Lucien Crochet, Sancerre (Loire Valley, France) “Le Chêne” 2014

($30, Neal Rosenthal): This is the real deal.  Sancerre has become so popular that some producers over crop to keep up with demand.  As a result, many of the wines carrying that appellation are uninteresting, tasting like a Sauvignon from, well, anywhere.  Crochet’s has a burnt gunflint and mineral-like character with a laser-like, cutting edge.  It enlivens the palate without being aggressive.  Despite the Le Chêne (literally, the oak tree) moniker this wine has had no oak or any wood aging.  Its purity of place is what is transfixing.  The combination of minerality and acidity make it a very versatile wine.  I had it over several hours with an omakase dinner at Uni, a high-end and excellent, Japanese restaurant in the Boston where it was a beautiful match to everything from delicate Japanese sea bream to sea urchin to foie gras-topped spicy tuna.
92 Michael Apstein Oct 18, 2016