Firmin Dezat
Firmin Dezat is part of the new generation of Sancerre producers, intent on establishing a new level of quality for the wines of this famous village. Certified organic, Firmin’s meticulous work in the vineyard is more typical of Burgundy or classed growth Bordeaux rather than the more industrial approach commonly used in Sancerre. The wines are made in a style that showcases Sancerre’s elemental freshness and aromas, along with a generosity of body that renders the wines supple and ripe.
The Dezat family has long been a fixture of Sancerre – or more precisely, the small village of Verdigny – where the winery is located. Grandfather André was a celebrated figure in the region and gave his name to the winery. Firmin gained winemaking experience in Carneros in 2011, before returning to the family winery to work alongside his father in 2014. From 2014 to 2020, they operated the winery alongside his cousins, but when his father retired in 2020, Firmin decided to split the domaine and pursue a quality-oriented path moving forward. The new domaine would be known as Firmin Dezat, Vigneron, and covers 23 hectares of vineyard (around 50 acres), with approximately 11 hectares in Sancerre, 9 in Pouilly-Fumé (which is largely sold to the domestic market) and 4 in Menetou-Salon, another Sauvignon Blanc village nearby.
The Wine
2024 was a challenging vintage across France, with incessant rain necessitating constant application of vineyard sprays to protect the crop from rot. Even with this attentiveness, Firmin lost 20% of his crop in Sancerre (and even more in Pouilly-Fumé, which is at a lower altitude near the river Loire and more prone to mildew). The Sancerre 2024 is zesty and aromatic, with good acidity and great purity of Sauvignon Blanc expression.
Sancerre Blanc 2024 Tech Sheet | Label
Firmin’s vineyards are largely around the village of Verdigny, ten minutes drive from the hilltop town of Sancerre. Although his vineyards feature all three of Sancerre’s famous soil types, the terres blanches typical of western Sancerre predominate. These are clay and limestone soils which yield freshness, concentration and ageworthiness in the wine. Firmin’s grandfather André was renowned as one of Sancerre’s greatest red wine producers, and to this day, Firmin’s production is 35% red in Sancerre, from Pinot Noir.
The Sancerre is handpicked. Winemaking is straightforward, in stainless steel, resting on the fine lees until bottling, which happens in March, much later than the end of year time frame preferred by more commercial producers. Firmin’s vision for Sancerre is a wine of good ripeness and tension, and an absence of Sauvignon herbal character. White peach and citrus flavors characterize his Sancerre.
