Vincent Gaudry ‘Gaudry’Olle’
Sauvignon Val de Loire 2022
Vincent Gaudry ‘Gaudry’Olle’ Sauvignon Val de Loire 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 the first certified organic and 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.
Gaudry’Olle is the first release (2022 was the first vintage) of a visionary new project called “La Grande Pièce” in Crézancy-en-Sancerre, an area just 9km southwest of Sancerre, just across the Sancerre AOP border, on a plateau at 300m elevation, where the soil has a calcareous clay top layer, with caillottes underneath.
Vincent had climate change in mind when in 2019 he planted sauvignon blanc vines from a massale selection of his 90+ year-old vines from his La Rabotine vineyard in Sury-en-Vaux.
Crézancy-en-Sancerre is located in a naturally cooler location at a higher elevation, where the sauvignon blanc variety ripens eight days behind the warmer parts of the Sancerre appellation on average. Vincent thinks this terroir could be one of the most interesting areas for the region’s future due to its high natural acidity and outstanding ventilation, located high on a south-west exposed slope of a windy plateau that does not need treatment of any kind. Vincent acquired the 2ha vineyard from an old farmer friend of his, Jacques, and began immediately converting the vineyard to biodynamic viticulture, in line with Vincent’s meticulous standards.
Vinification – Sauvignon blanc grapes for Gaudry’Olle are hand-harvested in small crates before being destemmed and spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous. Aged on the fine lees without bâtonnage for 7 months, racked twice, and then bottled according to the lunar calendar, unfined and unfiltered.