Gérard Boulay : Monts Damnés 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Monts Damnés 2024 by Gérard Boulay

Tasting

Appearance

This dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc displays the clear, bright colour typical of the great Sancerre wines of Chavignol, still marked by the youthfulness of the vintage.

Nose

The nose opens with aromas of white and yellow fruit, enhanced by hints of mint that bring freshness and elegance. A very light oak imprint, discreet and well integrated, completes this precise aromatic palette.

Palate

The palate captivates with its fine, well-balanced acidity, which carries flavours of ripe yellow fruit. Saline notes run across the palate, giving an impression of purity and precision that is characteristic of the Monts Damnés terroir. The whole is clean, polished and remarkably direct.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Sancerre pairs ideally with seafood, delicate fish and raw preparations such as carpaccios. Its salinity and freshness also make it an excellent companion for shellfish and crustaceans.

Serving and Cellaring

The Monts Damnés 2024 is best enjoyed chilled, as is appropriate for the great white wines of the Loire. Light decanting will allow its aromas to fully express themselves.

A White Loire Wine Marked by Finesse and Aromatic Expression

The Estate

The Gérard Boulay estate is located in Chavignol, in the heart of the Sancerre appellation, in the Loire Valley. The Boulay family has been cultivating vines on these hillsides for several centuries, but it is only in recent times that the modern estate has taken shape and earned its current reputation. Gérard Boulay remains a central figure of the estate, now supported by his son Thibaut. This Loire vineyard extends over just over ten hectares, farmed using environmentally friendly practices, and the estate has made a speciality of single-parcel cuvées from the finest limestone terroirs of Chavignol.

The Vineyard

The Monts Damnés cuvée comes from the lieu-dit of the same name, one of the great terroirs of the Sancerre appellation, set on a very steep, south-facing hillside. The mature vines are rooted in Kimmeridgian marl soils reminiscent of the Chablis terroir. The vineyard is worked according to organic principles, with particular care given to soil work and to limiting inputs, and the harvest is predominantly done by hand.

Vinification and Ageing

The Monts Damnés 2024 is vinified using indigenous yeasts, then aged on fine lees, mainly in old oak barrels, in order to preserve the wine's tension and freshness without letting oak mark the aromatic profile. An additional period in tank may complete the ageing process before bottling, with a measured use of sulphur.

Grape Variety

This white Sancerre wine is made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc, the emblematic grape variety of the Sancerre appellation.