Saumur-Champigny "Les Poyeux" 2011 - Clos Rougeard

Clos Rougeard - Frères Foucault

The legacy of the Foucault Brothers

The Clos Rougeard is first and foremost the story of two men, who took the helm of the estate in 1969: Jean-Louis Foucault (a.k.a. "Charly") and his brother Bernard (a.k.a. "Nady"). The eighth generation of winemakers to manage the Clos, since its creation in 1664. This 10 hectares vineyard, located near the little village of Chacé (Maine-et-Loire department), produces Saumur and Saumur-Champigny appellations. There, a few old parcels coexist, such as "Les Poyeux", "Le Clos" or "Le Bourg".

Bernard and Jean-Louis were precursors when it comes to organic winemaking. Since the 1970's, they've completely banned the use of pesticides, herbicides and any other kind of chemical product. They also choose to refine their wine for long periods of time, from 18 to 30 months. The two brothers have always wanted to work just like their ancestors used to do, and it has a toll on their yields. Between 20,000 and 40,000 bottles are produced at the Clos Rougeard, depending on the year.

When Charly died in 2015, his son Antoine (the current owner of the Domaine du Collier) worked with his uncle Bernard, since he was supposed to inherit the estate. Although, to everyone's surprise, Nady ultimately decided to sell the Clos Rougeard. Thus, in 2017, Martin Bouygues, the wine-loving businessman (who bought the Château Montrose in 2006) acquired the domaine for 12 millions euros. He then appointed the oenologist Jacques-Antoine Toublanc as the new winemaker in chief of the Clos Rougeard.

browse our selection of wines from the Clos Rougeard.