David Harvey | Golden hue. Slightly hazy. Orangey nose, in the sense of a pan of marmalade. Lifted, aromatic, completely “open” hedonistic, à point. Behind that are pea and asparagus notes. Perhaps a hint of botrytis. Appears macerated on the palate. Has more tannin—like a russet apple—than acidity. Dense and tense, and still possessing a structure for 5/8 years’ maturation. As pithy and precise on the finish as possible. Tooth-tingling acidity. A wine possessing a yin-yang swing of character, whose progress will be worth following. | 17.5

Andrew Jefford | Deep cloudy gold. Rather to my surprise, given the color, this wine actually suggests Sauvignon—there’s a hop-leaf fresh greenness to its aromas in place of the oxidative tang I was expecting. That cleanness and edge is there too on the palate, though the penetration of oxidation has given it a weightiness that a classically handled example wouldn't have. It’s also toned down the varietal character and given it the food-friendly chunkiness we can see in some of the other wines. It would shock the “normal” Sancerre drinker, of course, and I can’t say it’s a great wine, but the exercise seems worthwhile nonetheless, and it shows that oxidation doesn’t have to obliterate regional origin. | 13.5

Isabelle Lageron | Overt, citrus, aromatic nose; the palate initially extremely open, with flashy notes (almost exotic, guava, lychees), then after a while the spicy nature of the wine cedes to minerality and the texture of the wine, which is almost tannic. This is a powerful wine, but extremely complex and well balanced at the same time. The hot vintage shows through in the ripeness and intensity of the aromatic profile, but the terroir also shines through in the mineral bite. Outstanding and delicious. | 19

Francis Percival | Perfumed, with an overt varietal stamp. A bit of a tropical-fruit salad. There is a little of the boudoir about the nose, with citrus freshness but also a savory edge toward the finish. While the freshness of the acidity gives the wine poise, it fails to follow through; there is a touch of dilution at the end. Charming. | 12.5

David Williams | Dull, cloudy gold. There is Sauvignon character here, but in burnished autumnal rather than verdant springtime mode—it still has a pulse of quickening acidity that holds to the finish, but there is tannin and a kind of Chenin-like richness of texture and orchard fruit, too, along with dried elderflower. Something about it feels a little earthbound, weighed-down, but I like the range of flavors and the textural depth. | 15

Doug Wregg | The color and smell of apple juice! Cloudy, off-gold color; very aromatic, offering notes of apple-blossom, pineapple, elderflower cordial, peppermint, and lychee. Immediate and fruity, soft middle palate, gently oxidative finish, slightly short on acidity. Tastes like a warm vintage. | 14.5