Gaudry "Le Tournebride" Sancerre '22

For more than 30 years, Vincent Gaudry has been making wine in a hamlet in Sancerre (named Chambre, near Sury-en-Vaux), in the Loire Valley. Vincent is guided by the principle of trusting in nature, and his wines convey a sense of connection with the land they come from. The domaine was established by Vincent’s grandfather with only a few hectares of vines before being passed to Vincent’s father, Georges, who gradually enlarged the estate to 9.5 hectares. Vincent was only 16 years old when he joined his father in the family business in 1991, taking over entirely in 1993 when his father fell unexpectedly ill. Today, he and his wife, Séverine, who handles the administrative aspects of the domaine, farm 11 hectares of vineyards with organic, biodynamic, and regenerative practices. He began farming his vineyards with biodynamic principles in 2000, becoming the first producer in Sancerre with a Demeter certification, in 2004. 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. (DeMaison Selections)

Vincent explains that, historically, when Sancerre was still sold by the barrel to satisfy the thirst of Paris bistros, négociants used to blend wines from the three different terroirs of Sancerre in equal parts to make a complete wine that would travel well. In reference to this tradition, his cuvée Le Tournebride, the primary wine of the domaine, is a blend of sauvignon blanc grown on caillottes from Verdigny, terres blanches from Sury-en-Vaux, and silex from Saint-Satur. For Vincent, this wine represents a complete, transparent expression of Sancerre, delicately perfumed with a touch of gras and mineral tension.

“Le Tournebride” is hand-harvested, destemmed, and spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks and large, used French foudres. Each parcel is picked at exactly the right moment and vinified individually, before being blended and aged on the fine lees without bâtonnage for 18 months, and then bottled according to the lunar calendar, unfined and unfiltered.