Boulay Sancerre Clos de Beaujeu 2018

“One of Chavignol’s most historic vineyards, Boulay’s parcel lies within the original Clos of the vineyard, established by the monks of Beaujeu in the Middle Ages. The walls of the Clos are no longer standing as they were originally built from clay and hay, and did not withstand the test of time. Boulay farms a 0.75 hectares plot of 30- to 60-year old vins where the soils are pebbly, lime-rich and strewn with fossils. Along with the 60% gradient for much of the vineyard, the rocky soils make this parcel very difficult to farm. Clos de Beaujeu is the source of some of Boulay’s deepest, most structured wines and savory, spicy examples of Chavignol that are built to last. “Monsieur Boulay’s Clos de Beaujeu, from his tiny, 75 acres parcel of forty-five year-old vines in this great vineyard is a monumental example of the vintage, offering up a stunning and very youthful nose of grapefruit, tart orange, kaleidoscopic minerality, botanicals and a topnote of lemon peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very much defined by its complex minerality, with great mid-palate depth, electric acids and stunning focus and grip on the very, very long, soil-driven finish.”