2004 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore

Domaine Edmond Vatan has a devoted following – call it a cult if you like – thanks entirely to decades of hard work and the talents of Edmond Vatan himself. His Sancerres are a benchmark against which other Sancerres are measured. Robert M. Parker Jr. has described himself as "officially addicted" to Vatan's Clos la Neore, calling it "Sancerre at its best." Vatan Sancerres are known for their stunning presentation of aromas and flavors and their ability to improve with cellaring. Vatan retired in 2007, and since 2008 winemaking and estate management have fallen to his daughter, Anne Vatan-Foucault. Father and daughter both believe in low yields on heavily pruned vines, and one result is that there is very little wine produced, about 500 cases a year. Their steep, difficult to farm Clos La Neore vineyard is a mere six acres. The wines often earn ratings in the mid-90s, and Wine Advocate called a recent vintage “fascinatingly – indeed, almost mind-bendingly – complex.” Along with their reputation for excellence, a hallmark of Edmond Vatan Sancerres are their slim, long-necked green bottles, generally marked only with a simple label near the bottle neck. They don't need flashy labels. The wine speaks for itself.

The Loire Valley in central France is home to numerous important appellations and sub-appellations. Its 185,000 vineyard acres include 87 appellations in Anjou, Samur, Touraine and Chinon, among other areas. The Loire River, which stretches from Nantes on the Atlantic Coast to Orleans, about 80 miles south of Paris, has been a boon to winemaking in the region ever since the Romans planted vineyards some 2,000 years ago. The river moderates the climate in the Loire Valley, which in the 11th and 12th centuries produced wine that was more prized than the wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy. Today the Loire Valley is best known for its white wines, though it actually produces as much red and white wine. The prestigious white wines of the region are Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Muscadet and Vouvray. The white grapes most frequently grown are Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne. The best red wines are typically Cabernet Franc or Gamay. Though Loire Valley wines are widely admired in France, outside of the country they suffer from a lack of recognition. In writing about Loire wines, Hugh Johnson has noted that the “classic word for them is charming; the classic mystery that they are not more appreciated outside of France.”

This crisp, dry white wine hails from France but is grown in wine regions around the world. In California, it is sometimes called Fume Blanc; while in Sauternes, it is a component of their famous dessert wines.