Domaine du Carrou Sancerre La Jouline 2020

A few winters ago, back when people traveled from one country to another, I received an incredible one on one education on the differences of the terroirs of Sancerre from the master himself, Dominique Roger. (I also was lucky enough to have his wife cook us a traditional dinner with about 20 different vintages of Sancerre white and red but that’s a different story).

I’m not gonna lie, I generally thought of Sancerre as a pretty simple, crisp white that offers incredible value, food friendliness and consistency. But I have changed my tune after walking through the vineyards with Dominique, freezing my butt off for over 4 hours.

Each site offered incredibly different soil and exposure just like in Burgundy. We walked through one vineyard that was so filled with chalk rock that the ground looked like the desert floor. You want to know why your wine tastes like minerals? This couldn’t have been more clear here!

Dominique said that he bottled these parcels separately and calls it ‘La Jouline’ after his great grandfather. “La Jouline” is always a very special wine, crafted from 60+ year old vines. Tiny yields followed by partial barrel fermentation creates a wine with complex aromatics, explosive flavors, and a mineral-laced finish that makes it both incredible at the table with rich cuisine or a great candidate for short term aging.