Vincent Roussely makes some of my favorite Loire Valley values, and his 2023 L'Escale Sauvignon Blanc exhibits serious Sancerre style at half the price.
Lynn and I enjoyed a bottle of this over a dinner of herb-roasted chicken and potatoes, and we both agreed that this fleshy, crisp, and minerally Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc would perform incredibly well with Thanksgiving dinner.
Vincent Roussely is the 4th generation of his family to tend vines in Touraine, in the heart of the Central Loire Valley. He is a young, passionate, and ambitious and like all great vignerons, he believes that great wine is made in the vineyard. Part of that equation is organic farming, and Vincent attained certification in 2007.
He did not "go organic" to be trendy or for marketing purposes, he did it because it leads to healthier and more vibrant soils and better wines....like this one. Roussely's L'Escale Sauvignon Blanc is grown in clay, limestone, and flint soils, much like those found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and it is fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel and aged for 8 months on the lees.
The resulting wine shows classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc character. Crisp, lively, and vibrant, it smells like Bosc pear, green apple, ripe citrus, green herbs, and flinty mineral. What I really like here is the slightly richer and more generously textured palate that this one presents, and it will keep you coming back for sip after sip.
With Sancerres running $30+ these days, this is terrific, and lower-cost alternative, and I promise you it will work wonderfully well with turkey, ham, and stuffing.
Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator/Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
