Gitton Pere et Fils Sancerre 'Les Belles Dames'

If you do a little research, you'll see that the wines of Domaine Gitton are oft-compared to those of Dagueneau. There are certainly parallels, as the Gittons, like Dagueneau, are champions of Sauvignon Blanc planted on silex (shale) soils. In addition, the family crafts powerful wines made from ripe grapes aged in older barrels, and like Daugueneau's cuvees, Gitton's wines age very well.

Their Les Belles Dames bottling, their largest parcel, is planted in pure silex. These tough, hard-to-plow soils yield wines with intensity, concentration, and wonderful mineral expression. Aged for 12 months in 600 liter, neutral barrels, it is one of the most exotic, full-bodied, and delicious Sancerres we've ever stocked. It is reminiscent of some of the higher-end cuvees from Thomas-Labaille.

Full-bodied, with more rounded acidity and full ripeness, this exudes crazy-good notes of tropical citrus, pear skin, kiwi, lime, and crushed rock. About as full and complex as Sauvignon Blanc gets, this is a real treat, and it's a taste of what world-class Sancerre would have tasted like back in the 1950's. YUM!