Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

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