Etienne Daulny Sancerre Blanc 2023

The focus at Domaine Daulny is laser-sharp; very simply, to make some of the best Sancerre in the world. He counts his likes in bottles sold….Daulny is a perennial fan favorite at Nicholas Wines and always goes way too fast. Few addresses are as good in Sancerre as Etienne Daulny in the beautiful village of Verdigny.

He’s the latest in a ridiculously long line of Daulnys to grow Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre. It’s not so easy to grow grapes here, it’s cold, the soil is poor, hail is always a risk and to make great wine, you can’t make a ton of it. So, making wine here is more a labor of love than it is a great business plan. But it’s hard to argue with the results.

Tasting Etienne’s racy, electric Sancerre makes it pretty obvious that there is a higher purpose to his labor. It’s a terrific white wine, so fine aromatically, with grapefruit and white peach fruit in the mouth and a crisp, fresh finish. It’s a great choice for a house white, absolutely perfect with all the fish in the sea but just as good with roasted poultry, any kind of goat cheese or just by itself. A glass of Sancerre while cooking or while waiting to eat is a beautiful thing.