Gerard Boulay Sancerre À Chavignol 2019
With freshness and vigour to the fore, 2019 is another standout release for Gérard Boulay's Chavignol bottling. As always, this is drawn from mature, 35- to 40-year-old vines rooted entirely in the limestone soils of Chavignol. The multiple sites are largely sloping vineyards on the lower flanks of the Chavignol hillside terroirs of Les Chasseignes, Les Longues Fins and La Rue de Vaux. Importantly, Boulay also includes fruit from his younger vines growing on the great hillside of La Grande Côte. The juice was naturally fermented and aged for eight months in tank on lees, with a small volume also fermented in a single large wooden cask.
This wine is the only blended cuvée in the Boulay line-up, yet even here we can taste the kind of finesse, texture, and that stony/earthy/salty minerality that has made this humble grower one of France's most respected vignerons. As always, it's a benchmark that showcases the remarkable terroir that is Chavignol. In the world we live in today, it's an absolute bargain.