Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Genèse Sancerre 2019 (Loire) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is the latest edition of this lovely Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that arrived at the LCBO this weekend as part of the May 15 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Jean-Max Roger is one of my favourite Loire Valley wine producers. The Roger family comes from a long line of winegrowers dating back to at least the early part of the 17th century in the village of Bué, just southwest of the town of Sancerre. In the early 1970's, Jean-Max Roger took over 4 hectares of vines that his parents left for him and then expanded the estate to its current size of 26 hectares in the Sancerre AOC along the Loire River. In 2004, he was joined by two of his three sons, Etienne and Thibault.

Named "Cuvée Genèse" (or Genesis in English), this white wine represents the origin of the Roger family's history on these ancestral lands. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is crafted using a blend of grapes grown on stony, calcareous soils known as "caillottes" located within the commune of Bué. The grapes come from the famous Grand Chemarin vineyard and neighbouring vineyard sites with identical agronomic characteristics with southeastern exposure to the sun. The vine age is between 10 to 40 years and grown using organic principles. It was fermented using natural yeasts, followed by ageing on heavy lees. The wine undergoes fining and filtration prior to bottling at the estate.

I really enjoyed the 2018 Jean-Max Roger Cuvée Genèse Sancerre back in December and the 2018 vintage in Loire was historic in terms of yield and quality. During the 2019 growing season, the summer heat stressed the vines and lowered yields, but the fruit that was harvested was excellent and of premium quality. Early reports suggest that the 2019 vintage is even better than the year prior. Let's see how this 2019 Sancerre is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2019 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $33.95
This 100% Sauvignon Blanc has intense and deep aromas of lemon citrus and white flowers with underlying minerality and touches of herbal and guava adding further complexities. The medium-full bodied, concentrated palate has ripe fruited aroma replays of lemon citrus, white floral, and stony mineral flavours with elegance. It has crisp, well-delineated acidity and is really well-balanced throughout with stony mineral notes lingering on the finish, with excellent length. Lovely Sancerre and highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other fine wines from Jean-Max Roger can be ordered via their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.