Matthias Planchon
The Planchon family is one of the oldest vigneron families in Sancerre. The name first appeared in the village historical archives in 1573 with the marriage of Jean Planchon to Jeanne Vatan. Prior to this they were vignerons in Herault, South of France. They never bottled any of their fruit until Matthias came along!
Matthias trained briefly with Alphonse Mellot and Geantet Pansiot in Burgundy, before taking over from his dad in 2012. He intended to continue exactly like his father, but he wasn’t tolerating the treatments he was applying in the vineyards and was sick all the time.
In 2013, there was no choice but to convert to organic farming. While Matthias was feeling much better, he didn’t notice any major improvement in the vineyards. He naturally leaned towards biodynamic farming in 2018 and straight away he saw a big impact on the vigour of his vines,
If there is just one thing to know about Matthias, it’s his incredible drive towards excellence. He also has a deep respect for his family heritage. Having Planchon on a bottle of Sancerre means capturing the ultimate quality of his terroir. For this reason, he continued to sell the crop to a local negociant until he reached the quality of grapes he was aiming at. It also allowed him to build his winery right in the middle of “Lieu dit Le Paradis”,
He owns 5ha of vineyards, but he doesn’t vinify everything yet. Being pragmatic, the production will scale up gradually. Half of the terroir rests on Silex (Terroir Perruches) and half on limestone. Except for 1 ha of Pinot Noir in Les Herses, everything else is Sauvignon Blanc.
Matthias is not in a hurry; he wants to go step by step and grow production along with his ability to make the wines AND sell them! He is choosing to only make site specific wines and very long ageing on the lees. 10 to 12 months for the first vintages but 2021 will be 18 months.
We are excited to share our journey with Matthias who is only 31 years old and at the beginning of a bright future.
The Wines
Whites
“Les Herses” a single plot with Silex terroir with a southeast exposition. The vines here are of good age (average 45 years) producing low yielding but highly ripe and concentrated Sauvignon Blanc. Matthias vinifies 30% of the grapes in barrels of 500-600L, the rest in stainless steel. Les Herses has a plusher, more rich and ripe bouquet of tropical and orchard fruit with good weight and creaminess.
“Le Paradis” from clay and limestone terroir. The vines here are of good age (average 45 years) producing low yielding but highly ripe and concentrated Sauvignon Blanc. Matthias vinifies 30% of the grapes in barrels of 500-600L, the rest in stainless steel. Stylistically Le Paradis is a touch fresher than Les Herses, more classical, elegant limestone core and citrus notes come into life.
Matthias is one of the most detailed winemakers we have the pleasure working with. His wines are sensational...
Matthias took over this estate in 2012, and he decided to convert to organic production because he was severely allergic to sprays. It was not long before he converted to biodynamics. Even though this wine is four years old, it is the current release. While he still sells half of his production to the local co-operative, he is gradually increasing his own production bit by bit each year. This elite Sancerre spends one year in barrel, followed by one year in steel, and it is extremely aromatic, with and amalgam of Viognier and Muscat coupled with top notes of Albariño and, of course, sensational Sauvignon Blanc. While the price is challenging to say the least, it is £150 cheaper than another 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux. I am certain that most wine lovers would pick this wine if they were served blind side-by-side! This is an amazing experience, with a stunning texture and an otherworldly palate. 19/20 - Matthew Jukes
