The Boulay family has held land in Sancerre for about 600 years (give or take a few). Today, of the 9 hectares the estate owns, 8 of them are in the sloped vineyards of Chavignol.

Indeed, if you taste a similarity among the wines of Gérard Boulay, Edmond Vatan, the Cotats and Thomas-Labaille, it is because they're all neighbors - joined together by the superlative Chablis-like Kimmeridgean soil that gives the wines of Chavignol their distinct mineral-inflected clarity and precision.

Gérard Boulay works the soils manually - within vineyards like Monts Damnés there really isn't any other option, and the inclines can be fairly severe. Everything, including the harvesting, is done by hand. The youngest vines here were planted by Mr. Boulay himself back in 1972 - the older vines, many of them used to create the Comtesse bottling, were planted back in 1958.

On the nose, the white ash of a burned-out fire, with green raspberry fruit, and herbal and slight barnyard notes, and a breath of florality.

It is a lovely light-medium weight in the mouth and on the palate the wine has a beautiful warmth and an elegant, soft silkiness. Any tannins that were once present have softened completely.

The wine starts with a mouthful of wet white ash earthyness, but the midpalate is where the wine stars, with fruit reminiscent of older burgundy and an earthy sweetness that kicks in leading to a finish leaves no doubt its Cabernet Franc - a perfect partner to a falafel tabouleh sandwich.

Drink now!

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Edmund Vatan is thought of in many circles as the single greatest producer in Sancerre, tenderly fashioning a minute amount of wine that is renowned for its purity, depth, expression of terroir, and surprisingly for Sancerre, profound ageability. His masterpiece in Sancerre has been on the list at restaurant Taillevent in Paris for over 40 years.

Sadly, according to our sources, nearly 60 years after he planted his vines in Sancerre's most heralded vineyard, Monts Damnés (see sidebar), the Sage of Sancerre has decided to throw in the towel. This might be the last batch of his wine that ever reaches the public...

Today's Crush offer features the stunning wines of Vouvray's Phillipe Foreau. Foreau (along with Gaston Huet) *defines* Vouvray in the same overpowering way Penfolds Grange defines Australian reds, or Dom. Romanée-Conti defines Burgundy, or Chateau d'Yquem defines Sauternes. And while the wines just mentioned sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle, the legendary and mind-twisting wines of Phillipe Foreau sell for under $50!

Why so inexpensive? Chenin Blanc (the main white grape in Vouvray) simply isn't well known. Additionally, as Eric Asimov wrote in his New York Times blog the other week (lamenting Chenin's obscurity), Vouvray is one of the few places in the world suited to transform the grape into a wine of such complexity and finesse.

Sancerre is the most elegant expression of Sauvignon Blanc, and its recent surge in prices reflect its growing popularity. That's why we're thrilled to offer you not just a Sancerre, but one from Chavignol.

Yves Martin Sancerre has all the classic aspects of great Chavignol: a creamy, rich texture, wonderfully pure citrus fruit, stony minerality and uncommon depth.

Those of you who found Sancerre from the 2003 vintage to be too soft and overripe will be relieved � other vintages offer profound complexity and a "stalactite" personality; simply put, this wine�s got some serious, mouthwatering acidity that pairs beautifully with a range of foods.

While it�s incredibly tempting to drink the wine right away, we strongly encourage you to squirrel away a few bottles. In 5 to 8 years, this Sancerre will go through a remarkable transformation.

Clos Rougeard is one of the oldest estates in the Loire Valley, and yet they are nearly anonymous in the US. Owned by the Foucault family since 1894, the Clos employs the usual recipe for absolute excellence: outstanding terroir, old vines, excruciatingly tiny yields, and incredible attention to detail.

Nadi and Charlie, the two brothers who run and manage the estate, also adhere to old family traditions of organic farming, bottling without filtration, and minimal racking, to keep the wines in their purest and least manipulated form.

Those who have the patience to give the wines the time they deserve in the cellar will have a Musigny-like experience at ｼ the price, especially in strong years like 2001 and outstanding vintages like 2002.

But don't just take our word for it - the Clos is heartily revered by their fellow winemakers. Joe Dressner (the importer) quotes Charles Joguet, fellow winemaking star from Chinon, as saying: "There are two suns. One shines outside for everybody. The second shines in the Foucaults' cellar."

If the estate was more intent on promotion and less on their craft (see sidebar), prices would likely be akin to Bordeaux garagistes and equals in quality like Pavie, La Mondotte, and Le Pin. Instead, they prefer the path of contemporaries like Nicolas Joly and Grange des P鑽es, flying under the radar while making incredibly underappreciated wine.

Saumur Champigny
(<1500 cases produced)

The most approachable of all of the Rougeard wines early in its life, the Saumur Champigny, also known as "Le Clos" is blended from various plots vines with an average age of 25 years. Fermented in 100% old oak barrels, the wine it has an excellent balance of minerality and raspberry fruit. It can be enjoyed today or can age for 10+ years.

In between "Le Clos" and "Le Bourg" in terms of approachability "Les Poyeux" is an equally intriguing wine.

Half of the juice from 40-60 year-old vines is fermented in 1 year old barrels from Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut Brion, while the other 50% is aged in new oak.

The wine displays startling aromatics with tobacco, red cherries and lots of earthy minerality. The palate is full of red fruit with sweet, rich tannins and an everlasting finish.

The premier Rougeard cuvee made from 80 year-old Cabernet Franc vines painstakingly pruned to produce ridiculously low yields, even for the Loire Valley. Le Bourg is super-concentrated with intense levels of fruit and extract with flavors of spice, truffles, violets and tobacco. Cellar for 10+ years for earliest drinking in 2015. This is the wine to buy for your children (or your friends' children) who were born in 2001 or 2002!

The wine is made in absolutely microscopic quantities: the estate produces four different wines (3 Cab Franc, 1 Chenin Blanc) which account for a total production of less than 3000 cases.

A persistent rumor is that Nadi and Charlie keep 1/5th of the cellar for themselves.

With 3-star French restaurants and an adoring French public snatching up most of the production, no more than 30 cases of any cuvee make it into New York State in a given year.

Neither the Chateau nor the region has a "hype machine" and the wines are not generally reviewed by major critics.

Clos Rougeard sells all of their wine every year so the family makes a decent living, and has no interest in expansion.
Where in the World?

Saumur-Champigny is a 6.25 square mile, triangularly-shaped AOC southeast of Saumur (Bourdeaux, by comparison, has nearly 475 square miles under vine).

It is bounded by the Loire River to the North, the Thouet River to the West, and the Fontevraud Forest to the East.

While known primarily for Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d'Aunis are grown in the predominantly clay and limestone soil of the region.

Below the soil there is also a stone layer (in French "tuffeau"), which was created in the Cretaceous period. This stone layer stores winter rains and releases water during dry summer months so the vines gets a slow but regular flow of H20.

The name Champigny comes from the Latin "Campus Ignis" (Fields of Fire) that refers to the land's ability to hold in heat during the day and release it at night.

Today, we're pleased to offer some of the most outstanding under-the-radar wines at some of the best prices in the nation.

Clos Rougeard is one of the oldest estates in the Loire Valley, and yet they are nearly anonymous in the US. Owned by the Foucault family since 1894, the Clos employs the usual recipe for absolute excellence: outstanding terroir, old vines, excruciatingly tiny yields, and incredible attention to detail.

Nadi and Charlie, the two brothers who run and manage the estate, also adhere to old family traditions of organic farming, bottling without filtration, and minimal racking, to keep the wines in their purest and least manipulated form.

Those who have the patience to give the wines the time they deserve in the cellar will have a Musigny-like experience at ｼ the price, especially in strong years like 2001 and outstanding vintages like 2002.

But don't just take our word for it - the Clos is heartily revered by their fellow winemakers. Joe Dressner (the importer) quotes Charles Joguet, fellow winemaking star from Chinon, as saying: "There are two suns. One shines outside for everybody. The second shines in the Foucaults' cellar."

If the estate was more intent on promotion and less on their craft (see sidebar), prices would likely be akin to Bordeaux garagistes and equals in quality like Pavie, La Mondotte, and Le Pin. Instead, they prefer the path of contemporaries like Nicolas Joly and Grange des P鑽es, flying under the radar while making incredibly underappreciated wine.

The Wines

Saumur Champigny
(<1500 cases produced)

The most approachable of all of the Rougeard wines early in its life, the Saumur Champigny, also known as "Le Clos" is blended from various plots vines with an average age of 25 years. Fermented in 100% old oak barrels, the wine it has an excellent balance of minerality and raspberry fruit. It can be enjoyed today or can age for 10+ years.

Saumur Champigny "Les Poyeaux"
(<900 cases produced)

In between "Le Clos" and "Le Bourg" in terms of approachability "Les Poyeux" is an equally intriguing wine.

Half of the juice from 40-60 year-old vines is fermented in 1 year old barrels from Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut Brion, while the other 50% is aged in new oak.

The wine displays startling aromatics with tobacco, red cherries and lots of earthy minerality. The palate is full of red fruit with sweet, rich tannins and an everlasting finish.

Saumur Champigny "Le Bourg"
(<300 cases produced)

The premier Rougeard cuvee made from 80 year-old Cabernet Franc vines painstakingly pruned to produce ridiculously low yields, even for the Loire Valley. Le Bourg is super-concentrated with intense levels of fruit and extract with flavors of spice, truffles, violets and tobacco. Cellar for 10+ years for earliest drinking in 2015. This is the wine to buy for your children (or your friends' children) who were born in 2001 or 2002!

Why haven't you heard of Clos Rougeard?

There are a number of reasons that one of the top estates for Cabernet Franc in all of the Loire has flown under the radar in the US.

The wine is made in absolutely microscopic quantities: the estate produces four different wines (3 Cab Franc, 1 Chenin Blanc) which account for a total production of less than 3000 cases.

A persistent rumor is that Nadi and Charlie keep 1/5th of the cellar for themselves.

With 3-star French restaurants and an adoring French public snatching up most of the production, no more than 30 cases of any cuvee make it into New York State in a given year.

Neither the Chateau nor the region has a "hype machine" and the wines are not generally reviewed by major critics.

Clos Rougeard sells all of their wine every year so the family makes a decent living, and has no interest in expansion.

Saumur-Champigny is a 6.25 square mile, triangularly-shaped AOC southeast of Saumur (Bourdeaux, by comparison, has nearly 475 square miles under vine).

It is bounded by the Loire River to the North, the Thouet River to the West, and the Fontevraud Forest to the East.

While known primarily for Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d'Aunis are grown in the predominantly clay and limestone soil of the region.

Below the soil there is also a stone layer (in French "tuffeau"), which was created in the Cretaceous period. This stone layer stores winter rains and releases water during dry summer months so the vines gets a slow but regular flow of H20.

The name Champigny comes from the Latin "Campus Ignis" (Fields of Fire) that refers to the land's ability to hold in heat during the day and release it at night.

Clos Rougeard is one of the oldest estates in the Loire Valley, and yet they are nearly anonymous in the US. Owned by the Foucault family since 1894, the Clos employs the usual recipe for absolute excellence: outstanding terroir, old vines, excruciatingly tiny yields, and incredible attention to detail.

A majority of European winemakers struggled during their attempts to make whites, and most had to resort to acidification and other winemaking "tricks" that give the palate a sense of unnatural manipulation.

While it's true that it was difficult to make great whites during 2003, before you write off the vintage completely consider Edmond Vatan.

What do you get when you combine a brilliant biodynamic winemaker and the only vineyard in the Loire Valley to ever be called Grand Cru?

Some of the best Chenin Blanc we've tasted all year.

But the story gets more interesting when you find out how it all came to be. Here's the deal...