Pascal Jolivet was founded in 1987 and is one of the most dynamic domaines in France’s Loire Valley. Based in Sancerre, the domaine now owns 70 hectares of vineyards spread across the appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. The domaine supplements the estate holdings with additional fruit sourced from long-term contract growers some of the prime sites of the region including ‘Les Caillottes’, ‘Le Chêne Marchand’ and ‘Le Clos du Roy’. Pascal shares his philosophy with winemaker, Valentina Buoso: to work in harmony with nature to produce wines with purity of fruit, a linear character and minerality, allowing a natural expression of the vineyard to give the wines a sense of place.
Jolivet owns 42 hectares of vineyard in Sancerre at an altitude of 200-400m, close to the villages of Bué, Verdigny and Ste Gemme. Located close to the Loire River and surrounded by forest creates a relatively mild micro climate for the vineyards. The grapes for this wine are organically cultivated and are selected from parcels in Champtin, where soils are predominantly limestone.
The grapes are organically grown and are hand-picked and sorted. After pressing, the juice is then fermented in stainless steel at 18°C for 20 days without the addition of yeasts. After fermentation, the wine spends a further 12 months maturing on its lees, giving a subtle, rich complexity to the wine before bottling. All parcels are vinified separately. The wine is then blended just before bottling, which takes place without filtration or cooling.
The Sauvage is elegant and subtle on the nose, medium-bodied and rich on the palate, with layers of mouth-watering fruit leading to a racy finish, while retaining absolute finesse.
Excellent with shellfish, rich fish dishes, white meats and poultry.
Serve at 10-12°C.
James Suckling: 93 Points
Sancerre AOC, Loire
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Natural Cork
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