Domaine Trotereau: Master of Sauvignon

Killer Pricing on Library Releases from Quincy

Here’s a common wine world question: does Sauvignon Blanc age well? The answer is a resounding yes.

True, the vast majority of the world’s production, from France to California, New Zealand, and beyond is of the simple, quaffable variety that has contributed to the success of the grape and its mass appeal. But there are a small handful of producers and regions that makes something much more complex and age worthy from this famous variety.

And you don’t have to just take our word for it; today we are offering a great opportunity to try perfectly stored Sauvignon Blanc with bottle age that is coming directly from the winery. And the pricing is excellent! Wine collectors and geeks will of course point to names like Dagueneau, Cotat and Vacheron for examples of age worthy S.B., but those bottles are no longer deals. That’s why we love the value from Domaine Trotereau in Quincy.

Wait, Quincy? Yes, this small and sleepy village about 20 miles southwest of Sancerre in the Loire Valley was for much of its history more popular than either Sancerre or neighboring Pouilly-Fumé for its expressive and aromatic Sauvignon. Indeed it was the 2nd village to claim appellation status in France. Why that all started to change 50 years ago is unclear, maybe it is just that the name (say cahn-see) lacks appeal?

Whatever the reason, it has meant that much of the production has been turned over to co-ops who produce a crisp, international style wine for the global market. Not so at Trotereau. The current proprietor and winemaker, Pierre Ragon, took over the family estate back in 1973. He has steadfastly produced expressive, complex wines that speak of their special terroir.

What is that terroir? It’s a very unique combination of sandy and silex laden top soil over a bed of pink limestone. Something not found anywhere in the more famous neighboring villages. This contributes to the aromatics and the ability to get ripeness without losing any of the bright acidity. In the cellar Pierre likes low and slow fermentations (15-30 days) which preserves the aromas, but also blocks malolactic fermentation which helps maintain structure and age-ability.

Trotereau has just two wines, Quincy and Quincy Vieille Vignes. The old vines are legitimately old, planted between 1905 and 1943. Even the “young” vines are mostly 20-35 years old. The 2019’s just landed, it was a great but challenging vintage and the quantities were low. Perhaps that is why Pierre included a few library releases in the latest shipment, or maybe he just wanted to show off how good these wines are with some age.

Either way, we recommend you grab a bottle or two of each to check out, and if you are convinced then grab some extra 2019’s to throw in the cellar or wine fridge for 4-5 years or more. And our special pricing today makes it pretty easy to do just that.