Wines of France / Loire Valley / Sancerre / Domaine Daulny

Domaine Etienne Daulny

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Verdigny, Cher 
Etienne Daulny owns 15 hectares of vines that are divided into about 50 different plots within the Sancerre wine region. Daulny combines diverse plots from varying types of soil, including clay and flint, Portlandian and Kimmeridgian, into his regular cuvée of Sancerre. But Daulny's cuvée normale is far from normal. After all, grapes from some of the appellation’s most revered vineyards make their way into this cuvée, including old vine plantings at Les Monts Damnés, Les Bois Butteux, and La Perriere. Clos de Chaudenay (the hot spot) is a single vineyard cuvée from a gentle slope just above Verdigny. These southwest facing vines average 40 years of age.
The domaine's overall yield is about 50 hl/ha (high for certain regions but normal for Sancerre). Most of Daulny's wine is fermented and aged in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine sees no malolactic fermentation and thus retains freshness and vibrancy beneath plenty of forward, ripe fruit. Yields for the Clos de Chaudenay are about 45 hl/ha. The harvest is entirely by hand. A small percentage of the cuvée is aged in well-seasoned, oversized oak barrels. This touch gives the wine a bit more complexity without tasting oaky. 
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Etienne Daulny in 2011
Domaine Daulny Sancerre
A combination of grapes from various plots (including some of the best vineyards in the appellation) and various types of soil, fermented and aged only in stainless steel tanks, this Sancerre is a perfect representation of its AOC.  ​"Made from 40-year-old sauvignon blanc vines, this Sancerre captures the essence of the grape with floral, mineral and ground coffee bean aromas and grapefruit, white peach flavors. A small percentage was aged in older oak but the fruit from this vineyard is powerful enough to absorb it, giving the wine a bit of texture and body. With bright acidity and fruit, this is a great wine to have with a fish dish cooked with fava beans as well as one where the favas are the main event."
— The San Francisco Examiner, May 12, 2007
Domaine Daulny Le Clos de Chaudenay Sancerre
The single vineyard Clos de Chaudenay is next to Daulny's winery, atop a Kimmeridgian ridge that begins in Bué, runs through Mont Damneés and continues through Verdigny. Its southern exposure draws more heat (hence the chaud) and a bit more ripeness to the grapes. Most of the aging takes place in stainless-steel tanks, but about 20% goes into 600-liter puncheons that have seen at least half a dozen wines. This wine is racy, with fine, focused Sauvignon aromas, a medium-weight texture and a crisp, long finish.
Domaine Daulny Sancerre Cuvée Réserve
After a few years of fine tuning, Etienne Daulny is proud to introduce a new cuvee to his lineup, the new Sancerre Réserve. A selection from two lieu-dits near Clos du Chaudenay on the southern slopes of Verdigny with the signature terres blanches of Kimmeridgian limestone. Like the Chaudenay, a portion also sees some time in barrel, which results in a wine that is sapid and generous – while at the same time fine and elegant – with a delicately spicy core of flavors including lime zest and Asian pear all seasoned with chalky minerality that persists through the long, elegant finish. We're excited to add this new cuvée to the domaine's arsenal of terroir and value driven offerings.