2022 Gerard Boulay Sibylle Sancerre Rose 750Ml Bottle

Let it be known that Gérard Boulay makes a great rosé. While Sancerre is not generally known as a port of call for rosé lovers, several top growers are crafting some of France’s finest examples (see Alphonse Mellot and Vacheron). We have only been shipping this rosé in recent vintages because (to be honest) before that time, we didn’t know it existed. We asked Gérard why he hadn’t offered us the wine before; you didn’t ask, he replied. Anyway, this beauty is drawn from 35- to 50-year-old Pinot Noir vines—explicitly grown to make rosé—located on the steep hillside of Chavignol. Boulay selects from roughly 0.8 hectares of vines, sometimes across a little more in vintages that are difficult for reds, which 2022 wasn’t.

This fruit was hand-harvested and left to macerate for 24 hours. The press wine and free-run juice were fermented wild (vinified separately). Boulay blocks the malo to keep tension, and no oak is involved.

The new release opens with mineral-accented red berries, spring florals, garrigue and spicy lift. Bustling with clarity and crunchy vibrancy, the palate is fleshy and mouth-watering, with an array of pretty red fruit flavours that deepen as the wine opens up. The close coats the back palate with a fan-like Pinot finish and sappy limestone freshness. Delicious, refreshing, structured and long.