The Boulay family has been growing grapes in Chavignol since 1380. Today, Gérard Boulay operates this small nine-hectare domaine with nine parcels that are predominantly on Kimmeridgian soils, or terres blanches.
Farming organically since 1990, Boulay does little more than put juice into barrels and offer “surveillance” over them. He lives by the philosophy that “Nature makes the wine” and works based on instinct, with a desire to let the wine speak for itself. He has old-vine plots in the most important vineyards in the region and allows the terroir to shine through. The youngest vines at the domaine were planted by Boulay in 1972. He also produces a small quantity of delicious Pinot Noir. Reminiscent of the best Chablis, Boulay’s wines show a complex minerality and are a clear step up from the typical idea of Sancerre. They are regal, age-worthy white wines that reflect the terroir of Chavignol.
