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Roger et Didier Raimbault Vieilles Vignes Sancerre Review

We brought this wine out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I wasn’t sure what I’d be ordering, but I had a pretty good idea it would involve seafood, so I thought this would be the perfect wine to bring along. (It was.)

Wine review by: Jessyca Frederick

Vieilles Vignes Sancerre

I did not photograph the back of this bottle.

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About this Wine

Wine: 2018 Vieilles Vignes Sancerre
Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sancerre, France
Retail price: $25
I consumed it: May 2022
My source: The Wine Folly Wine Club when it was run by Wine Access

The Back Label

Vieilles Vignes SancerreBack Label

Discover More

From this wine club: The Wine Folly Wine Club when it was run by Wine Access

From this winery: Roger et Didier Raimbault

Region: France

Wine color/style: White wine

Grape variety or blend: Sauvignon blanc

Tasting notes: Fruity, Bright, Lemon, Minerality

Other characteristics: Old vine, Sur lies

Vieilles Vignes Sancerre: What I think

We brought this wine out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I wasn’t sure what I’d be ordering, but I had a pretty good idea it would involve seafood, so I thought this would be the perfect wine from the shipment to bring along.

One of the joys of fine dining in the desert is that as soon as the wine comes out of the bottle (from the chiller), it starts warming up. You don’t have to wait long for aromas to start popping and complex flavors to emerge from a high-quality wine.

When you see a wine labeled Sancerre, that means it is Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre wine region in France. This particular Sancerre is typical (in a good way) of what you’d expect for Sauvignon Blanc from this region — it’s fruity and bright, featuring a lemony essence on the palate with a touch of minerality.

Vieilles Vignes translates to “old vines.” In this case, the vines range from 35-50 years old and have roots sunk 20-30 feet underground. The old vines add a complexity to the wine’s character that is absent from much “new world” Sauvignon Blanc. (New world means everywhere that isn’t Europe or western Asia.)

Sur lies translates to “aged on the lees” — the lees are a byproduct of fermentation which includes leaving the wee yeasties in with the wine while it matures. This particular aspect of winemaking leads to my favorite wines because they always offer a round, smooth mouthfeel and typically add a lot of nuance and finish to a wine.

Back vintage. This wine is a 2018 (having spent two to three years in the bottle after 12-18 months maturing sur lies in stainless steel). Any wine that is older than the current release vintage would be considered a back vintage. For people who lack the means or patience to age their wine, buying back vintages is a great way to experience what all the fuss is about. Wine Access does a marvelous job of finding back vintage wines to sell on their site.

Last updated: March 20, 2023

Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).

Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.

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