2023 Claude Riffault, Sancerre, Les Boucauds

Claude Riffault has gone from ‘rising star’ to one of the established leaders of his appellation. The wines are beautifully textured and ride a fine line between richness and verve. Like the best wines from the village of Bué, this shows you can make truly special wine from Oxfordian limestone, which is normally associated with easy-drinking Sancerre. But while complex and cellar-worthy, it also gives instantaneous pleasure. Flint, smoke, citrus, gray salt and a precision that cuts clean. Pair with: pan-fried chèvre on toast with pea shoots, a spring herb omelet with chives and tarragon, or the classic salade de chèvre chaud.