Notes:

WINERY

Le Nozay is a small 17th-century castle near Sainte Gemme en Sancerrois in Sancerre. In 1970, Baron Philippe de Benoist and his wife Marie-Hélène settled in Château du Nozay and created Domaine du Nozay. They planted the first hectare of Sauvignon Blanc in 1971, which they later expanded to 15 hectares. Philippe was joined by his son Cyril, who now heads the estate.

The Domaine du Nozay has been certified in Organic Agriculture since 2011 and in Biodynamics since 2017. It is a family wine estate in Sancerre, surrounded by peace and tranquility. The resulting wines reflect this.

Considered one of the Domaines top cuvées from 50 year old vines grown in Kimmeridgian marls, 220 meters high at the bottom of the Nozay’s valley with slight eastern facing slopes. This terroir is very rich in shell fossils and has the particularity of whitening as it dries, hence its local name of Terres Blanches “white lands”. VINEYARDS The renowned “Terres Blanches” terroir of Sancerre supports vine health and resilience. Careful pruning, disbudding, and canopy management create an ideal microclimate, while soil practices boost biomass and vine vitality. The Domaine also explores sonic stimulation— broadcasting tonal sequences to enhance sap flow and plant well being.

• Producer: Domaine du Nozay is a family estate in Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois, centered around the Château du Nozay. Philippe de Benoist and his wife Marie-Hélène established the domaine in 1970 and planted their first hectare of Sauvignon Blanc the following year. Their son Cyril de Benoist joined the estate in 1993 and now leads it. Before returning home, Cyril gained experience with his uncle Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The estate has since developed a distinctive approach to Sancerre, with individual parcels vinified separately and farming focused closely on soil and vine health. Domaine du Nozay has been certified organic since 2011 and biodynamic since 2017.
• Vineyard: Château du Nozay is one of the domaine’s top Sancerre cuvées and comes from approximately 50-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vines. The vines grow at roughly 220 meters on slight east-facing slopes near the bottom of the Nozay valley. The defining feature here is the Kimmeridgian marl, part of Sancerre’s celebrated Terres Blanches terroir. These clay-limestone soils are particularly rich in fossilized marine shells and turn noticeably pale as they dry, giving rise to the local “white lands” name. Compared with Sancerre grown on harder limestone soils, Terres Blanches is generally associated with greater breadth, structure and capacity to develop with bottle age. Vineyard work at Nozay includes careful pruning, disbudding and canopy management, while the soils are cultivated with an emphasis on biological activity.
• Winemaking: This is a more substantial expression of Sauvignon Blanc than a simple stainless-steel Sancerre. The fruit is harvested by hand, and the domaine uses native yeasts rather than inoculating fermentation. Château du Nozay is fermented and matured in oak barrels, with the élevage lasting approximately ten months. The domaine’s approach is deliberately low-intervention, avoiding unnecessary additives and allowing fermentation to proceed naturally. Barrel élevage works particularly well with the concentration supplied by the older vines and Terres Blanches soils, giving the Sauvignon Blanc additional texture without obscuring its freshness or mineral character. Guide Hachette also confirms barrel élevage for the 2023 and reports a production of just 6,260 bottles.
• Technical Details: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre AOC in France’s Loire Valley. The Château du Nozay parcels are approximately 50 years old, planted on Kimmeridgian marl at around 220 meters with a slight eastern exposure. The wine is matured for approximately ten months in oak barrels. The estate is certified organic and biodynamic. Alcohol is listed at 13% on the current Vins Rare bottle listing. The 2023 combines the natural concentration of older vines with the structure of Terres Blanches and the additional breadth supplied by barrel élevage. Wine Spectator’s tasting of the vintage highlights Asian pear and almond alongside energetic acidity and a precise, smoke-edged finish, pointing to a Sancerre with enough substance to develop beyond immediate drinking.
• Food Pairing: The combination of Sauvignon Blanc acidity, older-vine concentration and barrel-derived texture makes this especially versatile at the table. Oysters and simple raw shellfish will emphasize its mineral side, while richer preparations such as seared scallops, grilled lobster, roast halibut or sole with beurre blanc can take advantage of the wine’s added breadth. Crottin de Chavignol remains the classic local pairing, but fresh goat cheese, herb-roasted chicken and dishes built around spring vegetables are equally natural matches.