($22, Vineyard Brands):  One taste of Cherrier’s 2011 Sancerre explains why this appellation has been so popular.  Flinty and chalky, almost smokey, notes accompany the pungency and vibrancy typical of Sauvignon Blanc.  But it’s not a Sauvignon Blanc.  Its beauty lies with its minerality rather than the all too often aggressive grassiness of that varietal. 91 Michael Apstein Jul 10, 2012