Domain
Marcel and Denise, Daniel and Brigitte, Simon and Juliette: at DOMAINE CHOTARD, winegrowing is a family affair and a couple affair. In the village of Crézancy-en-Sancerre, it's now the turn of the youngest members of the family to run the estate, benefiting from the experience of those who came before them, but also bringing their own personal vision to the growing and ageing of the Sancerre white, red and Rose wines.
Over more than two centuries, following the development of vine growing on land covered by the Sancerre appellation - 1936 for the white wines and 1959 for the red and rosé wines - the successive members of the Chotard line gradually abandoned the initial mixed farming system to devote themselves exclusively to growing vines, with the two grape varieties of the Sancerre AOC: Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, which flourish on 17 hectares around the estate. Two grape varieties and three terroirs, each producing their own distinctive juices:
- Les Caillottes: a shallow limestone terroir stretching across the plains to the west of the village, which produces very fruity, expressive juices;
- Les Marnes kimméridgiennes: white or red clay soils (ferrous) containing limestone, situated on the slopes of the cirque de Reigny, a locality in Crézancy. These soils produce wines that are less expressive on the nose but with greater fullness and depth on the palate. They are also fresher;
- Les Griottes: an area located on the plateau at the entrance to the village, intermediate between the two above, with a significant depth of clay soil and small chalky areas on the surface. The wines from this terroir have a delicate floral character, with a minerality on the palate that softens even the ripest wines.
The conversion of DOMAINE CHOTARD to the Organic Farming label from 2019 is the result of a gradual awareness of the absolute need to respect the environment, people and vines, even though weedkillers had long since been abandoned in favour of mechanical cultivation. Every vine, at every stage of the growing process, is the focus of attention, with the aim of producing the best grapes possible. The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted by hand in the winery, pressed, in different containers depending on the terroir - stainless steel, oak barrels, acacia barrels - fermented, macerated for four weeks for the reds, and matured patiently, because wine-making takes time.
Juliette and Simon love to share their passion for the vineyards and the Sancerre wines of DOMAINE CHOTARD. They are happy to welcome you for tastings and guided tours - preferably by appointment, because on a wine estate you usually have something to do... Throughout the year, they also take registrations for the grape harvest, which is always, despite the physical effort, a moment of joy marking the end of a growing cycle and the exciting beginning of work in the winery. Because the wines of Sancerre are both multiple and unique, those of DOMAINE CHOTARD do everything to merit the attention of wine-lovers in the Cher (18), in France and elsewhere on the planet.
