93 Points Wine Enthusiast
This pleasing, fresh and stony Sancerre shines, especially for the price point. The nose is round with honey-drizzled golden apple aromas that are lifted by orange blossom, honeydew melon and white peach skin. The palate is mineral-driven, textured and complex with river stone bolstered by a tart, floral acidity that completes with a citrusy finish.
92 Points James Suckling
Fresh apples, baked pears, baking spices and stones on the nose following through to a medium to full body with plenty of volume and control on the mid-palate. Dense yet vivid with a precise and lively finish.
90 Points Vinous
Tasted a week before bottling in July 2024, the 2023 La Cote des Monts Damnés is a rather delicate style of this steep vineyard compared with the more muscular 2022. It focuses on pure, fresh fruit and elegance. This wine has been hands-off and made in stainless steel to concentrate on fruit purity. A tender flesh on the mid-palate plumps up its light feet expression. The acidity is only gently fresh rather than racy, but the chalky nature of its texture, a key to the Monts Damnés wines, offers line and length. This will hit the market in the fall of 2024. Expect a new, more modern label. It's also organic.
Winemaker Notes
The near-vertical slope of the Monts Damnés produces wines that have delicate tropical fruit (a proof of ripe Sauvignon grapes) and vibrant citrus aromas. The palate confirms this fruitiness and brings a nice and clean mineral note. Served at 10-12°C, this very concentrated wine expresses its strong personality. With three to five years of bottle aging, the wine gains roundness, richness, and complexity.
Food Pairings
This wine is a partner of choice for topclass cuisine; it is at its best with white meats, fish or mature cheeses. Grilled prawn skewers, a famous Crottin de Chavignol
