A mythical place in Sancerre, La Perrière’s reputation comes not only from the quality of its wines but also from the fact that its location is magical and timeless, leaving 40,000 visitors spellbound every year.
Jewel in the Saget La Perrière wine company’s crown, La Perrière’s vineyards, located in Verdigny-en-Sancerre, extend over 5 different districts and produce prestigious Sancerre appellation wines. La Perrière possesses a unique, single 10 hectares block of vineyards planted on flint soils, known to be the most suitable for the production of fine Sauvignon Blanc wines.
Vineyards
The 43 hectares of La Perrière are heavily dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, planted over roughly 38 hectares, compared to only 5 hectares of Pinot Noir. Sauvignon Blanc is only permitted for the production of Sancerre Blanc wines. It is Pinot Noir which is used for either reds or rosés.
All the vineyards are sustainably managed using soil tillage and grass cover.
The set-up of the Sancerre wine region and its rolling hills provide very good exposure, which helps the grapes to attain exceptional maturity.
We especially want the Pinots Noir grapes to mature well so meticulous work is carried out each year to achieve this. De-budding, leaf thinning and green harvesting are commonly carried out to enable the grapes to attain better concentration.
Although flint soils produce pure, well-structured white wines, Pinot Noir grapes are more expressive on clay-limestone soils which produce soft and generous wines.
Vinification
Great care and attention are taken at harvest time with 50% of the Sauvignons Blancs and 100% of the Pinots Noirs being picked by hand. This first sorting carried out in the vineyard ensures that the less healthy grapes are rejected and that only the grapes that have reached the desired maturity level are retained. The Sauvignons are then taken to the cellars to undergo a short, cold, pre-fermentation maceration before being pressed and fermented. The aging on fine lees lasts for only 3-4 months before the wines are bottled in early spring. However, some of La Perrière’s wines are aged for longer on the lees or benefit from part of the harvest being vinified in barrels to ensure the wines have good structure and aging potential.
The Pinots Noirs are sorted a second time upon arrival at the winery before going into vats which are specially adapted for the “extraction” of this delicate grape variety. After spending 3 weeks in vat, the wines are aged in barrels for 6 months before being bottled.
The Rosés are made by 50% direct pressing and 50% bleeding. After fermentation, the wines are aged on the lees for a few months before early bottling.