Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Le Clos 2012

Clos Rougeard is one of the most legendary producers of Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley and their wines are incredibly highly sought after. Antoine Foucault is the ninth generation to run the estate and the incomparable quality of the wines is largely due to their uncompromising viticultural standards and minimal intervention winemaking.

Clos Rougeard produces only four wines: a single white wine from 100-percent Chenin Blanc called Saumur Blanc Breze, and three 100-percent Cabernet Franc reds – Saumur Champigny Le Clos, Les Poyeux, and Le Bourg. Terroir and history are especially important to Clos Rougeard. Les Poyeux comes from a parcel of land that was first cultivated in 1664. The Foucault brothers' approach to their wine is fundamentally one of minimum intervention, extremely low yields, no chemicals or pesticides, hand-harvested fruit, natural yeasts, no filtering, no fining, and gravity bottling after up to 24 months in oak.