Serge Laloue has always been one of our favourite winemakers in the Loire, making incredible Sancerre. This we think is their finest Cuvee, crafted by Franck Laloue the Sancerre Silex has intense aromas of smoky graphite with mineral notes of oyster shell that are complemented by zesty orange peel and Mirabelle plum. This fresh, supple cuvée delivers concentrated citrus flavours through to a bright and uplifting mineral finish.

The grapes come from a three-hectare estate vineyard, where the vines have an average age of 40 years, producing low yields of concentrated fruit. The vines face a south-easterly orientation, maximising exposure to the sun to assist ripening of the berries. The soils are ‘silex’, a flinty clay that produces elegant wines with distinctive graphite and mineral characters. The vineyard is currently in conversion to organic status, a natural progression for the Laloue family as the farming methods used over many years have followed these principles. Vineyard management techniques include ploughing the soil instead of using herbicides, growing cover crops between the rows of vines and sexual confusion of predators, to maintain the health of the vines and the biodiversity of the environment.