Places compared
Sancerre vs Marlborough: the two regions
The two reference points for one grape, and the reason people take sides.
Which to choose
Worth knowing
Sancerre was Pinot Noir country until phylloxera destroyed it in the 1880s. Sauvignon Blanc was planted in the replanting because it ripened reliably and sold — the modern identity of Sancerre is about 140 years old, which is younger than most people assume.
Where they differ
Written rather than computed. A place has no taste profile of its own — the wines made there do, and they vary — so averaging one into existence would produce a number for every dimension and a meaning for none.
Aromatic intensity
Sancerre
Restrained. Grapefruit, blackcurrant leaf, nettle and a smoky, stony quality.
Marlborough
Pronounced. Passionfruit, gooseberry and cut grass, at a volume nothing in the Loire matches.
Why
Sancerre
A cooler continental climate 300 km inland, moderate ripeness, and a long convention of restraint.
Marlborough
High sunshine hours with cold nights, which produces unusually high concentrations of the thiol compounds responsible for those aromas.
Body
Sancerre
Light-to-medium, with high acidity and a lean, chalky finish.
Marlborough
Medium, often with a touch more residual sugar than the label suggests, and softer acidity.
Price
Sancerre
Expensive for what it is, and increasingly so as demand has pushed plantings onto lesser sites.
Marlborough
Consistently good value, with remarkable reliability between producers and vintages.
Ageing
Sancerre
Best within three years, though the top growers make wines that repay five or more.
Marlborough
Drink within two. The aromatics that justify the purchase fade first.