2023 Roger & Christophe Moreux, Sancerre "Les Monts Damnés"

About this gift

If you’re looking for an expert guide to Sancerre’s most legendary terroir, look no further than Domaine Roger & Christophe Moreux. With roots tracing back to 1895 in Chavignol and family winemaking in the region since the 16th century, they’re among Sancerre’s oldest continuous domaines. Their Les Monts Damnés bottling comes from “The Damned Mountains”—steep, rocky slopes so treacherous that tractors can’t reach them, and handwork (or cable trolleys) is the only option. Here, ~30-year-old vines dig into Kimmeridgian limestone (terre blanche)—the same fossil-rich chalk giving Chablis its electric minerality—on perfect south-facing exposure that maximizes Loire sunlight for concentration and depth.

When Moreux says Les Monts Damnés is Sancerre’s “unofficial Premier Cru,” we believe them. This vineyard draws top producers like François Cotat, Pascal Cotat, Gérard Boulay, and Vincent Gaudry, whose versions command premium prices. Moreux’s sustainable farming on these sheer slopes delivers the same intense chalky salinity, flint strike, and ageworthy structure—but as a SommSelect US exclusive at $44 ($39/btl on 4+).