Domaine Vincent Pinard

The history of Domaine Vincent Pinard

The Pinard family has been established in Bué, a small winegrowing village in the Cher department, for over twenty generations. At the beginning of the 20th century, Armand Pinard owned three hectares of vines and practiced mixed farming. In 1945, Charles Pinard took over the family business, which had been devastated by the war. In 1960, the wine was delivered in barrels, mainly to Paris. Vincent Pinard arrived at the head of the estate in the 70s, giving priority to grape growing and expanding the estate, which reached 15 hectares in the 2000s. The new generation, Florent and Clément Pinard, thanks to their hard work and respect for tradition and terroir, have ensured that their estate remains one of Sancerre's most emblematic.

The Domaine Vincent Pinard vineyard

Vincent Pinard's sons Florent and Clément take an organic approach to viticulture. The use of weedkillers, insecticides or anti-rot products is proscribed. For them, these are unnecessary elements, since their grapes are healthy, and there's no need for any artifice in the winemaking process. The 17 hectares of vines are planted with Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, which thrive on the limestone and clay-limestone soils. The grapes are harvested by hand, as is most of the work in the vineyard. On the sorting table, the grapes are hand-selected with the utmost rigor: an essential condition for achieving outstanding quality. The wine is aged in vats, demi-muids (very thick, resistant barrels) or barrels, depending on the cuvée.

Sancerre wines from Domaine Pinard

Sancerre Vincent Pinard reds are made from Pinot Noir grapes. The clay-limestone soils give them depth and complexity. These are fine-textured yet powerful wines. "Charlouise" and "Vendanges Entières" are the most accomplished, requiring an average of ten years' cellaring before tasting. The explosion of red fruit is revealed in each of these great red wines, including "Pinot Noir", a profound wine that has unfortunately become all too rare.

The "Sancerre Vincent Pinard blancs" come from the "Caillottes" vines: limestone soils and subsoils from Bué that give the wines finesse, purity and great minerality. The "Flores" is superb, tasted in its youth, with its citrus notes. Chêne Marchand", the estate's flagship cuvée, is a dry white wine that deserves a few years in the cellar. Petit Chemarin" is a long-keeping wine; developed palates will notice a more precise salinity. From south-facing vines, "Grand Chemarin" is a fuller, more complex wine with floral and minty aromas. "Le Château" enchants with its structure and fullness. Finally, "Harmonie", harvested at optimum ripeness, radiates flavor.