2023 Domaine des Ballandors, Quincy - Liberty

In 1936, Quincy was the first French white wine appellation to receive AOC status but is often unjustifiably overlooked in favour of its famous neighbour Sancerre. Jean Tatin, of Domaine des Ballandors, has made it his mission to reinvent Quincy as a region of high-quality, vineyard-driven Sauvignon Blanc. Jean's pioneering attitude, mastery of Sauvignon Blanc and meticulous winemaking approach have influenced many Loire winemakers, including Sébastien Vaillant, who trained with Jean before moving to Vignerons de Valençay. Jean’s youngest daughter Maroussia has since joined the family business and taken over the winemaking reigns.

Domaine des Ballandors comprises 25 hectares of vines in Quincy, which sits 60 kilometres west of Sancerre. The Sauvignon Blanc vines, which have an average vine age of 40 years, are planted on sandy soils, layered over the region’s characteristic Kimmeridgian limestone. This creates the marked minerality that defines Domaine des Ballandors wines which are also unoaked, resulting in an incredibly pure, varietal wine, offering a superb value alternative to Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé.