Clos Rougeard - Le Clos 2020
Clos Rougeard remains one of the most fascinating estates in the Loire Valley, located in Chacé, in the heart of the Saumurois, within the Saumur-Champigny appellation area. Long managed by the Foucault family, then taken over by the Bouygues family in 2017, the estate has established itself as an absolute reference for Ligurian Cabernet Franc. Its reputation is based on demanding viticulture, minimal intervention, and a very precise reading of the clay-limestone soils of the area. The vineyard, confidential and fragmented, produces rare wines sought after for their depth, finesse, and aging potential. Within the estate's range, Le Clos represents the expression most directly associated with the historical identity of Clos Rougeard, alongside the parcel cuvées Les Poyeux and Le Bourg. Less massive than Le Bourg and often less airy than Les Poyeux, it embodies a remarkable balance between fruit, freshness, structure, and elegance. Clos Rougeard Le Clos 2020 thus fits into the lineage of great age-worthy Saumur-Champigny wines, carried by the purity of Cabernet Franc and the nobility of tuffeau stone.
The Le Clos 2020 cuvée is made from Cabernet Franc, the emblematic grape variety of Saumur-Champigny, grown on clay-limestone terroirs that bring freshness, depth, and mineral tension to the wine. The 2020 vintage, sunny and early in many French regions, here offers a ripe, expressive material, yet restrained by the natural freshness of the Saumurois. Available information mentions manual harvesting, careful sorting, complete destemming, and fermentation conducted with indigenous yeasts in open cement vats. The approximately five-week maceration allows extraction of a fine structure without falling into demonstrative power. The long and patient barrel aging follows the estate's philosophy, where the wood supports the wine without masking the grain of Cabernet Franc. Le Clos 2020 stands out for a deep but accessible style in its youth, with a more immediate expression than the estate's most monumental cuvées. It nevertheless retains the length, precision, and firmness that define Clos Rougeard's signature.
On tasting, Clos Rougeard Le Clos 2020 shows a deep, bright red color with young and profound reflections. The nose may evoke ripe raspberry, black cherry, fresh blackcurrant, violet, fine pepper, and a slightly smoky or graphite touch. On the palate, the attack is supple, then the material gains density with fine, tight, and perfectly integrated tannins. The fruit remains crisp despite the vintage's ripeness, supported by elegant acidity that extends the balance. The finish is persistent, floral, and slightly spicy, with that sense of purity that distinguishes great Loire Cabernet Francs. This Saumur-Champigny will ideally accompany roasted poultry, a rack of lamb, veal with mushrooms, duck with mild spices, or a matured ribeye steak. Its aging potential is significant, and the 2020 vintage can evolve favorably over many years while already offering a beautiful expression of fruit.
Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc
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