Sancerre Vieilles Vignes 2010, Gérard et Pierre Morin

 

Wine Advocate, David Schildknecht (93 points) :

 

Tasted from a magnum because he thought (‘til his wife later proved otherwise) that he hadn’t saved any 750s for the family, Morin’s unfiltered, U.S.-exclusive 2010 Sancerre Vieilles Vignes originates largely in the Le Chateau vineyard at the north edge of Bue and adjacent to the winery, but this year includes a share from south of the village, in Plante des Pres, and another from near La Moussiere. There is a striking sense of delicacy as well as of transparency both to coolingly herbal, green tea, and floral infusion, and to a shimmering display of stony, stony and crystalline mineral matter. A saline, sweet, and bitter melange suggesting iodine and shrimp shell reduction sends my salivary glands into overdrive. Morin says this is one of those frequent instances – such as one would normally be less inclined to associate with the course of the delayed 2010 growing season – where “there were only two or three days possibly for picking to get the balance right, with enough freshness, with low alcohol, but not too green.” He obviously picked the right one! This sensational value ought to reward following for the better part of a decade.