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. 

Vincent immediately began converting to organic farming in 1995, obtaining organic certification in 2002. With a desire to go even further, he developed a deep appreciation for biodynamic farming and the balance it brought to his vineyards. Vincent began farming his vineyards with biodynamic principles in 2000, becoming the first producer in Sancerre with a Demeter certification in 2004, upon witnessing firsthand the positive relationship between the vineyards, forests, and their animal inhabitants brought on by his regenerative agricultural practices. Vincent works with nature and a sober pragmatism to maintain a balance in his vineyards and wine. Today, he and his wife Séverine farm 11 hectares of vineyards with certified 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. 

Pour Vous is one of Vincent’s duo of top, singular cuvées (À Mi-Chemin being the other). Without hyperbole, both expressions blur the line between wine and art. Pour Vous 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. 

According to Vincent’s principles, richness and abundance are meant to be shared, so he named the cuvée “for you”. This speaks to Vincent’s generous and convivial nature, as his wines are world-class and profound, yet he does not take himself too seriously and is quick to share a joke and open his best bottles for guests. 

Pour Vous comes from a single lieu-dit with a massale selection of old sauvignon blanc clones called Les Vignes Blanches located about 200m from the winery cellar, near the village of Sury-en-Vaux (literally the valley that smiles). The average age of the vines in this plot is more than 50-years-old, planted on Kimmeridgian clay terres blanches soil, which imparts structure and mouthfeel to the wine. Historically, the parcel was planted with vines, but it was also a garden that had sheep, so the topsoil is rich with organic matter and the fruits produced offer consistently great quality and ripeness. Vincent plows this vineyard by horse, as the topsoil is no more than a foot deep atop the limestone bedrock, which is hard to penetrate for the roots. 

The Les Vignes Blanches parcel 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, Pour Vous 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 Pour Vous, 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 Pour Vous costs him an average of three euros to produce.

Finally, each bottle is hand-labeled and wrapped in the region’s traditional straw sleeves (produced by the last company in France making them) by Vincent and Séverine, before being packed in wooden cases of six bottles for shipment.

Stylistically, Pour Vous is textural, intense, long, savory, profound, and deeply satisfying, offering many years of development and pleasure when properly cellared—Vincent’s gift to you from “the valley that smiles” in Sancerre.

→ Tech Sheet

→ Back to Vincent Gaudry