Domaine de Reuilly Les Pierre Plates Sauvignon Blanc Biodynamic 2023 750ml

When tasting the wines of Denis Jamain, it is clear that the appellation of Reuilly, in the eastern Loire, is experiencing a renaissance, moving far beyond its former status as the “poor man’s Sancerre.” Domaine Reuilly's Vineyard has a long story... a very long story, since the very first vines of Reuilly were entrusted in the 7th century by King Dagobert to the monks of the Royal Abbey of St-Denis. It was in 1935 that Camille Rousseau, the maternal grand-father of Denis Jamain, settled in Reuilly and planted his very first white Sauvignon vines. In the early 90s, Denis Jamain decided out of passion for the vineyard to take up the torch and acquire a beautiful set of plots in the town of Reuilly, a real starting point for the development of the Domaine. After leading the operation in sustainable management for many years, he converted to organic farming in 2007 (certified by Veritas) and biodynamy in 2011 (certified by Demeter).

You might do a double take after your first sip of this mouthwatering blanc from Domaine de Reuilly and wonder, “Is this Chablis?” It is not Chardonnay from Chablis, but Sauvignon Blanc from the eastern slice of the Loire region! Like the best Burgundian Chardonnay, however, this Sauvignon Blanc serves to transmit its Reuilly-ness more than its Sauvignon Blanc-ness. Instead of tropical, heavily grassy notes, you get a lean, chiseled frame with hints of crushed rock and citrus. The limestone parcel where it originates is called “Les Pierres Plates”—the flat stones—which is filled with fossilized shells from the Kimmeridgian period, when France was covered by ocean. Where you find this soil in Chablis and parts of Champagne, you also find bone-dry, flinty, almost saline wines that are the soulmates of shellfish. Denis Jamain of Domaine de Reuilly farms organically and biodynamically, which allows this single-vineyard Sauvignon’s minéralité to sing its purest song.
Tom SWolf - Kermit Lynch Importers