Balland has long been our favourite Sancerre producer and this is one of the best they have made. A superb Sancerre from a special parcel that is harvested a little later to gain more weight and then aged in oak, a small percentage of which is new. This is rich with peach and nectarine alongside the more classical, delicate, herbaceous fruit. Textured, rich and long, minerally too, this is seriously impressive, wonderful with smoked salmon and quite rich starters.
Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 Best in Show 97pts
"Perhaps surprisingly, this is only the second appearance of a Sancerre wine in our Best In Show selection, and the first since 2017. Welcome back, Sancerre! The vineyards of the Centre Loire had a much more successful 2023 vintage than did their Anjou and Touraine counterparts; indeed August was so dry here that the early September rains were welcomed as a pre-harvest refresher. Our judges loved the smoky-flinty-herbal classicism of this wine's aromatics: one sniff and you're there among the Sauvignon vines on the airily exposed limestone vineyards that surround this unforgettable hill town. The wine is both tense and taut, yet at the same time ample and resonant. As with other Best In Show wines from classic white-wine zones this year, the oak has been skilfully employed, bringing complexity and a sense of light and shade to the haunting Loire Sauvignon fruit, qualifying its print of soft spring leaf."
