2024 Domaine la Clef du Récit (Anthony Girard) Menetou-Salon

Talking about Sancerre vigneron Anthony Girard of Clef du Récit is one of my favorite pastimes. We have been working directly with Anthony for nearly a decade now, and I have had the opportunity to visit him several times over the years. Every visit comes with a sense of adventure and usually a hint of mischief. We have taken off-the-beaten-path journeys through the forest to pick flowers for his daughter’s school project and visited his brother’s goat farm to watch the goats being prepared for chèvre season. I sometimes refer to Anthony as the king of the side quest. That same curiosity has led him beyond Sancerre to explore some of the Loire’s neighboring appellations, including Quincy and nearby Menetou-Salon. His Menetou-Salon is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and is handled much like his regular Sancerre, fermented and raised entirely in tank to preserve freshness and purity. The difference is in the terroir. The fruit comes primarily from Terres Blanches, the clay-limestone soils that tend to give Sauvignon Blanc more weight, texture and richness. You can see that character on full display here. Candied lemon peel and white peach are layered with wild thyme and a streak of salinity. It is inviting and fresh, but with a little more depth and richness than you might expect. Every journey with Anthony seems to turn into a new adventure, and his Menetou-Salon is definitely a side quest worth taking.