Over the past decade, Edmond and Anne Vatan’s Sancerre “Clos la Néore” has gone, from virtually unknown outside the Loire, to becoming a top prize among sommeliers, merchants and connoisseurs worldwide.

What they realize is that, from this small plot within Les Monts Damnés—Sancerre’s greatest vineyard—and through methods little-changed from those used by their family since the French Revolution, the Vatans fashion transcendently complex, very long-lived Sancerre that is among the world’s most riveting white wines.

In fact, in how extraordinarily it develops with age, Vatan’s Clos la Néore has more in common with a Raveneau or Dauvissat Chablis than with most Sancerres. As View from the Cellar’s John Gilman has written, “In many regards I find that the wines of the Raveneau brothers and Monsieur Vatan are quite analogous in terms of evolutionary cycles and their potential for profundity with sufficient bottle age.”

Clos la Néore is one of Sancerre’s most revered single parcels, and the Vatan family continues to craft it with the same quiet precision that made the cuvée a legend. The 2022 vintage brings purity, lift, and a vivid mineral backbone. It carries the freshness of the year with a refined structure that promises long-term evolution. In magnum, the clarity and depth stand out even more. The format slows the development and sharpens detail, making this an ideal choice for collectors and anyone who values focused, understated craftsmanship.