Since 1991, Vincent Gaudry has been handcrafting essential, soulful wines with a profound connectedness to the land and to the collective lineage of vignerons past. At just 16, he joined his father in running the estate established by his grandfather in the tiny hamlet of Chambre, near Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre. Today, Gaudry’s wines are among the most authentic, artisanal, and limited of the region.
A true minimalist whose guiding principle is “Trust in Nature,” Vincent began converting to organic farming in 1995, obtaining certification in 2002. He developed a deep appreciation for the balance that a biodynamic philosophy brings to his 11ha of vineyards, becoming the first producer in Sancerre with a Demeter certification in 2004. The vineyards, the forests, and their animal inhabitants work in harmony, and that harmony is felt in the wine.
Many of the domaine’s parcels are over 60 years old, which is relatively unheard of in today’s Sancerre, with its focus on high-yielding quantity over quality. Gaudry’s cuvée ‘Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes’ is made mostly from one parcel in the lieu-dit La Rabotine, a 1.5ha west-exposed slope on Kimmeridgian clay terres blanches in Sury-en-Vaux, where the vines are 50-90 years old. Vincent refers to this wine as “bottling the wisdom of the old vines.” The vineyard is plowed only by horse, as the topsoil is no more than a foot deep before reaching the limestone bedrock, which is hard to penetrate for the roots.
This wine is an outstanding Sancerre, showing elegant aromas of ripe pear, quince, citrus, and lime. The soils’ minerality is captured in the concentrated fruit, which unfolds in layers of complexity. Gaudry’s amazing attention to detail from vineyard to bottle shines through in this cuvée’s exceptionally long finish. It is a superb food wine that will improve in bottle for several years.
Region
Loire Valley
Appellation
Sancerre
Commune
Sury-en-Vaux
Lieu-dit
La Rabotine (1.5ha)
Grapes
100% Sauvignon Blanc (planted from old massale selection)
Vine Age
50-90+ years old
Soil
Kimmeridgian clay with terres blanches bedrock
Fermentation
Spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts in a single 60hL used French oak foudre
Aging
18 months in the same foudre without bâtonnage before being bottled according to the lunar calendar
MLF
Spontaneous
Farming
Certified organic (Ecocert), Certified Biodynamic (Demeter)
Fining/Filtration
None
Vegan
Yes
ABV
13.5%
Pack Size
12x750mL