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Is this Sancerre in disguise? This refreshing white wine has all the makings of Sancerre and cost under $20! Lip smacking acidity and minerality dominate the palate. Crisp with subtle citrus notes that finishes bone dry. 100% Sauvignon Blanc from old vines.

Quincy does produce exceptionally high quality Sauvignon Blanc, much like Sancerre, but at a much more affordable price. The cost of Sancerre has skyrocketed over the years with it’s immense popularity and recent difficult vintages. So the savvy Sancerre drinker should be looking towards regions such as Quincy to get their high-acid, mineral driven white wine fix.

Today’s wine happens to be produced by an outstanding Sancerre winery, Domaine Sylvain Bailly. This is one of our favorite Sancerre producers, who really created something special with their Quincy botting.

The Bailly family have been vignerons in Sancerre from father to son since 1700. Like most winemaking families in France who suffered from the phylloxera blight in the late 19th century and then the two world wars of the 20th century, it was only in the early 1950's that Sylvain Bailly began to prosper and grow his business. His son Jacques has took the helm in the late 1980s and today, his daughter Sonia manages the estate.

Winery Notes
On the nose, a wide range of fragrances, from vegetal with ivy and acacia to fruity with peach and lychee. A fresh start, opening for persistent mineral and fruity notes with a lingering finish on the palate.

Organic

A terrific Sancerre alternative. This is a very mineral driven Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.

A blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Chardonnay, the Cazin Cheverny features bright citrus aromas and complex mineral notes. The palate is deep, surprisingly full-bodied, with great acid and remarkable length. The Sauvignon Blanc stays on the lees until the end of November." Importer notes

Located in the eastern Loire, just south of Blois, the little known appellations of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny are a must for any fan of Loire wines. Cheverny, the larger of the two appellations, consists of Sauvignon dominated wines while the tiny Cour-Cheverny zone must be made from the ancient Romorantin variety. Both zones have clay, limestone and silica soils. Francois Cazin hand harvests his old vines at yields that are well below average in any given year. His Cheverny is fresh and floral, with appley-texture and crisp acidity. The flavors are sleek and precise.

Organic

Nicolas Millerioux’s Sancerre Blanc ‘Tradition’ exhibits the true characteristics and purity of the appellation with notes of boxwood, lemon and hints of fresh almonds on the nose. The palate is fresh, crisp and with good acidity to lift and enhance the zesty fruit and freshness. This classic Loire Valley white wine is bone dry and extremely food-friendly.

Nicolas Millerioux is a young French vigneron who took over the family estate in 2008. Located in the hamlet of Amigny, just west of the village of Sancerre and south of Chavignol, the Milleriouxs have worked the land here for three generations, eventually expanding to the 15ha they farm today. Amigny is known for its chalky soils, and 95% of the Millerioux's holdings come from a mix of the classic limestone terroirs of the region: "Caillotes" (a hard, shallow limestone full of stones) and "Terres Blanches" (a softer Kimmeridgian marl).

In 2008 Nicolas brought organic farming to the family estate. Today, the work in the vineyards is completely organic (with certification coming) and the soils are worked manually. In the cellar, all of the wines are allowed to ferment naturally and extended lees-aging is used to enrich the wines, which allows for minimal sulfur additions only at racking and bottling. Nicolas’ goal is to define how Sancerre might have tasted earlier in the 20th century, before modern vine-clone monotony and industrial practices in the vineyards and cellar, and if his early work is any indication, he will surely be leading the charge as part of Sancerre’s new generation.