Gérard Boulay: Vineyards
Gérard Boulay works 12 hectares of vines in total, of which approximately half he owns, whereas the other half he rents. Most of these vines are planted on the slopes around the village of Chavignol, although a handful are more distant. Sauvignon Blanc naturally dominates, at 10 hectares, while the remaining 2 hectares are Pinot Noir, which are used not just for red but also for rosé. It is the Pinot Noir vines that are planted outside the confines of Chavignol, mostly around the villages of Bué and Crézancy, on caillottes. He has five parcels of Pinot Noir all told, and these parcels do also include some vines planted at the foot of Les Monts Damnés. As for the Sauvignon Blanc, these are planted around Chavignol, therefore largely on terres blanches, in other words Kimmeridgian marl.
The Lieux-Dits
Of the 10 hectares planted to white, I estimate that about half of these are located in three (or four, depending on your view of things) highly desirable lieux-dits. These are Les Monts Damnés (including the small parcel known as Comtesse, so this could be our fourth lieu-dit) and the Cul de Beaujeu, with some on the equally interesting Grande Côte or Côte d’Amigny as it is also known, which looks down onto the village of Amigny, literally just around the corner from Chavignol.
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