Domaine Fournier Sancerre Silex 2018
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Enthusiast -
James
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Wine &
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Silex proudly displays the elegance and the mineral nuances of its soil. The mouthfeel texture compares to lemon sorbet sensations. The minerality is precise, intense and complemented by a hint of gooseberry and lime flavors.
Thanks to its great minerality, the Silex shines with delicate seafood, lobsters or cappon magro. This cuvée is a great match with your best ‘gourmet’ dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Grapes for this wine are grown on flinty soil, which gives a strong mineral edge. That and the tangy, ripe fruitiness promise aging.
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James Suckling
A bright, fresh Sancerre with peach, pear and lemon and lime aromas and flavors. Medium body with a creamy, balanced finish. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
A focused and zippy acidity cuts through the grapefruit and gooseberry notes of this smooth, mineral-drive white. Accents of heather, spice and herb fine tune the lip-smacking finish.
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Wine & Spirits
Fournier’s 2018 Silex bottling shares that same kaleidoscopic fruit character you might find in the 2019 (also recommended here)—or think of this one as an aurora, where the flavors feel most interesting at the edges. In the end, its pleasure is in the tension that the silex smokiness brings to dominate the finish.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
Divided over the appellations of Menetou Salon, Pouilly Fume and Sancerre they have kept fully abreast of improving vinification techniques and their fabulous and diverse wines are well-balanced and of the highest quality.
Always attracting plaudits and winning medals, the family are rightly very proud of their success
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Marked by its charming hilltop village in the easternmost territory of the Loire, Sancerre is famous for its racy, vivacious, citrus-dominant Sauvignon blanc. Its enormous popularity in 1970s French bistros led to its success as the go-to restaurant white around the globe in the 1980s.
While the region claims a continental climate, noted for short, hot summers and long, cold winters, variations in topography—rolling hills and steep slopes from about 600 to 1,300 feet in elevation—with great soil variations, contribute the variations in character in Sancerre Sauvignon blancs.
In the western part of the appellation, clay and limestone soils with Kimmeridgean marne, especially in Chavignol, produce powerful wines. Moving closer to the actual town of Sancerre, soils are gravel and limestone, producing especially delicate wines. Flint (silex) soils close to the village produce particularly perfumed and age-worthy wines.
About ten percent of the wines claiming the Sancerre appellation name are fresh and light red wines made from Pinot noir and to a lesser extent, rosés. While not typically exported in large amounts, they are well-made and attract a loyal French following.