Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Argilo-Calcaire & Silex 2022

Bourgeois's 2019 Sancerre Blanc d'Antan Terroir de Silex is from a vineyard first planted in 1936 on predominantly flinty soils. The nose is intense, fresh and pure in all its flintiness and dried herbal aromas. This is a really pure and mineral Sancerre, or life from stone (to quote a well-known South African Sauvignon). On the palate, this is a pure, fresh and saline, quite firm and grippy Sancerre with still a little astringent tannins but lots of purity and tension. This is definitely a wine for connoisseurs and patient wine lovers. If you like oysters, you'll like this wine too. 14% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in March 2022. Drink 2024 - 2030.

In Sancerre, flint soils are in the minority and typically give wines that are not as tender as those on chalk-based vineyards. This provides an upright structure, meaning they are usually last in a lineup at a winery. And yet, while the 2019 Sancerre Cuvée d'Antan is very direct, with its firm line on the finish, it's still full-bodied, silky-smooth and amazingly rich. It's fermented entirely in older oak barrels and spends a year on lees, which certainly has something to do with its delectable texture. There's the merest hint of smokiness on the finish too.

Creamy, mineral and pretty varietal at the same time, mixing brioche with gooseberries, lime and flint. Flavorful on the palate with a medium to full body, all very linear. Fresh and a tad saline followed by a lengthy, pure finish.

The wine's style and richness fills the glass. It has maturity and ripeness with fine, textured fruit and acidity that intertwines beautifully. Its spice, density and concentration give it a still youthful character. Drink from 2023.

A palate-coating, beautifully chiseled wine, with lovely purity to the flavors of nectarine, lemon and lime zest. Nearly viscous in texture and broad on the palate, this ripples with racy acidity and wet stone accents. A powerful wine, with nice cut through the finish. Drink now through 2030.