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Case & Cork

Producer Loire, France

Domaine Roc de l'Abbaye

Domaine Roc de l'Abbaye is one of a handful of Sancerre estates where every vine grows on flint, known locally as silex. Only about 15 per cent of the appellation sits on it, and it gives tight, precise wines with a smoky, gunflint smell.

Back in the 15th century the local abbey picked out four hectares of this flint. The plot joined the domaine in 1973, when Jean-Paul Mollet married Rosie-Marie Maudry, whose family owned it, and they combined their estates. Their son Florian, who learned the trade in South Africa and Australia, now runs the 17.5 hectares in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

Each plot is fermented on its own in steel, then the wines rest on their fine lees for six months. Expect intense, mineral Sauvignon Blanc with citrus and stone fruit.

Domaine Roc de l'Abbaye wines