95pts Vinous
The 2023 Monoparcelle 538 is focused and firm with a sense that it knows where it’s going. This offers up a finely fruity nose with nectarine, ripe lemon and chamomile aromas. Eighteen months on lees added excellent richness and texture to this more vertical interpretation. A bright, luminous acidity pierces its entirety. Although packed with tension and length, the 2023 is still in a tight corridor and will expand with more time in bottle. Drinking Window: 2027-2038

– ByRebecca Gibb, MWonAugust 2025

A shining star in Sancerre, Claude Riffault produces suave, textural and seemingly effortless wines. After joining the family business in 2001 and taking over in 2015, Stphane Riffault has moved to refine the wines, starting with the introduction of hand-harvesting in 2008. The family converted 15 hectares to organic farming in 2013, achieved certification in 2016 and began biodynamic conversion in 2018, with 2021 the first fully biodynamic harvest. All the white wines are fermented and aged in large-format wood. Malolactic fermentation has always been avoided, but in 2023, Les Chailloux and Les Chasseignes went through malo before the alcoholic fermentation finished, lending a softer, creamier texture and diminishing the unique terroir identity, particularly for the flint-derived Les Chailloux. In 2023, Riffault was especially careful to avoid volatile acidity due to high populations of acetic acid and lactic bacteria. The domaine cuve, Mosaique Calcaire, saw less wood influence and more tank in 2023, both for harvest logistics and to preserve freshness in this relatively low-acid vintage following the September heatwave. Gentle pressing was essential in 2023. Riffault actually rejected 510% of the juice, which went for distillation.

With the 2024 yields reduced by 90%, the 2023 single-parcel wines could mature longer as there was more space in the cellar, which lent the wines attractive texture and harmony. While other domaines blended single parcels to have enough juice, Riffault managed to make individual bottlings in 2024s, but the volumes are extremely low. The 2024s show a more assertive phenolic grip and a cooler, greener edge than the ripe 2022s and 2023s.