Domaine Gérard Millet le Désert du Petit Bannon Sancerre 2023

The 35-year-old Sauvignon vines are grown in a small plot named ‘Désert du Petit Bannon’ which is located in the commune of Vinon in the Sancerre appellation. The soils are made up of a clay-siliceous composition, rich in flinty pebbles which help to store and reflect the heat of the day and radiate it at night, assisting the ripening of the fruit. The siliceous-rich stones are also associated with the gun-flint aromas of wines from this terroir. The vines are grown using climate-smart integrated methods, including biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategies, managed fertiliser use and water resource management. Careful canopy management takes place including leaf thinning, which encourages the grapes to reach optimal ripeness and concentrates the flavours in the berries.

The grapes were gently pressed to obtain the juice, which was immediately followed by cold static settling for four days. The must was then transferred to 400-litre French oak barrels, which had been previously used for five to six wines, where it underwent fermentation with natural yeasts. The wine was matured in the same barrels for 12 months, imparting complexity, followed by six months in stainless steel vats, prior to release.