Roc De L'Abbaye Sancerre L'Antique 2023
(Loire Valley, France) - [WE 93] [WS 90]

About the Winery:
Domaine Roc de l’Abbaye is located in Saint-Satur, a village in the heart of Sancerre with winegrowing origins dating back to the 11th century. Saint-Satur is famous for its ancient abbey and its Silex (flint) terroir on the hillsides bordering the Loire river. Silex is a coveted soil type, found in only 15% of the vineyards in Sancerre, that produces wines with brilliant minerality, acidity and precision with trademark smoky notes.

The domaine has been helmed by the Mollet family for generations. Winemaker Florian Mollet has been managing it since 2000, building a modern cellar and expanding the family estate to 42 acres. Each parcel is vinified separately in small stainless steel tanks to maintain site specificity. The domaine holds 12 parcels total in Sancerre, with 24 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and nearly 4 acres of Pinot Noir. Their parcels in Pouilly-Fumé are made up of nearly 15 acres of Sauvignon Blanc. The estate’s farming practices, which have earned two certifications, focus on preserving the ecosystem, delivering quality and maintaining local heritage. The wines are fresh, textured and refined, with a distinct minerality that is indicative of the soil.

About this Wine:
This old vine Sancerre Blanc is grown in two south-facing Ménétréol plots planted on old rootstocks in white and black flint, which produces a powerful, ageworthy wine. Florian Mollet employs slow and gentle pressing before fermenting the juice at cool temperatures to maintain aromatic intensity.

In 2023, ideal conditions through July, allowed for optimal vine growth and uniform cluster development. An early September heat wave required strategic harvest decisions. Ultimately 2023 delivered grapes of exceptional quality, making vinification easy and providing finished wines with exquisite fruitiness, freshness and distinct flint character.

Winemaker's Notes:
'L'Antique' was created 30 years ago, and is one of my very first Sancerre cuvées. The grapes come mainly from the best Silex hillsides in the village of Saint-Satur. For this cuvée, I wanted to follow my grandfather's footsteps by making an unclarified, slightly filtered wine, allowing the elegance of the terroir to shine through to the full.

Ratings & Reviews

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"This Sancerre honors the region's history. The wine seduces with disarming savory aromas of dried field grass, toasted bread and almond skin that surf atop Bosc pear, white peach, lemon shavings and lilac blossom. In contrast to the nose, subtle herbal flavors are subservient to fruit on the palate that brings along whispers of chalk that frolics with orchard fruit." - Reggie Solomon (Sep 2025)

90 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Oily in feel, with a pronounced herbal thread of thyme and chive notes weaving through flavors of verbena and aloe. There's some weight to its savory power, which then turns austere on the structured finish, etched with smoke, dry spice and chalky mineral elements. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported." - Kristen Bieler (Mar 2025)