Domaine Edmond Vatan, located in Chavignol in the Sancerre appellation, is one of the Loire Valley’s most legendary estates. Edmond Vatan, later joined by his daughter Anne, crafted a singular masterpiece: a single cuvée each year, drawn exclusively from the tiny Clos la Néore, barely one hectare, on the Kimmeridgian marl of the Monts Damnés. Production is tiny and the style is defined by absolute purity, perfectly judged ripeness, minimalist winemaking and long élevage in tank. The wine displays ripe citrus, preserved lemon, flint, wet chalk, white herbs and sometimes a faint smoky or saline note. The palate is linear, deep, razor sharp and driven by intense mineral energy, with remarkable length. Clos la Néore is widely considered one of the greatest sauvignon blancs in the world, a wine of near supernatural precision and extraordinary aging potential. Vatan’s style is a pure and uncompromising expression of terroir.