{"product_id":"claude-riffault-mosaique-calcaire-sancerre-2024-750ml","title":"Claude Riffault 'Mosaique Calcaire' Sancerre 2024 - 750ml","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e90pts Vinous\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 Sancerre Mosaïque Calcaire is round and becoming, but tightens up on the finish with a nervy acidity. Citrus and nectarine fruit combine with a very delicate pastry note. Long maturation has given the 2024 flesh around its acid-fresh spine, which bodes well for its development over the coming years. This is a nice surprise considering the difficulties of the vintage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sancerre named Mosaïque Calcaire is an aromatic, light-coloured and pleasantly citrusy wine. This year it is more powerful and less yellow-fruity than last year. Instead, it is reminiscent of cedrat lemons and a little lime zest, grapefruit and pineapple rind, white flowers and a little damp lichen on wet rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the palate, the Sancerre a lot of fun. I also like Riffault's more opulent vintages, but this one is also racy, powerful, citric and stony on the palate. There are hardly any expressive Sauvignon notes here, neither grassy nor exotic. It is a rock wine with a tight structure, lively acidity, freshness and finesse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePairing: \u003c\/strong\u003eCarpaccio of yellow and green courgettes with young olive oil and fresh peas, Grilled fennel and carrots with goat's milk yoghurt labneh and mint, Fettuccine with smoked sardines, lemon, capers and pepper\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker's Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the estate's entry-level Sancerre, which since the 2022 vintage has been Calcaire Mosaïque is called. It comes mainly from the limestone-dominated sites such as Les Boucauds, Les Chasseignes and Les Denisottes with Terres Blanches and Caillottes. The wine was fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and then aged partly in stainless steel and partly in used larger wood for seven months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinery Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStéphane Riffault (Claude’s son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre\u003cbr\u003ebottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. As David Schildknecht put\u003cbr\u003eit, “Make no mistake: this address in the hamlet of Maison Salle (Sury-en-Vaux) is\u003cbr\u003enow one of the five or six most exciting estates in the Sancerre appellation.” Given that\u003cbr\u003eStephane’s holdings represent 4-tenths of 1 percent of the appellation, he is clearly\u003cbr\u003edoing something right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane Riffault works 33 different parcels in 8\u003cbr\u003edifferent lieu-dits spread across four villages. The 13.5 hectares of vines are plowed, and\u003cbr\u003eno synthetic material is used. Starting in 2017, the property has been certified organic\u003cbr\u003eby ECOCERT and biodynamic by BIODYVIN. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the\u003cbr\u003eentire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are\u003cbr\u003ecrushed. Stéphane’s wife, Benedicte, leads the harvest team while Stéphane manages\u003cbr\u003ethe sorting and press during harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the domaine’s holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres\u003cbr\u003eblanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. Minor, judicious uses of oak help to\u003cbr\u003eadd length to the already precise, site-expressive, and vertical bottlings. All the parcels\u003cbr\u003eare vinified separately, and except for the rosé, all the wines are bottled unfiltered.\u003cbr\u003eHaving studied and worked in Burgundy (and closely with Olivier Leflaive), it’s easy to\u003cbr\u003esee the Burgundian influence in Stéphane’s wines. The mastery of minerality standing\u003cbr\u003eshoulder–height with the wood is rarely duplicated in Sancerre. Regardless of his\u003cbr\u003eparcels’ exposition (many are south-facing), Riffault’s wines are always crisp and highcut with a jeweled delineation that speaks to the precision and attention these wines\u003cbr\u003eget. These are not your daddy’s (or his daddy, Claude’s) Sancerres. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Southern Wine \u0026 Spirits","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67581706371436,"sku":"805109765160","price":59.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2424\/3053\/files\/claude-riffault-mosaique-calcaire-sancerre-2023-750ml-454243.jpg?v=1734906863","url":"https:\/\/redneckwinecompany.com\/products\/claude-riffault-mosaique-calcaire-sancerre-2024-750ml","provider":"Redneck Wine Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}