Placeholder Image

Vincent Gaudry, Sancerre Rouge, “Vincengétorix”

Loire Valley, France 2014 (750mL)
$29.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Vincent Gaudry, Sancerre Rouge, “Vincengétorix”

We’re all conditioned to think immediately of Sauvignon Blanc when we hear the name ‘Sancerre.’ And yes, as we’ve said here before, there’s nothing else in the world like Sancerre’s Sauvignon Blanc (well, except maybe Pouilly-Fumé and a few other inner-Loire appellates). But I’m here to tell you—again—that Pinot Noir from Sancerre is the real deal.
Only about 11% of the wine produced in the Sancerre AOC is red, and traditionally, it was something of an afterthought in the minds of most consumers. The classic image of a Sancerre Rouge was that of a crisp, somewhat thin, rather ‘clipped’ style of Pinot Noir from a cool climate. Well, maybe it’s global warming, or a deepened focus on Pinot Noir viticulture in the area, or both, but my experience lately with Sancerre Rouge has been eye-opening, to say the least. This 2014 from biodynamic visionary Vincent Gaudry is the latest Sancerre Pinot to genuinely wow me. This stuff will stand toe-to-toe with red Burgundy without question—which, when you think about it, shouldn’t be a surprise. Sancerre is quite close to the Côte d’Or and sits on essentially the same limestone-rich soils.
We have been Vincent Gaudry fans since we launched SommSelect: He was an early adopter of organic and biodynamic practices in his 9 hectares of vineyards, which extend across Sancerre’s three distinct soil types— clay-limestone/marl (terres blanches); flint (silex); and stony, rubble-like Kimmeridgian limestone like that of Chablis (caillottes). Gaudry has been certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter) since 2004, and everything he does in both the vineyards and cellar is resolutely hands-on and dedicated to producing the cleanest, purest expressions of place. His Sauvignon Blanc wines are characterized not just by the trademark minerality of Sancerre but also an uncommon level of concentration and fruit expression. This is attributed to his meticulous vineyard work: The vines, some of which exceed 90 years of age, are farmed without chemical fertilizers, with only organic compost to supplement soils; he plows only in spring and early summer, leaves grass in between the vines and maintains strictly small yields for production; and he only employs 'selection massale,’ meaning he only uses vine cuttings from his oldest vineyards when re-planting any site.
 
Gaudry’s “Vincengétorix” Rouge is Pinot Noir (and a substantial amount of Pinot Fin, the “lost clone” of the Pinot family that is thought to be Noir’s parent) from five distinct parcels in diverse soils around Sancerre. The vines average about 35 years of age, and, of course, everything from harvest to bottle is done by hand. This 2014 was ‘whole-cluster’ fermented, using only indigenous yeasts, in large, open-topped wood vats. It was then aged for about a year in large, neutral barrels before bottling with the absolute bare minimum of sulfur added. It is a wine of energy, tension, and most notably, concentration—it’s got a level of depth and texture not traditionally associated with Sancerre Rouge.
 
In the glass, the 2014 “Vincengétorix” is a transluscent crimson moving to hints of pink and orange at the rim. The aromatics are floral and perfumed, with notes of dried red cherry, raspberry, citrus peel, rose petals, earl grey tea, forest floor, and a whiff to flinty smoke. The push-pull of saturated fruit and minerality, all lifted by acidity, mimics the best qualities of red Burgundy—“ethereal” is an overused word in wine-speak, but I think this wine genuinely delivers on that description. It just dances across the palate, lilting and fresh, medium-light in body and incredibly long and aromatic on the finish. Decant this about 30 minutes before serving at around 60 degrees (or even cooler, which will tamp down acidity and heighten aromatics) in Burgundy stems. This is “summer wine” at its elegant, perfumed, regal best—it will absolutely sing with the attached recipe for salmon rillettes. Get some good bread, chill this wine a touch, and you are winning at life, plain and simple. Enjoy!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceSancerre
Soil
Limestone, Clay & Flint
Farming
Organic & Biodynamic
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Neutral French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2020
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Salmon Rillettes

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love