The Sancerre That Sommeliers Whisper About
When I was managing restaurants, I poured Célestin Blondeau’s Sancerre by the glass for years. Year after year, it was exactly what I needed it to be: a rock-solid, pitch-perfect Sancerre that hit all the classic notes. Clean, mineral-driven, and reliably crowd-pleasing. It overperformed vintage after vintage, and guests loved it.
Back then, we could bring it in almost on demand. Now, things have shifted. The quality hasn’t changed—but the availability has. As more buyers and sommeliers have caught on, the wine has quietly become allocated. This year, we’re getting just ten cases, and that’s our full allotment.
The Blondeau family has deep roots in Thauvenay, a village in the southeastern corner of Sancerre. Célestin is now at the helm, and while the estate has always farmed responsibly, he’s brought a sharp focus to detail both in the vineyard and cellar. His wines channel the region’s Kimmeridgian limestone and cool climate with clarity and restraint.
We’d love to have this on our shelves all year long—it’s that dependable. But this is the only time we’ll see it in 2025. If Sancerre is part of your summer rotation (and it should be), this is one to act on quickly. Let us know how many you’d like before it disappears.
