It's another homerun vintage of Adele Rouze's brilliant Quincy Blanc. From the village just west of Sancerre and produced from very old vines, it outclasses a lot of Sancerres and Pouilly-Fumes that cost a lot more.
Boasting incredible purity, wonderful expression of terroir, and vivid aromas and flavors, it is one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs in the shop. We just took shipment of our 14-case allocation, and I promise you this would pair beautifully with the Thanksgiving feast.
2023 Domaine Adele Rouze Quincy
Better than most Sancerres at less than $25!
Buy a Solid Six-Pack or More: $18.99/bottle -- Over 20% off!
Anything Less: $21.99/bottle ($24.99 regular price)
The hamlet of Quincy was the Loire Valley's first AOC and France's second, just behind Chateauneuf du Pape. Adele Rouze is unquestionably one of the village's top producers, and this small zone just west of Sancerre and Menetou-Salon is one of the great Sauvignon Blanc spots in the Loire valley and the whole world.
Madame Rouze works with old, well-rooted, low-yielding vines planted between 1920 and 1950, she farms organically, she hand-harvests, she ferments with native yeasts, and she makes just one wine. This is it, and in a good year, the estate will make a scant 3,000 cases. Adele's wines are quite beloved in her home country, and just 500 cases make it to the US each year.
The unique soils of Quincy, a combination of sand, flint, and limestone, are like those found in "higher-rent" districts like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. These rocky, well-drained soils stress the vines, coaxing out intense and exuberant aromas and flavors. I love the wine's wonderful purity of fruit paired with that intense mineral expression that you'll only find in top-flight, Loire Valley whites.
It all adds up to a stunning bottle of white wine that opens with a bouquet of Bosc pear, ripe citrus, green herb, lime zest, chalk, and salty mineral. Just as tantalizing on the palate, this has got wonderfully deep concentration and intense flavors, but Sauvignon Blanc's natural acidity keeps it light on its feet.
I'm just going to say it -- this is better than many of the $30+ Sancerres that we stock, it just isn't as well-known and chic at the moment. With a wonderful balance of ripeness, freshness, and complexity, this will enhance the flavors of your turkey, ham, and oyster stuffing. It's also great with creamy goat cheese schmeared on a baguette : )
