Process & Philosophy

A Unique Take on Terroir

Vincent works primarily with sauvignon blanc, with  just 10% of his vineyards planted to pinot noir and a rare, ancient pinot noir clone known as pinot fin. Vines average over 40 years old, and new plantings are propagated by massale selection from a vineyard of genetically diverse sauvignon blanc and pinot fin that is more than 90 years old. These selections produce berries of varying sizes and ripeness, which Vincent believes add complexity to his wines.

Gaudry’s vineyards are planted on all three main Sancerre terroirs: silex (flinty soils that give structure, length, and lift); terres blanches (Kimmeridgian clay-limestone marl, contributing to mouthfeel); and caillottes (hard, weathered Oxfordian limestone, which boosts aromatics).

A craftsman in every level of his work, Vincent seals each bottle with corks from an artisan producer on the island of Sardinia, made without the use of chemical treatments or glues and aged for 13 years to make them exceptionally dense and strong.

The Wines

Looking to the Past

Driven by his deep respect for the wisdom of past generations, Vincent crafts some of the most transparent, soulful, and authentic wines in all Sancerre. 

Vincent’s cuvée ‘Le Tournebride’ is a reference to the historical tradition of blending sauvignon blanc from Sancerre’s three different terroirs to make a complete wine that traveled well and could be sold by the barrel to Parisian bistros. Grapes grown on caillottes from Verdigny, terres blanches from Sury-en-Vaux, and silex from Saint-Satur are blended into a complete, transparent wine, delicately perfumed with a touch of gras and mineral tension. 

‘Mélodie de Vieilles Vignes’ reflects Vincent’s slow, careful approach to viticulture, which he calls “bottling the wisdom of the old vines.” This cuvée is made from a parcel in the lieu-dit La Rabotine, a northwest-facing slope on Kimmeridgian terres blanches in Sury-en-Vaux, with 50 to 90 year-old vines. The vineyard is plowed 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.

Appropriately named after Vincent’s astrological sign, ‘Constellation du Scorpion’ is another top cuvée made from the lieu-dit ‘Les Bouloises’ in Saint-Satur, truly one of the most rocky and incredible parcels in Sancerre. The wine shows notes of flinty smoke, white flowers, with mint and basil along with bright citrus fruits. On the palate, the salty minerality takes center stage, with outstanding acidity, structure, and body.

‘Mont Damné’ is an entirely new, important single vineyard for Vincent, marking his arrival in the famed village of Chavignol. In 2022, he made his first vintage from a steep single parcel leased to him by Anne Vatan, located due east of the village in the sheltered heart of the Mont Damné slope. The south-facing parcel consists of massale selection sauvignon blanc vines that were planted on the hillside by the legendary Edmond Vatan in the 1960’s. Just two 600L barrels of Vincent Gaudry Mont Damné are produced, and only when the vintage speaks to Vincent’s sensibilities.

The Pinnacle of Sancerre

Vincent produces two extremely limited top cuvées in years when he feels their energy is correctly expressed. ‘Pour Vous’ and ‘À Mi-Chemin’ represent thirty vintages of experience in the vineyard, and are among the greatest expressions of Sancerre being produced today. 

These singular wines spend roughly two years in used French oak foudres, as was traditionally done in the 20th century. After the first year, Vincent tastes the wines and chooses to bottle them if they have, in his words, “energy.” Both cuvées are hand-bottled directly from barrel, each bearing a handwritten label applied by Vincent himself.