Tasting Notes
La Grande Cote is from his coolest site. The next step up in every way. Here density and intensity leads you to the classic core of mineral tension Sancerre is celebrated for. Worth the wait to be released, from a vintage of Sancerre fondly remembered. Very limited. - Chris L
First made as a single parcel in 2010, La Côte comes from the majestic Grande Côte vineyard, a south- to southeast-facing hillside on the Côte d’Amigny on the outskirts of Chavignol. La Côte has quickly become one of the heavyweights of Boulay’s range. It’s the Domaine’s coolest terroir and the last to be picked. The site’s pure Kimmeridgian limestone and late picking date deliver both density and absurd precision on the palate; a more expressive style, yet still bristling with tension and mineral notes. The 2019 was vinified and aged in three- and four-year-old barrels.
Tinged with gun-flint, this is taut, mineral-laden stuff. It reveals aromas of lemongrass, jasmine, pear and orchard fruits as it sits in the glass. The palate possesses bell-clear purity, and the silken, tongue-coating texture and mineral drive reminiscent of Grand Cru Chablis from a great grower. Interestingly for this site, the wine is already so balanced that it can be enjoyed now for its striking precision and transparency. However, like all the single-vineyard wines in this offer, you will thank yourself if you keep a bottle or two to drink in 10 or so years. - Importer Note
The steep, south facing, limestone slopes that tower over the tiny hamlet of Chavignol offer one of the world's more remarkable terroirs. In short, Chavignol (within the Sancerre AOC) does for Sauvignon what the greatest vineyards of Piemonte do for Nebbiolo. They offer us a perfect symbiosis; a perfect match of soil, aspect, climate and grape variety. And like Piemonte, the local foods have evolved to match the wines produced. For example, the goat cheese Crottin de Chavignol, is simply one of the greatest matches for Sancerre (and Chavignol in particular). In Chavignol, the best wines have nought to do with varietal character; the grape simply plays conduit to the mineral freshness of the limestone-rich soils and the sun trapping, south facing exposition. This terroir creates (in the right hands) whites with that rare combination of hedonistic texture and racy, crunchy minerality. Importantly, Chavignol tempers Sauvignon's herbaceous tendencies and produces great smoky, stone fruit noted whites of fabulous clarity, texture and energy. This is Sancerre that will wow even those who think they don't like Sauvignon!
Gerard Boulay is one of the greats of this tiny village producing some of the most distinctive and sublime wines in Sancerre. The man himself is as focused and intense as the wines he crafts. He is also incredibly humble. His respect for Chavignol and its proud history is evident by his refusal to betray the terroir with lazy viticulture or industrial winemaking. Under Boulay's charge, the quality of the land and its resultant produce need nothing in the way of corrections. The soil is ploughed, no herbicides or pesticides are used, yields are kept low and harvesting is by hand (extremely rare these days in Sancerre). In the winery there is no chapitalisation, no added yeasts or enzymes. The wine ferments naturally and Boulay doesn't filter unless the wine needs it. Some of the wines are fermented in old barrels. Very importantly, the average vine age in the Boulay vineyards is over 45 years. Finally, and most significantly of all, is Boulay's remarkable selection of Chavignol terroirs, including La Grande Cote, Le Cul de Beaujeu, Monts Damnes and a parcel of the very rare Comtesse (a historical lieu-dit in the Monts Damnes terroir). With a family history of winegrowing in Chavignol that dates back to the 1300's, there is little wonder that the Boulay clan have managed to assemble one of the finest collections of vineyards in the area. - Importer Note
| Product Type | Wine White Sauvignon Blanc |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire Valley |
| Sub Region | Sancerre |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |