Gerard Millet Sur le Clou Sancerre Rouge 2015

Situated in Bué in the Sancerre region of the Loire Valley, the Millet family has been making wine for over five generations. The family Domaine is now run by Gérard and Isabelle, along with their son Steve. The estate covers a total of 24 hectares of vineyard, of which 19 are in the Sancerre appellation and five hectares are in Menetou-Salon.

This family-owned winery has recently invested in new heat exchange equipment to ensure that the grapes and must are cooled to obtain maximum freshness in the wine. Their wines are fresh, pure and show great typicity.

The Pinot Noir grapes for this Sancerre Rouge cuvée come from a selected parcel in the lieu dit of ‘Sur Le Clou’, which is located in Bué, in the Sancerre appellation, to the west of the town of Sancerre. The distinctive feature of this terroir is that the soil is made up of ferruginous clay, which is very rich in iron. The black stone depicted on the label references the rich source of iron found on this type of soil, an essential component for photosynthesis; these black stones capture the heat during the day and radiate it at night, encouraging ripening of the grapes. The vines are grown using climate-smart integrated methods, including biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategies, managed fertiliser use and water resource management. Careful canopy management takes place including leaf thinning, which encourages the grapes to reach optimal ripeness and concentrates the flavours in the berries.

The grapes were meticulously sorted prior to vinification and then placed in frustoconical wooden vats where the alcoholic fermentation took place with wild yeasts followed by maceration lasting four weeks to impart colour, flavour and tannins to the wine. Malolactic conversion took place in the barrel and the wine rested in the wooden vat for one year. The wine was then transferred to 228-litre French oak barrels, where it matured for nine months, softening the structure and imparting delicate complexity.

A silky, smooth Sancerre Rouge, with a lovely garnet colour and attractive aromas of ripe red berried fruits and cherry. The delicate palate delivers rich black fruits supported by ripe, refined tannins and an elegant finish.