Vincent Gaudry - Constellation du Scorpion 2019
Vincent Gaudry is an unusual vigneron. He left school at 16 years-old because studies weren’t his forte and began work at his father's domaine George Gaudry. By the time Vincent joined him in 1991 the estate had recently grown to 9.5 hectares, and when Vincent took over at the age of 18, he fell so violently ill following the spraying of a chemical treatment that he began to worry about their effects and decided to cease all chemical sprays – becoming one of the first to do so in Sancerre.
He took on a full-time employee to help work the expanded area of 9 hectares of white and 2 hectares of red. He initially converted to organic viticulture in 1995 and then progressed to biodynamics by 2002. His vineyards take in all three distinctive Sancerre terroirs: ‘Caillottes' for nose and perfume; ‘Terres Blanches' for structure and mouth-feel; and ‘Silex' for the wine's length and ageing potential.
Constellation du Scorpion is Gaudry’s third cuvée. It comes from the lieu-dit ‘Les Bouloises’ in Saint-Satur, a south-west exposed slope just under a wood where the soil is ‘Silex’ – a mix of flint with loose, quite sandy siliceous clay. Constellation du Scorpion is made from Sauvignon Blanc, vinified and aged in tronconic oak vats until July. The silex seems to bring more tension here, deeply textured again and very bright with flinty undertones.
Grape variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc