Sancerre wines in strong and distinctive terroirs
The wines of Domaine Gerard Boulay
Domaine Gerard Boulay is located in Chavignol (where you can find the famous crottin de Chavignol goat cheese) in the Loire Valley and is one of the best Sancerre estates. Gerard Boulay has been working for more than 40 years on marvellous vineyards around Chavignol, some of them being quite steep, and most of them composed of old vines. Domaine Boulay Gerard covers 11 Ha (9 Ha of white and 2 Ha of red grape varieties). All of the cuvees are greatly vinified and have a unique identity of their own. At Domaine Boulay, there's no chemical inputs, pesticides or herbicide. Grass-covered techniques are applied to the vineyards in order for the soils to be constantly alive, especially on steep slopes like the Clos de Beaujeu plot (slope of more than 60%). the Sancerre Tradition cuvee from Domaine Gerard Boulay is a great entry-level wine, full of powerful fruity flavours, of great balance and minerality. Gerard Boulay's Sancerre Monts Damnes cuvee is among the most renowned wines of Sancerre (on the Chavignol side). The estate produces a deeply mineral wine with iodine notes and fruit flavours (from a 40-year-old vines plot that covers 1 ha, facing South. Its soil is composed of kimmeridgian marl, similar to Chablis soils, in Burgundy). Vinification is made in old barrels, and the wines are aged on lees for more than a year with some time in a tank for better balance of the wine. Our tip: enjoy this wine after 5 or 10 years. Gerard Boulay's Sancerre Clos de Beaujeu also comes from a 1-hectare plot, in the Cul de Beaujeu area, with a steep slope of 60% in some parts. The vines are 50 years old, and they grow on a rich soil made of fossilised oyster shells. The vineyard is ideally located, as it's facing South. Gerard Boulay's Clos de Beaujeu is full of broad flavours. It's a pure wine with texture, exotic and white fruit notes, and a spicy finish. This wine has a minimum of 10-year ageing potential. It is a great wine to open at dinners. Domaine Boulay has been producing a cuvee called Sancerre La Cote since 2010. It is made from vines that grow on a small plot located on the famous Grande Cote de Chavignol. It's an exceptional terroir made of shallow clay-limestone soils that bring that mineral finesse from the terroir to the wine produced, which is of great solar depth. The Sancerre Comtesse cuvee is the latest white wine cuvee from Domaine Boulay. It is a very sought-after wine, especially for great Sancerre lovers. It's made from a plot located at the bottom of the famous Monts Damnes plots, on a terroir made of thick clay, with old vines of 70 years old that don't produce very much in quantity, allowing a great concentration in the berries and so a beautiful quality. The wine displays pure and expressive fruity flavours. It is a full-bodied wine that is also tight and mineral. It is to be kept 20 years in the cellar. Gerard Boulay's red Oriane cuvee comes from vines that grow in the Coteau des Cheneaux plot. It's a tribute to Henri Jayer, as it's made from a Pinot Noir that was brewed for a long time, and that was aged in 50% new oak. Oriane's 2015 vintage is a generous and solar wine, greatly concentrated with black cherry, blackberry, pepper and liquorice flavours. A broad, mineral, and silky wine that is to be shared with Pinot Noir lovers. A few years ago, Domaine Boulay got a new winery with state-of-the-art facilities which have made it possible for the estate to make all their cuvees with even more precise flavours. The wines of Domaine Gerard Boulay are generous and can be enjoyed by most people while they're still young, but their true character is to be appreciated after 10 to 20 years in the cellar. You'd just have to taste the 1997 vintage to understand how the greatness of these wines can take a few years to reveal itself. Domaine Boulay couldn't produce better wines for this designation of origin, that's why these cuvees are to be recommended around you.
For more than 10 years, Vins & Millesimes has been offering you the opportunity to buy the best bottles of old wines and grands crus, already in stock and in fast delivery! Discover other Sancerre white Loire, red Loire and rose Loire wines from the following estates: Alphonse Mellot, Edmond Vatan, Pascal Cotat, François Cotat, François Crochet, Vacheron and Vincent Pinard. Bottles and magnums are available for purchase!
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