Henri Bourgeois - Sancerre d'Antan

92 RP Points
94 RP Points
Henri Bourgeois - Sancerre d'Antan - 2016 - 75cl - Onshore Cellars

Henri Bourgeois - Sancerre d'Antan

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Regular price €39.60
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Tasting Notes

A fresh and subtle blend of sunny citrus aromas and delicate mineral notes, sometimes described as a "subtle infusion of gunflints and lime"
Bourgeois's Sancerre Blanc d'Antan is from a vineyard first planted in 1936 on predominantly flinty soils. The nose is intense, fresh and pure in all its flintiness and dried herbal aromas. This is a really pure and mineral Sancerre, or life from stone (to quote a well-known South African Sauvignon). On the palate, this is a pure, fresh and saline, quite firm and grippy Sancerre with little astringent tannins but lots of purity and tension.
The 2020 Sancerre Blanc d'Antan Terroir de Silex is crafted from vines planted in 1936 on flinty soils. Matured for one year on lees and two years in bottle before being released, it exhales a deep, complex bouquet despite a touch of sulfur, with aromas of ripe orchard fruits, herbs, exotic fruits, spices and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, round and fleshy with a deep core of fruit, it concludes with an elegant, nicely phenolic finish. Ripe without excess, it’s approachable now but is also built to evolve gracefully.
From silex soils, the low-yielding 2016 Sancerre d'Antan offers a clear, fresh, deep, quite complex and mineral nose with flint notes and discreet white fruit and cassis aromas. Fermented and aged on the fine lees in old oak barrels, this is a dense, powerful, well-structured and persistent yet elegant and balanced Sancerre that was bottled without fining or filtration. It is very complex and intense on the powerful aftertaste. Still a baby, this old-fashioned as well as modern Sancerre will benefit from bottle aging. It has good grip, tension and fine tannins. A real personality.

More information

Provenance
Type
Country
Appellation
Producer
Technical
ABV
14%
Serving
10° - 12° C
Drinking
2024 - 2040
Food Pairings
ShellfishGoat CheeseGreen VegetablesSushi and SashimiFresh Herbs and Aromatic DishesCitrus-Based DishesLobsterFishPoultryGruyere
Certifications
Bio (Organic)
Key Characteristics
Full-bodiedHerbaceousMineralFreshFlintyStony

Behind the bottle

Henri Bourgeois

Henri Bourgeois

For 10 generations, they have offered thier passion and values ​​as winegrowers to develop Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs of great character. Each member of the family, Jean-Marie...

For 10 generations, they have offered thier passion and values ​​as winegrowers to develop Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs of great character. Each member of the family, Jean-Marie Bourgeois, Arnaud, Lionel and Jean-Christophe, bring their talent to the Domaine. Established in Chavignol, in the heart of the best terroirs of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, we cultivate a mosaic of plots respecting our unique terroirs of Kimmeridgian Marl, Silex and Limestone Clays.

The story of our family is told over ten generations of winegrowers. Men and women who cultivated both an attachment – to Sancerre, in the village of Chavignol – and the courage to uphold their art. However, most importantly: A commitment to revealing the great terroirs of the appellation.

Henri Bourgeois
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Loire

The Loire Valley stretches approximately 1,000 kilometers along France's longest river, from the Atlantic coast inland to the central highlands. This extensive wine region encompasses diverse terroirs across...

The Loire Valley stretches approximately 1,000 kilometers along France's longest river, from the Atlantic coast inland to the central highlands. This extensive wine region encompasses diverse terroirs across four main sub-regions: Muscadet near the Atlantic, Anjou-Saumur in the west, Touraine in the center, and the Upper Loire including Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in the east. The Loire ranks among France's most significant wine regions by volume, producing around 4 million hectoliters annually across more than 70 appellations.

The region's continental climate gradually transitions to maritime influence near the coast, with the Loire River providing crucial temperature moderation. Soils vary dramatically from the schist and granite of Muscadet to the limestone and clay of Sancerre, with tuffeau limestone prevalent in Touraine and Saumur. Key appellations include Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé for Sauvignon Blanc, Vouvray and Savennières for Chenin Blanc, and Chinon and Bourgueil for Cabernet Franc-based reds.

Sauvignon Blanc dominates the eastern Loire, producing mineral-driven wines in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé that express their limestone and flint soils. Chenin Blanc creates the region's most versatile wines, from bone-dry Savennières to sweet Coteaux du Layon and sparkling Vouvray. Cabernet Franc achieves particular distinction here, crafting elegant reds in Chinon and Saumur-Champigny with characteristic herbaceous notes and bright acidity. The Loire's cool climate preserves natural acidity across all styles, creating wines known for their freshness, food-friendliness, and ability to express specific terroir characteristics.

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Sancerre

Sancerre

Sancerre is an appellation d'origine contrôlée located in the eastern Loire Valley of France, centered around the hilltop town of Sancerre in the Cher department. The appellation was...

Sancerre is an appellation d'origine contrôlée located in the eastern Loire Valley of France, centered around the hilltop town of Sancerre in the Cher department. The appellation was established in 1936 and encompasses 14 communes across approximately 2,800 hectares of vineyards. The region sits on the left bank of the Loire River, about 200 kilometers southeast of Paris.

The Sancerre appellation is built on three distinct soil types: terres blanches (white marl and limestone), caillottes (limestone-rich soils with small stones), and silex (flint-based soils). Only two grape varieties are permitted: Sauvignon Blanc for white wines and Pinot Noir for red and rosé wines. The continental climate features warm summers and cold winters, with the Loire River providing a moderating influence. White wines dominate production, representing roughly 85% of total output.

Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc typically displays mineral-driven characteristics with citrus and herbaceous notes, often showing a distinctive flinty quality attributed to the silex soils. The wines are known for their crisp acidity and ability to express terroir differences between villages and vineyard sites. Sancerre Rouge, made from Pinot Noir, tends to be lighter in style with red fruit flavors and earthy undertones, though production remains limited compared to the white wines.

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