Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly 2018

An exceptional vintage in France’s Loire Valley has yielded a splendid 2018 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly. Rivalling nearby Sancerre, the diminutive Reuilly appellation (a mere 450 acres) has increasingly become an excellent source of delicious, mouth-filling Sauvignon Blancs as Domaine Dyckerhoff ‘s 2018 Reuilly aptly attests. The quality of the 2018 vintage is manifest in the soft, fragrant scents of citrus blossoms, mountain apples, and spring flowers that gently permeate this wine. In the mouth, ripe citrus and orchard fruit flavors emerge on the palate where they mingle with a gentle minerality and a light, fresh acidity to afford balance and delicacy to this Reuilly. Elegant, easy and delightfully engaging, the 2018 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly plays counterpoint to some of the more aggressive, sometimes off-putting Sauvignon Blanc wines from elsewhere. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest only moderate chilling (about 40°-45° F) of the 2018 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly. Enjoy!

The 2018 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly embodies the ideal aperitif, as it exudes elegance, freshness and a lithe spirit that gently enlivens the senses and invigorates the soul. Yet, this quintessential Reuilly also provides the ideal companion to a host of shellfish and freshwater fish such as trout and walleye. In addition, when confronted with even small amounts of soy sauce, wasabi, or ginger, most dry wines lose their flavor or worse: they taste like steel. The 2018 Dyckerhoff Reuilly, on the other hand, shines in their presence, which makes it an excellent choice with sushi, California and fresh spring rolls. With a bottle of the 2018 Dyckerhoff Reuilly and fresh seafood, one can also re-create at any time of the year the halcyon days of summer by a beach or lakeshore. Clams, crab, mussels, oysters, and shrimp, prepared just about any way you can imagine, and trout or walleye filets, grilled to perfection over a charcoal fire, will also provide memorable accompaniments. And like many of the Loire Valley’s finest Sancerres, this splendid Reuilly offers the perfect companion to soft rind cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Saint-Nectaire and Reblochon as well as mild and moderate-flavored goat and sheep’s milk cheeses. Bon appétit!

The Dyckerhoff family migrated from Germany in the 1960s and settled in Reuilly where now vigneron/winemaker Christian Dyckerhoff grew up amid his family’s vast cereal farm. Although Christian is relatively new to winemaking, Christian’s wife, Benedicte, hails from a family of wine growers in Ribeauvillé, Alsace, and together the Dyckerhoffs created Domaine Dyckerhoff in 2004.

Domaine Dyckerhoff consists of just 12.5 acres in Reuilly, an appellation located in the eastern Loire near the beautiful medieval city of Bourges. In little more than a decade, Domaine Dyckerhoff has become one of the most influential ambassadors of the reinvigorated Reuilly appellation and a very reliable source of tasty Sauvignon Blanc. Not surprisingly, Sauvignon Blanc takes center stage at Domaine Dyckerhoff, as it does among the majority of Reuilly producers. However, small quantities of very good Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are also produced at this up-and-coming domaine.

The Loire is France’s longest and most picturesque river, and the valley that bears its name is known affectionately as le jardin de France (the garden of France). From the Loire’s lush gardens, pastures, and vineyards flow a treasure trove of fruits, vegetables, and wines to grace elegant tables throughout France, including those in the most fashionable temples of gastronomy in Paris.

Given the Loire’s length, varied terroir, and multitude of microclimates, it is not surprising that this vast region produces a wide array of wines. From the chalky hills on the upper reaches of the river as it bends in sight of Burgundy come several of the world’s finest dry white wines in the guise of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, and Reuilly – all from Sauvignon Blanc. As the river flows west towards the heart of France, Chenin Blanc predominates and fine, soft sparkling wines and the superlative sweet wines of Touraine and Anjou emerge from green hills in sight of stately châteaux. And by the time the slow moving Loire reaches the sea near Nantes, it becomes the home of Muscadet, a quaffable, fresh, bone dry white wine that is superlative with seafood.

The majority of the Loire’s most celebrated wines are white, but one should not miss the growing number of excellent red wines being made in “the garden of France.” Cabernet Franc is the most important red varietal in the Loire, at least in terms of quality, but some very good Gamay based wines can be found as well. Bourgeuil and Chinon are the most notable appellations along the Loire for Cabernet Franc, each with a history for fashioning distinctive, velvety red wines.