Gerard Boulay

Gerard Boulay is rated as an icon of modern Sancerre in the Loire Valley and the Boulay family is a household name in Sancerre’s Chavignol village where it has owned nine hectares of vineyard since 1380. Gerard Boulay took over the reins of the Boulay estate over three decades ago, embracing the organic farming approach and chose to hand harvest every vine. The estate’s vineyards are rooted in Kimmeridgian ‘terre blanche’ soils which are similar to those found in Burgundy. Gerard adds no yeast and little to no SO2 during vinification and believes his role is one merely of “surveillance” to make sure nothing goes wrong. Gerard works by instinct, because he wants to “let the wine live” and tries not to interfere with the natural process. Gerard once famously remarked that “C’est lanature qui fait le vin”(Nature makes the wine).