Domaine Henri Bourgeois : Les Ruchons 2019

A rich and precise Loire white wine

The estate

Arnaud, Lionel, and Jean-Christophe Bourgeois represent the third generation at the helm of the family estate founded in 1950 by Henri Bourgeois. The vineyard of Domaine Henri Bourgeois stretches across 72 hectares, spread over a mosaic of terroirs featuring clay-limestone soils, Kimmeridgian marl, and flint, contributing to the unique signature of each Loire wine. Thanks to their passion and exacting standards, applied both to vineyard management and to parcel-by-parcel winemaking—of which they were pioneers—the Bourgeois family produces wines renowned for their quality, finesse, and pure expression of great terroirs of origin.

The vineyard

Les Ruchons from the Bourgeois family is a Sancerre wine from a 1.03-hectare plot planted in 1970 on the Fontenay terroir, in the northern part of the appellation, renowned for its flint-rich soil.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes are harvested by hand. After a slow pressing, the must undergoes natural cold settling for 3 days. This white Sancerre undergoes alcoholic fermentation for 3 to 4 weeks, in stainless steel tanks for two-thirds of the must and in used French oak barrels for one-third of the must. One-third of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrels, while the rest is aged on full lees with regular bâtonnage until Easter. Aging on fine lees then continues in stainless steel tanks with bâtonnage until Christmas, followed by a 10-month rest in tanks before bottling.

Grape variety

Les Ruchons 2019 from Domaine Henri Bourgeois is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.