The Legendary History of Clos Rougeard Estate
Founded in 1664 in Chacé, at the heart of the Loire Valley and the Saumur-Champigny appellation, Clos Rougeard is a truly historic family vineyard. Handed down through eight generations by the Foucault brothers (Charly & Nady), this estate nestled on clay-limestone and tuffeau soils became a pioneer of organic viticulture as early as the 1970s. Now in the hands of the Bouygues family, the estate continues to uphold a demanding and discreet winemaking tradition, sought after by collectors and sommeliers worldwide.
A Range of Exceptional Wines Reflecting the Loire Terroir
Clos Rougeard embodies the excellence of Loire Valley wines through a very limited range of cuvées made exclusively from Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, across 15 hectares of clay-limestone and sandy terroirs. Among the signature cuvées:
- Le Clos: a complex, floral, and deep blend, typical of the Rougeard style
- Les Poyeux: a fine, subtle wine from sandy plots
- Le Bourg: an iconic, powerful, and rare cuvée from century-old vines
- Brézé: a high-altitude Chenin, taut and saline, rivaling the greatest age-worthy whites
Each wine is aged 18 to 30 months in barrels in the estate’s tuffeau cellars, to achieve a perfect balance between substance, finesse, and complexity.
Viticultural and Winemaking Approach: Sustainable Tradition and Excellence
For eight generations, Clos Rougeard has championed organic viticulture with proven practices: no herbicides, manual soil work, low yields, hand harvesting, natural fermentations without added yeast, and extended aging. The result? Deep, digestible wines capable of aging for decades, sincerely expressing the uniqueness of each parcel.
