Program Sancerre
The Program in Sancerre was as follows:WineTours
Extensive
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pellé in Morogues,
Menetou-Salon, with Export Manager Pauline Guillot - Loire Valley 2024
by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch - Menu du Jour: Entrée, Plat, Dessert - at Restaurant Fluteau in Morogues, Menetou-Salon - Loire Valley 2024 by
ombiasy WineTours
Extraordinary Tasting and Cellar Tour at Domaine Alphonse Mellot in Sancerre, with Alphonse Mellot jun. - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Moulin des Vrillères (Famille Lauverjat) in Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, with Kevin Lauverjat - Loire Valley 2024 by
ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Tinel-Blondelet in Pouilly-sur-Loire, with Marlène and Annick Tinel - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Romain Dubois - Fromager, Affineur - in Chavignol, with Gilles Dubois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Wine-pairing Dinner at Le Clos du Maréchal with the Wines of Vignobles Berthier, with the Owner/ Winemaker Clément Berthier and the Chef/ Owner Nathanael Fromant - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
At Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol, the visit comprised a vineyard tour, cellar tour and a tasting.
On the pre-trip in February 2024, Annette and I had the chance to meet Jean-Marie Bourgeois and Jean-Christoph Bourgeois. This time we did not see them.
Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol
With determination and great commitment, the Domain Henri Bopurgeois has placed itself at the top of the Sancerre region. The secret of the success are the gentle hills in the municipality of Chavignol. Here is the home of Sauvignon Blanc – you only find a few acres of Pinot Noir in this sea of Sauvignon Blanc. This family domain is one of the largest producers in the region with 176 acres of vineyards, mostly in the Sancerre appellation but they also farm some acres in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. The domain sits right at the foot of one of the most prominent top vineyard site, the Côté des Monts Damnés in Chabignol. “The wines are a wonderful expression of the unique characteristics of the Loire Valley. They combine freshness, fruitiness, and minerality to create a harmonious taste experience. Each wine tells its own story and bears the hallmark of the passion that goes into winemaking at Henri Bourgeois.”Hawesko.de
wine-searcher
Henri Bourgeois is a leading Loire Valley producer based in the village of Chavignol in Sancerre and best known for its extensive range of regional wines, predominantly made from Sauvignon Blanc. The wider portfolio covers red, white and rosé wines from Sancerre, and also includes a pair of Pouilly-Fumé wines.
The estate was established in the 1960s with a few hectares in Chavignol. With his sons Rémi and Jean-Marie, the eponymous Henri Bourgeois extended this estate over numerous neighboring villages. In the 1980s a modern, eco-friendly cellar was constructed, later modernized into a gravity-fed facility.
Henri Bourgeois also owns and runs Clos Henri, an organically-farmed estate in Marlborough, New Zealand.
Wine portfolio
Along with the Sancerre wines (made from Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir), Henri Bourgeois also produces Sauvignon Blanc wines from the nearby Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Côteaux du Giennois appellations. Pinot Noir from Menetou-Salon and a Pinot Noir – Gamay blend from Châteaumeillant are also made.
The range features a Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir rosé and a Sauvignon Blanc under the IGP Val de Loire appellation.
Vineyards and viticulture
Bourgeois now oversees around 72 hectares (178 acres) of vineyards split among 120 parcels. Vines are grown using organic fertilisers and the vineyards inter-rows are seeded for cover crops without weed killers. Individual parcels are picked by hand and sorted at the winery. The wines are matured on fine lees until bottling.
Arriving
In the Cellar
In the Vineyard
Back in the Cellar
Tasting
Bye-bye
Dinner at L'Océanide (Bib Gourmand Michelin) in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at L'Instinct Gourmand in Nantes, with Owner/ Chef Sylvain le Bras - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Tour of Old Town Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Iconic Brasserie La Cigale in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour, Tasting and Light Lunch at Vignobles Günther Chéreau, Château du Coing, in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, with Owner Véronique Günther-Chéreau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Two Domaines under one Roof: Visit at Domaine Gadais Père et Fils and Domaine de la Combe/ Pierre-Henri Gadais in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, Muscadet Sévre et Maine, Pays Nantais, with Owner/ Winemaker Christoph Gadais - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant Les Petits Près of Chef Samuel Albert (Top Chef France 2019) in Angers - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Château d’Épiré, AOP Savennières, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Paul Bizard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Barrel Tasting and Salon Tasting at Château des Vaults, Domaine du Closel in Savennière, Anjou, with Owner/ winemaker Evelyne de Pontbriand - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch at Domaine de la Soucherie in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant L’Essentiel, Michelin-listed and Nestled at the Foot of Saumur’s Fairy-tale Castle - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Visit at the UNESCO-classified L’ Abbey Royale de Fontevraud in Fontevraud - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch in the Courtyard of Saumur's Fairy-tale Castle Château de Saumur - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting, Cellar Tour and Vineyard Tour at Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, Anjou, with Next Generation Owner/ Winemaker Louis Germain and Agathe Germain - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Tasting at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur, with Owner Juliette Monmousseau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Cave M. Plouzeau in Chinon, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Plouzeau his Château de la Bonneliére Wines - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
At Domaine Bouchardière in Cravant les Côteaux, Touraine: Tasting the Wines of Domaine Bouchardière and Domaine de la Haut Olive, Cravant les Coteaux, Chinon and Panzoult, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Menu
du Jour Lunch at Bar-Restaurant Le Bistrot du Marché of Hotel Le Lion
d'Or in the Center of Chinon - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine François Cazin, Le Petit Chambord, in Cheverney, Touraine, with François Cazin - Loire Valley
2024 by ombiasy WineTours
3-course "Bistronomique" Dinner at
Restaurant Brut Maison de Cuisine in Blois, with Owner/ Chef Adrien
Delafoy - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Brazilier in Thoré-la-Rochette, Côteaux Vendômois, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Brazilier - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
3-course Lunch at Le Moulin du Loir in Vendôme - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit of Château de Chambord: "An Epitome of what Human Art can Produce" said Charles V. (Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Tour of Château Royal de Blois, where 7 Kings and 10 Queens lived - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
With a Large Cheese Cart and Soufflé Flambé au Cognac: 5-course Menu Inspiration - Leisurely Sunday Lunch at Restaurant La Croix Blanche on the Banks of the Loire between Amboise and Blois, with Owner/ Chef Jean-François Beauduin (Bib Gourmand Michelin) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Visit of Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and died, in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner and Overnight-stay at Château de Pray in Amboise, a Loire Château from the 12th Century - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit at Domaine Denis Meunier in Vernou-sur-Brenne, Touraine, with Daniel Meunier - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit at Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet, in Vouvray, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided
Visit of Château Chenonceau, Residence of Diana de Poitier and of
Katharina de Medici, Mistress (the Former) and Wife (the Latter) of King
Henry II - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner
- Aperitif, Amuses Geules, 4-course Dinner, Mignardises, Digestif - and
Overnight-stay at Auberge du Bon Laboureur, 2024 Best Wine List Award
(Traditonal Restaurants) of Terre de Vins, a Leading Gourmet Journal in
France, in Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Extensive
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pellé in Morogues,
Menetou-Salon, with Export Manager Pauline Guillot - Loire Valley 2024
by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch - Menu du Jour: Entrée, Plat, Dessert - at Restaurant Fluteau in Morogues, Menetou-Salon - Loire Valley 2024 by
ombiasy WineTours
Extraordinary Tasting and Cellar Tour at Domaine Alphonse Mellot in Sancerre, with Alphonse Mellot jun. - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Moulin des Vrillères (Famille Lauverjat) in Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, with Kevin Lauverjat - Loire Valley 2024 by
ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Tinel-Blondelet in Pouilly-sur-Loire, with Marlène and Annick Tinel - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Romain Dubois - Fromager, Affineur - in Chavignol, with Gilles Dubois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Wine-pairing Dinner at Le Clos du Maréchal with the Wines of Vignobles Berthier, with the Owner/ Winemaker Clément Berthier and the Chef/ Owner Nathanael Fromant - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Last Meal of the Tour: At La Coupole in Paris - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours