Riffault - Sancerre Akmenine - 2017

SANCERRE AKMENINE 

 

This true leviathan of a Sauvignon goes against the common trend in Sancerre to produce hyper-acid, early picked and mostly technologically manipulated and, let’s face it, fairly tasteless wines. A bit harsh maybe but we face here a truly divine beast of a natural orange wine which, like all of Sebastien’s wines, gains its name (in Lithuanian as a homage to his wife) from the single 3 hectare cru it comes from. Naturally 100% Sauvignon from 30 years old vines grown biodynamically, the grapes are harvested slightly late to exalt richness and concentration. Wild fermentation with 30% of botrytized grapes and slight skin contact in steel, followed by 36 months of elevage in used barriques before bottling with no fining, filtration or added SO2. Sun-drenched power, abyssal minerality and otherworldly density and complexity reign: bitter arbutum honey with glazed lime peel over sherbet of medlar fruit, Samarcanda red spices and bruised baked apples with cinnamon.