gerard boulay comtesse 2020

the boulay family has been growing vines in chavignol since 1310. this village in the sancerre appellation has steep hillsides. it is here that you will find les monts damnés, culs de beaujeu and la grande côte. these names will certainly ring a bell if you have ever tasted the wines of françois cotat. gérard boulay is at the head of an estate of 11.5 hectares of vines, half owned, half rented. 2 ha for red and rosé wines, the rest being dedicated to white wine. gérard boulay is one of the few winegrowers in the sancerre appellation to work the soil. he ploughs, with a caterpillar for the steepest slopes, 1.5 ha in culs de beaujeu, 1.8 ha in monts damnés and 45 ares in grande côte. the slopes are systematically grassed to fight against erosion. in the "crus", the grapes are harvested by hand, while in the other terroirs, a large part is machine harvested. the vineyard treatments are as light as possible: no pesticides, no anti-rot, no chemical fertilisers. the estate uses a little organic compost, but without trying to increase yields. the wines are vinified in the same spirit: the yeasts are obviously indigenous, a racking is carried out at the end of fermentation and the wine is left on fine lees. sulphur is used to a minimum and the wine is aged in 300 litre barrels or in enamel or stainless steel tanks. this estate is one of the finest references in the appellation and is particularly renowned for the purity of its wines, which express the diversity of the chavignol terroirs to perfection.