Vincent Gaudry Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes Sancerre 2022
Vincent Gaudry Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes Sancerre 2022
For those in the know, Vincent Gaudry has been handcrafting some of the most essential, soulful wines of the Loire River Valley for over 30 years in his craftsman cellar in the tiny hamlet of Chambre near Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre. Vincent is a true minimalist whose guiding principle is “Trust in Nature.” The domaine was established by Vincent’s grandfather, and Vincent was only 16 years old when he joined his father in the family business in 1991. Domaine Vincent Gaudry was among the first certified organic, as well as the very first certified biodynamic producer in Sancerre. Today, he and his wife Séverine farm 11 hectares of vineyards with organic, biodynamic, and regenerative practices.
Gaudry wines are in tune with the elements, instilling a feeling of being profoundly connected to the land. Driven by his deep respect for the wisdom of past generations of local vignerons, Gaudry’s wines are inspired by history and, as a result, are among the most transparent, soulful, and authentic in the region. They are also amongst the most limited, due to his artisanal scale.
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. This is exemplified in Gaudry’s cuvée Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes, 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, from old massale-selection sauvignon vines. Vincent refers to this wine as “bottling the wisdom of the old vines”. Vincent plows this vineyard 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 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. A superb food wine that will improve in bottle for several years.
Vinification – Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes is hand harvested in small crates before being destemmed, and spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts in one large 60 hectoliter used French foudre. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous. It is aged on the fine lees without bâtonnage for 18 months in the same foudre before being bottled according to the lunar calendar, unfined and unfiltered.