Product Description:

The Thomas family has been growing grapes and making wine in Sancerre since 1670. Today ninth- and tenth-generation winegrowers Jean and Ginette Thomas, along with their children, Julien and Christale, farm 19 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir based out of the hamlet of Verdigny. Julien recently joined the family business after finishing his studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, ushering in a new era at this long-established domaine.

The vineyard holdings of Domaine Thomas & Fils represent three distinct soil types within Sancerre: flint and limestone soils to the east of Sancerre, called the Piton; white Kimmeridgian limestone soils known as terres blanches on the highest slopes, to the west; and caillottes, the gravelly slopes rich in clay and limestone situated on the southern slopes of the appellation. Theirs are not lean Sancerres; rather, both their terroir and the house style favor wines of great amplitude and texture with long, lingering finishes.

Jean and Julien farm their vineyards sustainably and shun the use of herbicides. They plow regularly to aerate the soil and allow a carefully controlled, grassy cover crop to grow in between vineyard rows to add nitrogen. De-budding and a green harvest control yields.

Their magnificent, single-vineyard bottling of “La Crêle” is sourced from their eponymous, southeastern-facing parcel on the gravelly slopes of the caillottes.

Jean and Julien farm their vineyards sustainably and shun the use of herbicides. They plow regularly to aerate the soil and allow a carefully controlled, grassy cover crop to grow in between vineyard rows to add nitrogen. De-budding and a green harvest control yields.

Once the harvest arrives at their brand new cellars, the grapes are sorted, pressed gently and then racked into temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, where they are allowed to mature slowly on their lees for six to eight months.

Sancerre La Crele gives off lush flavors of pear, with a silken palate of exotic fruits.