Domaine Dominique & Janine Crochet
Appellation: Sancerre
Proprietor: Crochet Family
Year Founded: 1992
Size: 13.5 hectares
Farming Practice: Organic
Wines:
Varietal/Blend: Sauvignon
Vineyard Area: From young vines and those up to 30-year-old vines mainly in Bué and two smaller plots in Sury-en-Vaux and Bannon.
Soil: 50% fine, pebbly limestone mixtures from Bué (mostly "Caillotes" and a little bit of Griottes"), 30% clay-limestone ("Terres Blanches") in Sur-en-Vaux, and 20% flint ("Silex") in Bannon.
Elevation: 275 meters
Exposure: Southeast-south-southwest
Vinification: Manual harvest, pneumatic press with fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks (blocking malolactic fermentation)
Maturation: 6-7 months on fine lees in stainless steel with once per week bâtonnage for two months.
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Sauvignon
Vineyard Area: From a single plot of 40-year-old vines in the Bué cru of Le Grand Chemarin.
Soil: "Caillotes" (larger limestone pebbles mixed with fine clay)
Elevation: 250-300 meters
Exposure: South
Farming Practice: Organic
Vinification: Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted before undergoing gentle pressing. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in tonneaux which is where the wine stays for the entirety of its maturation.
Maturation: 12 months in demi-muids (600-liter Tonneaux)
Varietal/Blend: Sauvignon
Vineyard Area: The wine comes from a tiny plot in Le Chêne Marchand, which is among Sancerre's most famous vineyards, known for fine combinations of "Caillotes" and "Griottes" coupled with excellent, southerly sun exposure.
Soil: "Griottes" (small limestone pebbles mixed with very fine clay)
Elevation: 240 to 260 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted before undergoing gentle pressing. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in tonneaux which is where the wine stays for the entirety of its maturation.
Maturation: 12 months in demi-muids (600-liter Tonneaux)
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: From various clay-rich plots in Bué and Sury-en-Vaux
Soil: "Terres Blanches" (clay-limestone soils)
Elevation: 225 meters on average
Exposure: Southeast-south-southwest
Vinification: Harvested by hand and fully destemmed before a 10-day to two-week maceration and fermentation. Pump-overs are performed twice daily with gentle pushdowns if needed. The wine is then racked off the skins and move to foudres and smaller barrels. Malolactic conversion occurs in barrel.
Maturation: 9-11 months
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Of the Crochet's 3.5 hectares of Pinot Noir vines, the plots selected for Rosé come mostly from the Bannon, which is directly south of the town of Sancerre and slightly below the latitude of Bué.
Soil: Silex
Elevation: 275 meters
Exposure: Southeast-south-southwest
Vinification: Manual harvest, direct press of grapes and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
Maturation: 6 months in stainless steel