Clos de Rougeard
In the village of Chacé near Saumur in the Loire Valley, Clos Rougeard unites historical continuity with deliberate calm. Founded in 1664 and shaped across eight generations, the estate was most recently defined by brothers Charly and Nady Foucault; since 2017, the Bouygues family has continued its identity with restraint. Its 15 hectares span 25 parcels in Saumur and Saumur-Champigny.Cabernet Franc grows mainly on clay and limestone over deep tuffeau, while Chenin Blanc comes from the limestone hill of Brézé. Some vines are around a century old and have never known synthetic treatments. Le Clos blends several parcels, Les Poyeux combines aeolian sand with clay, and Le Bourg lies on shallow soils above limestone. Gentle vinification and time remain the core method: about two years in barrel are followed by further bottle ageing in tuffeau cellars seven metres underground. Here, terroir is not amplified by technique but patiently revealed through precision and repose.
