Vincent Pinard

The ‘Village’ (Estate) Wine

2020 Sancerre Florès
2020 has produced an outstanding suite of wines at Vincent Pinard, and this is the flag-bearer which can be found in many of France’s 3 star restaurants, some of which have been pouring and listing it for 50 years or more. Which only serves to highlight the consistency of the domaine, from Vincent’s father’s tenure, right through Vincent’s and now on to that of his sons Florent and Clément. Fruit for Florès is selected from their younger vines (but now pushing 40 years old!) around Bué, all estate owned. The key vineyards are Emois, Vallons, Petit Chemarin, Le Bourg, Crépon, Dargente and Bois Brulés. From the 2020 vintage onward the wine is fermented in a minimum of 95 % large oak cask and 5 % stainless steel, as the brothers have progressively increased the use of large oak over the last several years. The result is a wine that is still crisp and racy in the classic Sancerre style, but also with more texture, depth and complexity than it had 10 years ago.

‘The 2020 Sancerre Flores is fine, elegant and floral. Textured and light in body, there’s a delightful tension through the soft core; a light citrusy note accompanies a savoury leesy character alongside apricot and nectarine. On the medium length, the Sauvignon note of boxwood peeps out reminding you of the variety. Drink 2022-2028.’ 89 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, July 2022.

The ‘Premier Cru’

2020 Sancerre Nuance
From 40 year-old vines grown on Caillottes terroir (small stones over limestone) in Bué, selected from the vineyards of La Thibaude, Les Garennes and Les Grands Champs, Nuance is one of the domaine’s ‘Premier Cru’ wines. The fruit is hand picked, hand sorted and then whole-bunch pressed to tank for a cool, slow fermentation over about 4 weeks. The wine is aged on fine lees for 9 months in equal portions of stainless steel tanks, older barriques and demi-muids (600 L). This shows a big step up in texture and intensity, with a hint of smokiness on the nose and fine chalky minerality on the palate.

‘The 2020 Sancerre Nuance hails from chalky soils. It offers a succulent and soft welcome, but its the combination of gently refreshing acidity and the fine chalky texture that sweeps the mouth in an almost swirling motion and reassures the drinker. The fruit is both savoury and ripe with peach barley and the meerest lick of boxwood .... Drink 2023-2030.’ 91 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, July 2022.

The ‘Grand Crus’ (Single Vineyard Wines)

2021 Sancerre Le Château - very limited - due September 2023
A new single vineyard cuvée since 2015. The lieu-dit of Le Château sits on a south facing slope above Bué and the domaine’s plot was planted in 1968 and 1972. Here the soil is Kimmeridgian marl (limestone and clay), which is a bit of a rarity in Bué, where most of the terroir is the more gravelly Oxfordian limestone. The fruit is hand-picked, hand-sorted and then whole-bunch pressed to 600 litre demi-muids for fermentation, followed by 9 months maturation on fine lees. A stunning wine of notable intensity and complexity which benefits from decanting and the finest stemware. Served blind this will challenge and more than compete in a line-up of fine white Burgundies. A very substantial wine with great energy and the structure to age effortlessly.

“The 2021 Sancerre Le Chateau offers delightful yet delicate aromas reminiscent of elderflower, ripe peach and a mild creamy flavor (mlf). It is a very relaxed wine that seems to have just finished a meditation session. While it is approachable now, there remains a strength to this wine on the finish - a lightly chalky tannic grip, which provides substance and structure. Drink 2023-2035.” 92 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2023.

2021 Sancerre Chêne Marchand - very limited - due September 2023
“The 2021 Sancerre Chêne Marchand is a powerful, long-lived style with masses of concentration inside a mid-weight package. There is a ripeness of almost tropical fruit alongside nectarines and a touch of green gooseberry. A light creamy flavour joins the fruit. It is impressive structured and firm. This will go the distance. Drink 2023-2033.” 95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2023.

2020 Sancerre Le Château
“From a small parcel planted on Kimmeridgian soils in 1968, the 2020 Sancerre Le Chateau is a powerful and structured Sancerre with plentiful welcome flesh. You can expect a high level of concentration reflecting the restricted yields, and the flavours are reminiscent of ripe apples, nectarines, floral notes and a pastry-like character on the finish. If I am being super picky, I’d like a little more tension through the wines core, but this was a warm season, and it is still an excellent wine. Drink 2023-2036.” 94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2022.

2020 Sancerre Grand Chemarin
“While light on its feet, the 2020 Sancerre Le Grand Chemarin packs plenty of concentration within its core. This sense of power provides a quinine-like bitterness to the ripe fruit and nettle flavours, which serve to remind you we are in Sauvignon-Central. There’s a long dry and savoury finish with a lees derived pastry character lingering long. Drink 2023-2036.” 95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2022.

2020 Sancerre Chêne Marchand
“The 2020 Sancerre Chêne Marchand is initially a tender wine with a mass of concentration packed into an airy cloud of a wine. The wine is held together by a line of acidity and mineral structure providing length and focus. The nettle-suffused finish as slightly spoiled by anote of alcohol that warms on the finish (14%). but that really is picking faults. Drink 2023-2033.” 94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2022.