Sebastien Riffault Sancerre Auksinis Blanc 2015 (Preservative Free)

Tasting Notes

Sauvignon Blanc from a 1ha parcel in Verdigny, grown on clay and limestone (caillottes). The vines average 50 years of age. 50% botrytis. Aged in old barrels for 36 months. Zero SO2 added. Damn... this is incredible! As soon as you smell it you know it's going to be good. So lifted it almost feels carbonic. Feels jubey, like lollies but with real fruit. A tropical fruit salad, with a hint of herbaceous-ness in the background. It's very bright and lifted on the nose, whereas some of the others feel deeper. The texture is very light and supple, and bursting with tropical fruit. But then the tension builds, and the detailed layers reveal themselves, giving the wine additional complexity. There is a touch of caramel too. This wine is so bright. It's seamless, and so easy to drink. The other cuvées make you think ‚– this does as well, but it's fresher. So much mango and papaya, with strong limestone imprint in the background. It's a tropical fruit salad, but savoury, and the balance is impeccable because you don't feel that it's sweet or full on, you just want more. The freshness is insane. Meadow flowers in the breeze, apricots, apricot stones, salted caramel and sea spray. But it's that energy lift that makes it so sublime. This wine doesn't necessarily need food either. Could be my favourite... - Ryan Larkin