The 15-hectare Raffaitin-Planchon estate is located in Amigny, in the heart of the Sancerre wine-growing area.
the estate
Its history dates back to the middle of the last century, when Jean-Claude Raffaitin's parents married.
They decided to jointly cultivate their land in Bué and Amigny. The small valleys and hills around these two villages with their unique terroirs offer outstanding views over the Sancerre wine-growing area.
Together they cultivate their land, a symbol of the legacy of the family's know-how, with care, respect and devotion.
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The estate has expanded over the years and generation: the vines now cover nearly 15 hectares. Three of their parcel are planted with Pinot Noir, which is used to make AOP Sancerre Red and Rosé wine.
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The 12 others are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, the sovereign of Sancerre, grown on the appellation's clayey limestone soil. It infuses the cuvées with its freshness and fruit, which have given it its international reputation.
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True to family tradition, Jean-Claude and Antoine have also kept some mixed farming land. They reap the benefits of ten or so hectares of land planted with wheat, barley and sunflower.
In the early 1980s, their son Jean-Claude marked a change of direction in the life of the estate. He planted the first vines on this land, so propitious to the making of great wines. The furrows of cereal crops gradually gave way to rows of vines, and the estate gathered momentum.
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Nowadays, on the estate's ancestral land, the legacy endures, as Jean-Claude and his wife and been joined by their son Antoine. Two generation now work hand in hand, giving the best of their know-how and showcasing their wines in unison.
A long time ago, this land was primarily made over to cereal crops and grassland for goats. But the Sancerre AOC was soon created in 1936. The vine then increased in scale, being planted even on the steep hillsides that would make an extent reputation for our Sancerre wine-growing area.
As you taste a glass of “Terre d’Argile” Sancerre White or “Les Griottes” Sancerre Red, three emblematic blends of the estate, Jean-Claude, Marie and Antoine will tell you the estate's history through the prism of their wines, associated with an exceptional terroir.
You will learn all about the long and skilful vinification and ageing process adopted by Jean-Claude et Antoine in the maturing cellar, to metamorphose their ripe fruit into great wines.
