Clos Rougeard: A Legendary Winery from Saumur-Champigny

Finna Sze | May 1, 2023

In May, I will focus on French wine, and Clos Rougeard is a winery from the Loire Valley that can definitely surprise you.

The history of Clos Rougeard can be dated back to the 17th century. Nady and Charly Foucault, the last of eight generations of the family, took over the management of Clos Rougeard in 1969. They were the pioneers of organic viticulture and the vineyards have been farmed organically –  without using any chemical substances.

Following the death of Charly in 2015, Olivier and Martin Bouygues, who own Château Montrose in Bordeaux, acquired Clos Rougeard in 2017. To ensure the safe passing of his family’s legacy, Nady stayed at the estate consulting and building a team of close friends to take over.

Le Clos is made from 100% Cabernet Franc. This blend of ten plots of vines spreads across the communes of Chacé, Varrains and Dampierre-sur-Loire. The grapes are harvested by hand and de-stemmed upon arrival in the cellar. Each wine spends around 18 to 24 months in barrel, and there is no fining or filtrating before bottling. Regarding the wine style, Le Clos typically preserves the crisp fruitiness of the Cabernet Franc with hints of floral notes.

I wish you a great long weekend ahead!