Sébastien Riffault Skeveldra Sancerre 2016, a natural white wine from the Loire Valley, France
Sébastien Riffault
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Sébastien Riffault Skeveldra Sancerre 2016

$46.00
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Tasting notes

Skeveldra is one of the most singular expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire: the combination of 50-year-old vines on pure silex soils, late-harvest botrytis, and 24-plus months on lees in old barrels produces a wine with the tension of Sancerre and the textural depth of something far older and stranger. The flint-driven minerality, ginger spice, and saline finish are unmistakable and age-worthy.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
FlintWhite PeachGingerSaline
Dry/Sweet:Dry
Wine Type:White Wine
Wine Style:Medium Body
Grapes:Sauvignon Blanc
Farming:Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:2016
Alcohol:13%
Country:France
Region:Loire Valley
Appellation:Sancerre AOC
Bottle Size:750ml
Sugar Level:Zero Added Sugar
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Important information

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package; carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older. Shipping to PO Boxes is not allowed.

Ship to a FedEx Store

If nobody can be at your address to sign for the package, you can have your order sent to a FedEx store instead. Enter your preferred FedEx store as the shipping address at checkout and we'll ship your order there. Once it arrives, you have 5 business days to pick it up, and you'll need to show your ID.

Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.

Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.

Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.

Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice packs upon request, at a cost, but even so, we can't be held liable if it's 104 where you are and corks pop. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.

Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Sébastien Riffault

Sébastien Riffault, son of Etienne Riffault, launched his own label in 2002 at age 21, starting with a small parcel at a time when organic or biodynamic viticulture was essentially nonexistent in Sancerre. The domaine, known as Domaine Etienne et Sébastien Riffault, is based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux and works approximately 12 hectares of vines. The estate has been certified organic since 2007 and converted to biodynamic practices starting in 2004, with Demeter certification. Riffault is a member of both the Association des Vins Naturels and the Renaissance des Appellations.

Farming is entirely chemical-free. Riffault works a portion of his vineyards by horse — specifically the parcels with vines aged between 35 and 70 years old — to avoid compaction and preserve soil biology. Cover crops of grasses, flowers, and plants are maintained between vine rows to support biodiversity and beneficial insects. Yields across the estate run well below the appellation average, a result of old vines, poor soils, and the refusal to use fertilizers.

In the cellar, Riffault harvests late by Sancerre standards, targeting full ripeness and accepting significant botrytis in some cuvées. Skeveldra typically sees around 50% botrytis. Fermentation is spontaneous in old oak barrels using indigenous yeasts, and all wines undergo full malolactic fermentation. The wines are aged on their fine lees for extended periods — 24 to 36 months depending on the cuvée. No fining, no filtration, and no added sulfur (with the sole exception of a minimal dose in Les Quarterons at bottling). Wines are bottled by gravity.

Wine region

Loire Valley, France

Sancerre is an AOC in the eastern Loire Valley, located on the west bank of the Loire River approximately 200 km south of Paris. The region spans 14 communes, including Saint-Satur, Sury-en-Vaux, Bué, and Chavignol. Vineyards sit on hillsides between 200 and 400 meters elevation with a semi-continental climate: warm summers, cold winters, and spring frost risk moderated in part by the Loire River. Only two grape varieties are permitted: Sauvignon Blanc for whites and Pinot Noir for reds and rosé.

Sancerre's soils divide into three main types. Terres blanches are Kimmeridgian clay-limestone marls found in the west, producing structured, ageworthy whites. Caillottes are Oxfordian limestone gravels near the town itself, yielding more aromatic and early-drinking wines. Silex — clay soils with high concentrations of flint — occur in the eastern zones bordering the Loire, including Saint-Satur and Thauvenay. Silex sites accumulate daytime heat and release it at night, accelerating grape maturity; the wines produced on these soils are known for intense minerality, a smoky or gunflint character, and strong aging potential.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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