SANCERRE POWER OF TWO
AND THE ALTER EGO OF MAIMBRAY
It’s easy to typecast the wines of Sancerre and avoid the conversation of sub-region and place. Luckily, Matthias and Émile Roblin convince us that it’s worth taking the time to flesh-out our classics.
Let’s go to the Sancerre map. Close your eyes and envision a witch’s hat. Close to the top is Sury-en-Vaux (Smile of the Valley) and just below is the village of Maimbray. As you keep going down the cone, you have Verdigny to the right; then below Verdigny, Chavignol to the left and then Sancerre to the far right. And the floppy base, can be thought of as a line, west to east, Bué to Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre. The point being, Maimbray is in the far north. It’s at the heel of Sury-en-Vaux, where the altitude is higher (~300m) and the wind siphons, acting like a warm hair dryer to the vines.
For those of you that remember Château de Maimbray, you are correct in assuming that Enclos de Maimbray is related. Château de Maimbray was the estate of legendary vigneron Georges Roblin. Upon his retirement, Georges decided to diplomatically share his vineyards between his grandchildren: Émile, Matthias and Alban. Brothers Émile and Matthias are the proprietors of Domaine Roblin and created the label, Enclos de Maimbray which is an exclusive line for APS. Enclos de Maimbray represents a circle of three parcels of the original Château: Montée de Saint-Romble, Côtelin and Carpillon-Bonardelle, where the vines average an age of 30 years. The soil of Enclos is a fossilized seabed, rich with rock debris and darker in color than the fluffy white terroir of the south. As a result, the wines have a dense core of mineral meets fruit.
When a family divides its vineyards among a new generation of winemakers, it is common for siblings and/or cousins to align with different US importers. This is not the case with the Roblin family. We have known this gracious family for more than 25 years and are honored to represent all Roblin shapes and sizes, Domaine Roblin and their cousin, Alban Roblin of Château La Rabotine. Stylistically the wines are a small measure of distance: Rabotine a bit more wild and intriguing, Enclos de Maimbray a bit more precise and giving. Roblin power of two… different shapes and sizes, but equally delicious and important.
In Sancerre 2020 the sun came out and stayed out. For big lumbering producers this presented a problem because careful planning and quick execution were key to success, as the heat drove alcohol up and acid down. It also turns out that vineyards with northerly and easterly exposures faired well, often not the case in cooler seasons. Well, it’s not for nothing that we cherish the Sancerre of quality-obsessed, micro-estate Domaine Roblin. In 2020, we cannot be more pleased with their success.
Making fresh, vibrant, trés classique Sancerre in 2020 turned on early picking (August anyone?) from more temperate vineyards. Can you say Enclos de Maimbray? Émile watched his vines closely this year. After an early bud break and a hot, dry summer, the conditions were right to pick the best fruit possible earlier than he ever had before. Did he dare call in his harvest team so early? Well, while other, bigger domaines were trying to scrape together the manpower to begin harvest, Émile was in his vineyards with family, friends, associates and just about anyone who could wield sécauteurs to bring in his Sauvingnon Blanc at peak ripeness. And it did help that the vineyards of the “enclos” are naturally cool, as they lie facing more easterly and northerly. The result? 2020 Enclos de Maimbray is rich, yes, but the freshness and acidity you crave are there. Key lime? Grapefruit? Peach? Yes, yes, yes! Couple that with minerality and density on the palate, and you’ve got a Sancerre that will turn heads. Bravo, Émile!