Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninlow
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oaklarge or old casks

Drinking window

Latest scored vintage 2021: best 2023 to 2033.
vintage2 yrs12 yrs14 yrs

Critic scores

CriticVintageScore
Vinous reviewed 2023202192/100

Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedLow tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

Aroma: yellow apple, white peach, fine spice, chalk

Palate: lemon zest, stone fruit, creamy lees, saline mineral

Single-vineyard Sancerre from calcaire lité (layered limestone) parcels. Riffault describes the cuvée as 'fruit in its finest finesse', balanced by demi-muid lees ageing.

What it pairs with

  • Roast pike-perch with beurre blanc
    Loire freshwater fish in butter sauce meets the wine's lees creaminess and saline lift.
  • Lobster ravioli
    Shellfish sweetness and creamy lees align; chalk minerality refreshes between bites.
  • Gougères
    Burgundian cheese puffs and the wine's gentle oak weight; Gruyère meets saline mineral.
  • Aged Comté
    Hazelnut crystallisation in 24+ month Comté finds the wine's creamy lees and fine spice.

History

Les Chasseignes is one of the estate's six lieu-dit cuvées, sourced from calcaire lité (layered limestone). The cuvée was Stéphane Riffault's first to receive demi-muid lees ageing.

  1. 2005: First vintage of Les Chasseignes bottled

Facts

Producer
Domaine Claude Riffault · visiting guide
Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Classification
Sancerre AOC
Oak
Fermented and aged in 500-litre oak demi-muids, mostly older, around 12 months on fine lees
ABV
13.0%
Price
EUR 35 to 55 at retail
Drinking window
2-12 from vintage
First vintage
2005
Biodynamic
Biodynamic Practicing
Organic
ECOCERT
Vegan
Yes (no animal-derived fining)

Frequently asked about Sancerre Les Chasseignes

What does Riffault Les Chasseignes taste like?

Yellow apple, white peach, fine spice and chalk on the nose; lemon zest, stone fruit, creamy lees and saline mineral on the palate. Medium-bodied with high acidity and a long, layered finish.

When should I drink Les Chasseignes?

Drink between 2 and 12 years from vintage. The demi-muid lees ageing gives the wine textural depth that rewards 3 to 5 years in bottle.

Where is Les Chasseignes grown?

On calcaire lité (layered limestone) parcels in Sury-en-Vaux, biodynamically farmed since the early 2010s.

Is Riffault Les Chasseignes vegan?

Yes. The estate is biodynamic and uses no animal-derived fining agents.

Tags

biodynamic dry high acid medium body medium term mood elegant mood savoury occasion dinner party occasion special old world organic pairs with aged cheese pairs with poultry pairs with shellfish pairs with white fish price premium sauvignon blanc single vineyard still white vegan

Taste it where it is made: tours and tastings in Loire Valley

See all 280 bookable experiences in Loire Valley

← Back to wines in Loire Valley