Monday, March 31, 2008

Domaine Lucien Crochet



We had the great pleasure of meeting Gilles Crochet, expert wine maker of the benchmark Sancerre estate Domaine Lucien Crochet. We have caried Lucien Crochet's Sancerre's on our list since the day we opened. Gilles stopped by Swoon last week as part of his Up-state/Berkshires tour. He brought with him all his current releases. Domaine Lucien Crochet has always been the standard bearer of what Sancerre should be-in my opinion anyways, a nose of chalk and citrus, bracing acidity, and a roundness in the finish that few others can achieve. The most remarkable of all the wines was the 2002 Vendange du 19 Octobre. This is not a typical late harvest wine.This wine is picked just 2 weeks after his normal bottling and fermented completely dry. The extra 2 weeks on the vine add such a greater richness in color and flavor. A must try, if you can find some. The regular Sancerre bottlings were as great as always with the La Croix de Roy, exhibiting surprising depth and the 05 Le Chen showing off it's trademark muscular minerality.He brought 2 reds with him as well the 05 La Croix du Roy Rouge, an elegant quaffer for any meal as well as the 03 Sancerre Rouge Cuvee LC, which had that trademark 03 ripeness, combined with the acidity and balance that is Gilles style.
What a fun afternoon, to be able to drink the wines of and speak with one of the great winemakers today here at Swoon was fantastic.
Thank you Gilles for stopping by.