2015 Vincent Gaudry Vigneron, Sancerre Rouge “Les Garennes” Loire Valley, France.
The first domaine to be certified biodynamic in Sancerre, back in 2004, the Saury-en-Vaux based Vincent Gaudry has been a unique leader in natural style wines in the area, he also has a 90 year old plot of vines that delivers outstanding terroir quality with expressive depth and character, this is a winemaker to watch, if you haven’t had his wines. Vincent Gaudry’s Sancerre Rouge is a single parcel old vine Pinot Noir, made 100 % whole cluster from a massale selection, from his domaine’s 9 hectares of vineyards grown on the region’s three main soils that includes Terres Blanches, a clay-limestone or marl, and classic Silex, flint and stony (chalky), plus Caillottes, a rubble-like limestone that comes from weathered Kimmeridgian. The 2015 organic whole cluster, low sulfur, Sancerre Rouge is ripe and expressive in a way you rarely find in Pinot Noir’s from the Loire, it’s wine with sexy layers and Premier Cru quality depth and elegance with an amazing sense of live and length, with the stems perfect mated to the fruit intensity, this wine is insanely seductive with hedonistic layers of fruit, spice and mineral focus. It starts with a hint of spritzy lift before exploding on the palate with a mix of rose oil, black cherry, pomegranate, sweet basil leaf, cinnamon, wild plum, racy stemmy notes, flinty spices and delicate wood shadings. Things keep pumping along nicely and air brings a refined nature to things, while not missing a step or taking away from the thrill ride it takes you on, gaining a touch of minty herb, cedar and tangy strawberry and lingering on with a touch of blood orange zest, violet pastel, wet chalk and tart currant. This will be a fascinating wine to follow over the next 5 to 10 years, even though it’s youthful charm and flamboyance is impossible to resist, it is asking a lot not to enjoy now. This producer is all new to me, imported by Floraison Selections, but the secret is out now, don’t wait to find this wine!
($62 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
