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Let it first be said that Gérard Boulay makes a stunning rosé. While Sancerre is not well known as a port of call for rosé lovers, there are a number of top growers crafting some of France’s finest examples (see Alphonse Mellot and Vacheron for example). This beauty is drawn from Boulay’s mature Pinot Noir vines dotted around Chavignol.

Boulay selects from roughly 0.8 hectares of vines for the rosé (and sometimes a little more in vintages that are difficult for reds). This fruit was hand-harvested and left to macerate for 24 hours, before pressing and wild fermentation in enamel-lined tank. The press wine and free-run juice were vinified separately before blending. There was no malo and no oak.

Boulay’s UK importer has asked, “Is there a better Rosé in France?” We work with many great producers and so we’ll be a touch more diplomatic–it’s up there with the best. For a start, it’s a beautifully coloured wine, more like a light red than a typical rosé with a pale grenadine hue. The palate is effortless, gliding across the tongue with a lacy yet juicy personality, offering up loads of ripe pinot fruit and floral aromas and flavours. It has the length of flavour and vibrant freshness on the close that is so typical of this great grower’s wines. In other words, it’s a knockout.

“Limpid orange-pink. Highly perfumed aromas of mineral-tinged red berries and citrus fruits, plus a suave floral nuance that gains strength as the wine opens up. Concentrated yet lithe on the palate, offering intense red currant, bitter cherry, rose pastille and anise flavors that unfurl and turn sweeter on the back half. The mineral and floral notes return on the penetrating finish, which hangs on with strong tenacity.” 92 points, Josh Raynolds, Vinous