At Lucien Crochet the emphasis is on creating wines of finesse and complexity that are faithful to both terroir and vintage. The vineyards are located around the towns of Bué, Sancerre and Crézancy, the finest of which is the limestone-based Chêne Marchand vineyard. Gilles Crochet, Lucien's son, makes the wines as naturally as possible using indigenous yeasts. Through hand picking, careful selection of the grapes and long, slow ageing 'sur lie', Lucien Crochet produces sophisticated and age-worthy Sancerre.    

In addition to 29 hectares of sauvignon blanc, Domaine Lucien Crochet has 9 magnificent hectares of pinot noir, planted on steep South and Southeast facing slopes of Oxfordian 'caillottes' and Kimmeridgian 'marne'. These vineyards have been organically farmed since 1989, and produce lovely Sancerre Rouge. Gilles Crochet also produces a tiny quantity of very special pinot noir rosé, gently pressing whole bunches to provide colour, and fermenting the juice in a combination of temperature-controlled vats and old oak barrels. The result is a dazzling expression of pinot noir, pale in colour but sumptuously mouthfilling. Light, fresh, and very elegant, the 2013 has a captivating nose combing rose petals and raspberries. The rose petals and raspberries would be reason enough to seek out this wine, but its true glory is the astonishing core of minerality that at once takes you aback and instantly reminds you that what you are drinking is exactly what is stated on the label: Sancerre Pinot Rosé. Serious fun.