Joli Vin imports

Domaine Vincent Gaudry - Sancerre

Domaine Vincent Gaudry fact sheet

Since 1993, Vincent Gaudry has been a pioneer and a trailblazer in Sancerre for pursuing his own unique brand of biodynamic viticulture and winemaking. His production reflects his deeply held feelings about the power of the earth and the expression of his terroir. A commitment to biodynamic viticulture in a region not generally know for being at the forefront of the organic, back to the terroir movement does not always endear Vincent Gaudry to his contemporaries but travelling against the current doesn’t much concern this independent minded winemaker.

Vincent Gaudry’s domaine is located in the village of Sury-en-Vaux one of several satellite communes which surrounds the hilltop village of Sancerre on the west bank of the Loire River. He farms 9 hectares of vineyards that cover each of the region’s three distinct terroirs: clay-limestone or marl (terres blanches), flint (silex) and stony, rubble-like limestone that come from weathered Kimmeridgian (caillottes). He produces his benchmark Sancerre from these diverse selections of soil rendering wines that express a wide range of flavors, from the exuberant and fruity to mineral and subtly smoky. 

For Gaudry, the subtleties of these soils are primordial and he deems their mineral content and ability to drain more important than a site’s orientation. A small plot of 90 year-old vines planted on marl supplies him with cuttings when parcels are replanted and allows Gaudry to work exclusively via massale selection. As he is not treating his vineyards with chemical fertilizers beyond the compost cultivated at the domaine, yields remain naturally low which contributes enormously to explain why the wines possess a richness and volume on the palate that is impressive. Furthermore, vineyards that are not pumped up with steroids to enhance production, simply require fewer passes to treat a wide range of issues that develop when the leaf and canopy production is in overdrive. He ploughs in the spring and early summer only, leaving a cover of grasses between the rows afterward bringing a biodyversity to the vineyards. As such, Gaudry maintains a light footprint on the land, increasing the longevity and vitality of his vineyard ecosystem, if not the winemaker himself.

In 2004, the domaine received its biodynamic certification from Demeter and Gaudry continues to receive much attention from the organic and biodynamic farming community for his groundbreaking work in finding alternative techniques for organic farming. One rather unique element that is important to Gaudry in the cellar is using barrels made from wood cut only on days suggested by the biodynamic calendar. According to the calendar, the moon’s gravity affects the wood’s density by either increasing or decreasing the water content. Though a firm believer and committed practitioner to the biodynamic process, this young wine maker does not merely follow the prescribed practices by rote. He is carefully attuned to his vines and soil and above all works by instinct and feeling. He was one of the first biodynamic viticulturists to question the validity of leaf days and root days, which initially led to a rift between certain members of the biodynamic community, but eventually led to a deeper exploration and understanding of the practice.

This attention to detail and to common sense as was practiced by those who came before him, together with the singular soil qualities of the Sancerre region is evident in Gaudry's delicious and precisely delineated wines. In the course of the years carving his own path, he has been sought out to assist other sustainably oriented winemakers wanting to know more about the unique techniques he has employed and the results he has obtained. Joli Vin is enormously pleased to be working with such a groundbreaking vintner in easily the Loire Valley's most celebrated address for white wines.

www.vincent-gaudry.com