Domaine Michel Girard & Fils, Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley, France 2023
100% Pinot Noir
TANGY STRAWBERRY, HAUNTING MINERALITY, HERBACEOUS HINTS
Pinot Noir is what we might call the other grape of Sancerre. For very few of us does the appellation’s name evoke thoughts of the regal red grape, but its presence in Sancerre predates that of the region’s contemporary star, Sauvignon Blanc. While the reds are a rarity (accounting for significantly less than 20% of the region’s production), the rosés are even more seldom-encountered. This one refreshes and enchants with bright, mouthwateringly strawberry-ish fruit, pronounced chalky mineral, and a faint reminiscence of the "petrol" character often associated with great colder climate whites.
Serving Suggestion: Gravlax w/ papaya salad & lime. Smoked trout paté on toasted pumpernickel w/ alfalfa sprouts & horseradish.