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.
À Mi-Chemin was the first of Vincent’s duo of top, singular cuvées (Pour Vous being the second). Without hyperbole, both expressions blur the line between wine and art. À Mi-Chemin follows the tradition of the past century of vinification and aging in wood barrels for two years before bottling, as well as the methods Vincent learned from local village elders over the years. It is a deeply unique and personal “unicorn” wine, made only in the best vintages, when it is always among the most profound white wines produced in France’s Loire Valley.
À Mi-Chemin is the oldest 0.5ha part at the top of the lieu-dit Les Bouloises, a 35+ year-old vineyard with a perfect southwest exposed slope just under the woods, planted in dense, heavy, ferrous Silex soils near the village of Saint-Satur, at 350m. Les Bouloises is located on the very top of the steepest part of the south-facing hill near his grandfather’s cabin. At the top of this parcel there is an optical illusion where Vincent feels like he could reach out and touch the village of Sancerre (just 2km away) and the burnt-red silex reflects the shimmering afternoon light in a way that makes him feel like he is halfway to paradise, or “à mi-chemin”.
The silex boulders in Les Bouloises are so dense that plowing is almost impossible, as the terroir eventually destroys any machines used. Working this vineyard by tractor can be extremely dangerous due to the slope and boulders. The vineyard is surrounded by forests that protect it from the north wind, with the flinty soils providing an incredible amount of light reflection, creating conditions ideal for photosynthesis.
The Les Bouloises parcel for À Mi-Chemin is hand-harvested and vinified separately each year, and then after aging in 60-hectoliter used French foudre for a year, Vincent tastes the wine, studying its energy, power, and emotional resonance. If the vintage speaks to him, À Mi-Chemin spends another year on its fine lees in a used, 60-hectoliter French foudre without bâtonnage, before being bottled by hand in tiny quantities directly from barrel, without fining or filtration with a traditional copper spout by a method called “mis à la chèvre.” If the conditions of the vintage are not right to produce the energy Vincent is looking for to make À Mi-Chemin, the barrel is blended into his primary cuvée Tournebride.
Ever the quintessential craftsman in every level of his work, Vincent is equally dedicated to ensuring the safe voyage of his wines through an investment in the best corks in the market to seal his bottles. Vincent’s corks come from an artisan producer on the island of Sardinia. His corks are natural, produced without the use of chemical treatments or glues, and are aged for 13 years. The resulting corks, which are exceptionally dense and strong, are checked by machine and guaranteed against defects like cork taint. Each cork sealing a bottle of Vincent Gaudry À Mi-Chemin costs him an average of three euros to produce.
Finally, each label is hand-drawn and labeled by Vincent, then wrapped in the region’s traditional straw sleeves (produced by the last company in France making them), before being packed in wooden cases of six bottles for shipment.
Stylistically, À Mi-Chemin is full-bodied, fresh, and refined on the palate, offering incredible complexity—a long and elegant Sancerre that offers contrasting textures of richness with finesse, grip and elegance. À Mi-Chemin is built to improve in bottle, offering many years of development and pleasure when properly cellared—Vincent’s gift to you from “the valley that smiles” in Sancerre.
Region
Loire Valley
Appellation
Sancerre
Commune
Saint-Satur
Vineyard
Les Bouloises (0.5ha, southwest exposure)
Elevation
350m
Grapes
100% Sauvignon Blanc (planted from old massale selection)
Vine Age
35+ years old
Soil
Ferrous, red silex over limestone
Fermentation
Spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in a single 60hL used French oak foudre
Aging
24 months on the fine lees 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
6x750mL