{"product_id":"henri-bourgeois-sancerre-vigne-blanche-2023-75cl","title":"Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre, Vigne Blanche 2023 - 75cl","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Vigne Blanche takes its name from the pale, chalky ground it grows on — the terres blanches, slopes of Kimmeridgian clay and limestone running between the village of Chavignol and Sancerre itself. It is exactly the sort of terroir that gives Sauvignon Blanc a spine rather than just perfume. The Bourgeois family have farmed here for ten generations, and while they now make wine as far afield as New Zealand, this is home ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe winemaking is worth knowing, because it shapes the glass. The fruit ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel, then rests five months in older oak barrels on its fine lees — no new-oak vanilla, just a rounding of the edges and a savoury, biscuity depth under the fruit. The 2023 leads with grapefruit and passion fruit, a green lift of elderflower and ivy, a streak of kiwi. Underneath runs that chalk-driven minerality the terres blanches are known for. The palate is juicy and precise, more textured than a stainless-steel-only Sancerre, with a clean saline finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrink this young, while the aromatics are singing — it is at its most charming over the next two or three years. It makes a fine glass to start an evening, but it has enough flesh to carry through a meal rather than fade after the first course. A bottle for a long lunch when the weather turns warm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to Serve\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe well chilled at 8-10°C in a standard white wine glass — no need for anything oversized. Skip the decanter; this wants freshness, not air. If it comes out of the fridge stone cold, let it sit ten minutes so the lees texture can show.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhere to Drink It\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJ Sheekey in Covent Garden, where a plateau of shellfish and a cold Sancerre is close to a perfect order. The Wolseley for an all-day table and something bright by the glass. Wiltons on Jermyn Street for Dover sole in the grand old manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoat's cheese from just up the road in Chavignol is the classic and it is classic for a reason — a warm crottin salad sings against the acid. Otherwise, grilled prawns with plenty of lemon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"House of Decant","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53674813194564,"sku":"HO23601B22","price":24.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0858\/2551\/9940\/files\/184303520230100750_77c52d58-dcdb-42a5-95a7-544a3092bd2e.png?v=1759088895","url":"https:\/\/checkout.houseofdecant.com\/products\/henri-bourgeois-sancerre-vigne-blanche-2023-75cl","provider":"House of Decant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}