Clos Rougeard le Bourg 2012 Frères Foucault

Clos Rougeard Le Bourg 2012 — Saumur-Champigny

This Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2012 embodies one of the most mythical, profound and refined expressions of Loire Cabernet Franc. An emblematic cuvée from an exceptional terroir in Saumur-Champigny, Le Bourg combines fruit nobility, limestone precision and remarkable ageing capacity: cassis, blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, violet, peony, graphite, pencil lead, fine pepper, blond tobacco, noble leather, liquorice, delicate forest floor, fresh earth and a long mineral finish.

Clos Rougeard, under the legendary signature of the Foucault Brothers, holds a unique place in the history of great Loire wines. Le Bourg is the estate’s most structured, profound and elongated cuvée, renowned for its aromatic purity, silky texture, limestone tension and exceptional aptitude for ageing. The 2012 vintage, precise, fresh and balanced, gives here a distinguished, elegant expression that remains still very young in its evolution, with considerable ageing potential.

Terroir: Le Bourg, tuffeau, Cabernet Franc and Loire grandeur

The terroir of Saumur-Champigny rests on tuffeau, the soft limestone emblematic of the Loire, which gives Cabernet Franc its singular freshness, great aromatic finesse and persistent mineral tension. The Loire climate allows the grape variety to express profiles that are floral, spicy, fruity and profoundly elegant.

The Le Bourg parcel is one of Clos Rougeard’s great historic terroirs. It produces a Cabernet Franc that is denser, more structured and more profound, while preserving remarkable textural finesse. In 2012, the freshness of the vintage reinforces aromatic precision, limestone tension and the wine’s verticality, while preserving deep and perfectly defined substance.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep garnet with dark ruby reflections, bright, dense and still very sustained. The colour reflects the depth of Cabernet Franc, the precision of the 2012 vintage and a slow evolution towards greater tertiary nuance.

Nose: deep, pure and highly expressive, with cassis, blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, precise red and black fruits, violet, peony, graphite, pencil lead, fine pepper, liquorice and blond tobacco. With aeration, nuances of noble leather, delicate forest floor, fresh earth, fine herbs, light cocoa, sweet spices, light truffle and smoky notes may appear.

Palate: broad, silky, fresh and admirably structured, with precise fruit carried by very clear limestone tension. Flavours of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, violet, graphite, tobacco, liquorice, fine pepper, noble leather and fresh earth unfold with depth and elegance. The finish is very long, saline, mineral and lightly spicy, with an impression of purity, nobility and great Loire persistence.

Expression of the 2012 vintage

The 2012 vintage in the Loire produced wines often marked by freshness, precision and fine aromatic definition. For a cuvée as profound as Le Bourg, this year offers a more taut, straighter and more mineral expression, capable of gaining complexity over many years.

Today, this Clos Rougeard Le Bourg 2012 remains still young in its evolution, but it can already impress through its purity, texture and tension after measured aeration. With time, it will gain nuances of blond tobacco, noble leather, graphite, light truffle, delicate forest floor, melted spices and fresh earth, while preserving the brightness of fruit and the limestone freshness of tuffeau.