Domaine du Carroir Perrin

The town of Sancerre in the eastern Loire perches high on its volcanic hilltop and the view from the ramparts surveys the course of the river Loire to the east and the rolling vineyards of the appellation to the west. It is an attractive town with no shortage of interesting cafés and restaurants in which to sample the local wine or taste the famous goat's cheese. Our vineyard is in the pretty little hamlet of Chaudoux to the northwest. The countryside is a delight of rolling vine-clad hills linked by steep zig-zag narrow roads that lead you from one tiny valley to the next. This is an ancient vineyard that can trace its history back to the 12th century. Today it is the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety that produces the world famous white wine, but the locals consider the much rarer red Sancerre to be just as good!

The Riffault family has been making wine here for many generations. Pierre Riffault has 20 acres scattered over some dozen parcels of land, including les caillottes, the stony, limestone slopes best for producing wine to drink young, and also the prestigious terres blanches, the highest slopes with a limestone and clay soil which help add longevity to the wine. Between 1982 and 1991 the commune undertook a major 're-building' of the slopes, necessitated by centuries of erosion. This has also improved access to the vineyards and new footpaths have been constructed which open up delightful new vistas across the valley.

The Riffault family will give you a warm welcome whenever you visit and for those who wish to remain longer, it may be possible to stay in one of their two gîtes which are opposite their own house.