particular that Sauvignon finds its preferred terroir here, where it can express itself in the most beautiful way if it is managed sensibly. No other place in the world can express so much minerality from this grape variety. There are a majority of limestone terroirs, and also some flint terroirs. Each terroir brings its very specific mineral expression, and each plot brings its identity if it is vinified in a natural way, letting the yeasts present on the grapes lead the fermentation.

Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy: Domaine Fouassier choses to work in harmony with their vines, favoring terroir-based practices that respect the life of the soil, the balance of the plant and the environment. The estate is certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter label). Because the quality of the grapes is essential, great importance is attached to the care given to the vines. In keeping with tradition, Domaine Fouassier vinifies without the use of oenological products, intervening as little as possible and simply accompanying nature to obtain the best possible material. The wine must reflect the mineral expression of the terroir and the plot of land on which the vines grow.