Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rouge La Croix du Roy (75cl, 14.5%)

A red Sancerre made from 100% Pinot Noir by Domaine Lucien Crochet in Bué, in the Loire Valley. It is bottled at about 13 to 14.5% ABV in a 750 ml bottle. La Croix du Roy comes from a single south-facing parcel on Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, farmed organically. Grapes are hand-harvested, table-sorted and about 70% destemmed, then macerated for about 25 days. Fermentation uses native yeasts, and the wine ages for 22 months in 228-litre Burgundy barrels and 600-litre oak vats. The nose opens with cherry and raspberry, then darker fruits, violet, vanilla and a graphite-like mineral edge. The palate is velvety and full-bodied, with red and black fruit, praline and baking spice, and soft, deep tannins. The finish is warm and lingering, with black pepper, praline sweetness and a fine mineral thread.