⭐️93+/100⭐️ Sébastien Riffault “Akmèniné” Sancerre, 2008

⭐️93+/100⭐️ Sébastien Riffault “Akmèniné” Sancerre, 2008 📍Surey-en-Vaux, Sancerre, Loire, France🇫🇷 🍇 100% Sauvignon Blanc Tasted: June 2019 It’s safe to say, that most wine consuming people know the classic characteristics of a Sancerre. Well, Sébastien Riffault might not produce that kind of Sauvignon Blanc. Never the less, his wines are interesting, complex and different - in fact, they are quite outstanding and beautiful (I must admit, that it’s a bit hard going back to classic Sancerre, even though there are a lot of good producers out there).
Riffault began his adventure in 2002, and with a philosophy of biodynamic farming and a strong belief in natural winemaking, he was one of the first great pioneers in the modern natural-winemaking-era of Sancerre. 
His vineyards are layered with grass and full of different plants and flowers to increase the biodiversity and encourage good insects. He is using absolutely no fertilizers or chemicals, and his wines are certified organic.
There’s, of course, a natural approach to the winemaking process as well. The grapes are left on the vines for extremely long time, giving fully ripe grapes infected by noble rot (botrytis). Most of the wines (including this one) are naturally fermented in large old barrels, and in spite of the pure acidity in his wines, they all undergo full malolactic fermentation, and they age on their lees - Akmèniné is aging for 24 months. Found my old notes from last summer:
The aromas are showing great depth already from the very beginning, offering a potpourri of fermented apple, dried apricot, sour peach, orange peel, poached pear and rhubarb. The botrytis shines through with notes of fresh honey, caramel, almonds and rooibos. The nose is completed with hints of flint, sage, jasmin, warm hay and flower power. The palate is medium-bodied and dry, offering sour peach, mirabelle plum, rosehip, dried mango and tangerine. There’s a slightly sweet touch from the botrytis, but it matches the acidity very well, and helps intensifying the beautiful minerality.
It’s got a long, juicy and complex yeasty finish. Spottet at @labanchinacph @rosforthrosforth