Sancerre So Rare... that it's RED!
2008 Labaille Sancerre Rouge l'Authentique
Juicy Loire Pinot Noir with Serious Verve and Crackle
Joe Dressner rightly calls Sancerre Rouge "A curiosity and a rarity in America."
We call it dangerously tasty and impressively affordable.
Back Up the Truck for your summer stock!
Very, very few red Sancerres make it to the American market.
Bright, juicy, yet remarkably light on its toes, this category of spirited Pinot Noir is guzzled down in Parisian bistros by Pinot-haulics (from students to connoisseurs) who recognize the extraordinary value and imminent drinkability inherent in these gems.
A bright, fireworks display of red fruit; the crackling zing you know and love from Sancerre blanc. Lick your lips and go back for more while your carefully stashed Burgundy develops in the cellar.
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If there's a problem with Sancerre Rouge, it's that you have to dig to find a good one. We had to go to the Loire Valley, in fact. But after tasting this one with winemaker Jean-Paul Labaille, we immediately negotiated for as much as he'd let us have.
Our enthusiasm paid off, and today we share the U.S.'s one-and-only parcel with you for as low as $20.80 a bottle on the case purchase.
Considering this wine's delicious versatility, we strongly urge you to take a case! Actually... considering its sheer gulpability, the real question should be: One case, or two? Labaille's Sancerre Rouge "l'Authentique" immediately impressed us with it's fantastic acidity (not easy to find in affordable Pinot!). Yet for all that lift, there's a very pretty undercurrent of spice-kissed red cherries, raspberries and cranberries folded into an almost-creamy body that still manages to hold onto its bright perkiness.
As the bottle was quickly drained in the Crush tasting room (always a good sign), the question was posed: "What would you pair with this?" The answers came quickly and exuberantly: roasted vegetables, fried chicken, poached salmon, rare roast beef, mushroom pizza... you get the idea.
One Crusher blurted out: "My porch and a barbecue!" Right on.
And as the first glimpses of sunny afternoons peak out of winter's dwindling shadows, this is probably the perfect wine for the transition into spring and beyond.
Well-respected for his white Sancerre, Jean-Paul Labaille (who took over the domaine from his retiring father-in-law Thomas a few years ago) maintains traditional techniques in the vineyard and cellar - in fact, he's one of the few producers in Sancerre who continues to harvest by hand, paying careful attention to his old vines in Chavignol, some of which occupy the super-steep slopes of this region's prestigious Monts Damnes hills. To make great Pinot Noir in an area that's so heavily geared towards Sauvignon Blanc takes fortitude, rigid standards in the vineyard and tuned-in winemaking, and we're pleased that Jean-Paul Labaille employs all of these.
We're also pleased to be able to offer you the only parcel of this wine coming into the U.S. We went long and hope to have this wine in stock through the spring... that said, this is the only drop coming in, and once it's gone, picnics will never be the same.
So stock up; pricing is about as sharp as it gets, and this wine is about as fresh and pure as it gets. If you're in the city (or state?), we can likely get your case to you by end of week - you, however, have to fire up the grill!
To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Stephen & Joe
Wine Buyers
Crush Wine & Spirits
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Special Email Bottle Price: $24.95
Labaille is in stock!
NET | No further discount