Sancerre Cuvée 1166, Domaine Serge Laloue 2024

This 20+-hectare estate was established by the late Serge Laloue on the slopes of Thauvenay, just south east of the hilltop town of Sancerre which overlooks the Loire River. Serge took over from his parents who had traditionally farmed livestock and cereals before he turned the family’s efforts towards viticulture. The now entirely winemaking estate is today run with great precision by Serge’s son Franck and daughter Christine. The microclimate here is cool, owing to the exposition of the vineyards and the flinty, granitic soils here called silex contribute backbone and acidity to the finished wines.

The vines themselves average 25 years of age - older for the Cuvée Silex - and are farmed organically, though not certified as such, in order to get the best out of the carefully controlled yields. Commitment to quality here is impressive and the family has managed to produce consistently good wines, even in challenging vintages, demonstrating that hard work in the vineyard is nearly always repaid in the quality of the resulting wines.

We chose Laloue to make our first Exhibition label Sancerre in the 2008 vintage. Following an extended period of ageing on its fine lees, this often takes a year to hits its stride. Lesser-known Sancerre rosé and rouge are also made here and deserve much greater recognition, and the estate's premium cuvées are also worthy of note.