Domaine Edmond et Anne Vatan
Overview
Domaine Edmond et Anne Vatan is the source of arguably the world’s most age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc, made from a single parcel in Chavignol: “Clos la Néore”, a subsection of the great vineyard of Les Monts Damnés. The Vatan family has owned their parcel of Clos la Néore since 1789 (purchased during the French Revolution). Edmond Vatan (born 1929, passed away 2019) made his first vintage in 1947 and farmed the vineyard until 2002, when he retired and sold the majority of his vines to Maison Humbert. His daughter Anne Vatan (a former university professor, married to Nady Foucault of Domaine Clos Rougeard) returned in 2008 and has made the wines since. Beginning with 2018, the wine is bottled exclusively in magnums.
The farming is biodynamic. Wines are made in ancient foudres and iron tanks; bottling follows the lunar calendar — practices maintained for fourteen generations. Production is tiny.
Appellations
- Sancerre (Chavignol)
Key Wines
- Sancerre “Clos la Néore” — single vineyard; one hectare; old vines; biodynamic; perpetual maceration in old foudres; extremely long-lived; magnums only from 2018 vintage onward
Style Notes
The Vatan Clos la Néore is the outlier of Sancerre — structured, mineral, and extraordinarily long-lived in a region that mostly produces wines for early drinking. The wines are built around limestone minerality, complex botanicals, and racy acidity. They need 10–20 years to blossom and can age 50+ years. Even at 14% alcohol (typical in recent warmer vintages), the structure remains classical. The 2020 vintage (15.5%) is the only outlier Gilman has noted as truly uncertain in its trajectory.
Edmond Vatan’s 1988 vintage was the first that Gilman sold as a wine merchant; he later came to understand that this was one of the longest-lived dry white wines in the world.
Tasting Notes (from VFTC #119)
- 2021 Clos la Néore (magnum): 95+. “Absolute classic in the making; destined to be one of the greatest vintages of this wine produced in the last ten or fifteen years.” 14%. Still an infant. Drinking window: 2035–2075+.
- 2020 Clos la Néore (magnum): Unrated (”???”). 15.5% — pandemic vintage, prolonged harvest. A stylistic outlier. “Rather sullen adolescence; I really have no idea how it may ultimately turn out.” Minerality present despite ripeness.
- 2019 Clos la Néore (magnum): 95. “Another absolutely classical year.” 14%. Drinking window: 2035–2075+.
- 2018 Clos la Néore (magnum): 94+. First magnum-only vintage. Classical, closed. Drinking window: 2037–2075+.
- 2017 Clos la Néore: 97 (tasted summer 2020; bottle at our tasting was premoxed). “Legend in the making.” 14%. Drinking window: 2027–2075+.
- 2015 Clos la Néore: 94. One of the riper vintages; still not quite ready at 10 years. Drinking window: 2028–2075+.
- 2013 Clos la Néore: 95. 12.5% — leaner, cooler vintage. “Will eventually take its place as one of the legendary vintages crafted here in the twenty-first century.” Already delicious with air. Drinking window: 2030–2075+.
My Tastings
(none yet)
Sources
- 119 — “Loire Valley’s Greatest Sauvignon Blanc Producers” feature (John Gilman, October 2025)
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC May-June 2024 #111.txt— Referenced in Pascal Cotat introduction as the one producer in Sancerre who rivals (and may exceed) the Cotat family for longevity; 2013 Clos la Néore served blind at Pascal Cotat vertical (95 pts, scored at 11 years old — “just hitting its apogee”)