The 2023 Domaine du Nozay continues to be a rather unconventional Sancerre… the result is a finely textured, open style with pure stone fruit and florals on the fresh finish. It is harmonious, unadulterated and displays a sense of care.

—Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous

“Wicked Stepmother” — “La Marâtre” — is an unconventional name for a Sancerre. But that’s what Domaine du Nozay calls the plot right above their cellar, so that’s what they call the wine.

No, Nozay isn’t your average Sancerre (See our Ultimate Guide to Sancerre).

And that’s a good thing. As Gibb notes, in Sancerre “conventional” is pretty much a pejorative. But in a region dominated by large production, innocuous-at-best wines that trade on the all-powerful Sancerre name, Nozay lets their freak flag fly. They could bottle easy-to-make, generic-tasting Sancerre and sell it all easily, of course. But instead they agonize over every detail while they make their wines of terroir.

That’s right, these are delicious Sancerres, but they are also wines of terroir. The two single-vineyards we're featuring today are strikingly different. Marâtre has soils of pure Terre Blanche, the white-looking kimmeridgian limestone that makes Chablis Chablis. Le Paradis, on the other hand, has more clay, lending a little more richness to complement that chalky minerality.

Nozay, like any producer this focused on terroir, is fanatical about their farming (organic and biodynamic) and hands off in the winery (they ferment with native yeasts and without additives). They even experiment with terracotta vessels to try to find the best way to let the wines evolve fully into themselves.

In 2023 especially, all that work paid off. It was a tricky year but by the time they got to harvest (mid-September through late October) they had perfect fruit. And now that we’ve tasted the bottled wine, we couldn’t be any happier to share it with you.

Domaine du Nozay, Sancerre, 2023 $45.99
Tastes like spring to us! Rebecca Gibb wrote: “The 2023 Domaine du Nozay continues to be a rather unconventional Sancerre. Both organic and biodynamic, this philosophy is followed through in the winery, with wild yeasts affecting the fermentation in stainless steel and terracotta amphora. The result is a finely textured, open style with pure stone fruit and florals on the fresh finish. It is harmonious, unadulterated and displays a sense of care.” R

Domaine du Nozay, Sancerre "Le Marâtre", 2023 $51.99
This is the most mineral, most focused of the three wines. Maybe that’s where the name comes from? In any event, with a little air it shows bright fruit and maybe even a friendly side. Not so evil after all. But still, if you’re looking to see what Sauvignon Blanc tastes like in Terre Blanche, this is your wine.

Domaine du Nozay, Sancerre "Le Paradis", 2023 $51.99
“The 2023 Sancerre Le Paradis is a succulent, round, tender style focusing on curved edges rather than clinical lines. Medium to full in body, this wine shows greater intensity and depth than most from the vintage. It offers decent tension and a fine, chalky texture.” Rebecca Gibb