Loire Valley
Domaine du Carrou (Dominique Roger)
Sancerre
Dominique Roger can trace his family's roots in the village of Bué back to the 18th century. The family's presence in that village reaches back much further but all records were destroyed during the French Revolution. The vineyards of Bué are generally considered to be among the best of Sancerre's 14 communes.
Dominique's father, Maurice, started Domaine du Carrou in 1950 with only six acres, but by the time he turned over the reins to Dominique in 1985, he had increased the family's vine holdings to 16 acres. Since that time, Dominique has selectively added well-situated parcels (mostly in Bué) and he now tends 24 acres of vines. What is unique about Domaine du Carrou is Dominique's commitment to Sancerre Rouge, as more than one-third of the domaine is now planted to Pinot Noir.
France's most respected critics, Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve, perennially rank Domaine du Carrou among the Top 10 producers of Sancerre. They also consider Dominique Roger's La Jouline Rouge to be the best Pinot Noir in the entire appellation (along with Alphonse Mellot's top cuvées).
Domaine Facts
| Vines & Wines: | 24 acres total—majority in the village of Bué—65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Pinot Noir
Sancerre: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from parcels in Bué, Crezancy and Vinon Sancerre Le Chêne Marchand: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from 0.9 acre parcel of 30-year-old vines in the best vineyard of Bué (calcaire-caillottes terroir) Sancerre Rosé 100% Pinot Noir from domaine's youngest vines (average 17-years-old) Sancerre Rouge: 100% Pinot Noir from 4 acres of vines in Bué (average 25-years-old) Sancerre Rouge La Jouline: 100% Pinot Noir from a 35-year-old, two-acre parcel in Bué |
| Soil: | Combination of soft, porous Kimmeridgian limestone chalk (terres blanches) and calcareous rock/marl mixture covered with Sancerre's signature caillottes (pebbles) |
| Harvest: | Manual harvest using small bins with strict selection on sorting table upon arrival at cellar (see picture above). |
| Yields: | 55 hectoliters/hectare for Carrou classic Sancerre, 50hl/ha for Sancerre Rosé, 50hl/ha for single-vineyard Chêne Marchand, 42hl/ha for Carrou Sancerre Rouge, and 37hl/ha average for La Jouline Sancerre Rouge |
| Vinification & Elevage: |
Three to four-week temperature-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tanks. Sancerre Blancs and Rosé do not undergo malo-lactic fermentation. Blancs are left on lees until bottling in April. Rosé made from slow direct pressing (pneumatic) to extract color. Rosé racked off fine lees at end of winter and bottled in April. Normal cuvaison for red Sancerres is 25 days starting with cold soak for six days and finishing with post-fermentation maceration of five days. Remontage (pumping over) is done once a day. Malo-lactic takes place in barrel followed by élevage of approximately 12 months. Mostly third year barrels used for classic Carrou Rouge while La Jouline is aged in one-third new oak, one-third second year, and one-third third year barrels. Both Pinots bottled without fining or filtration. |
| Annual Production: | 60,000 bottles / 5000 cases |