Nady and Charly Foucault took over the management of Clos Rougeard in 1969, becoming the eighth generation of Foucaults to make wine in Chacé.
The brothers followed an approach that changed very little from their predecessors’ but it is under their rein that the estate gained international recognition and reached a true cult status among sommeliers and other winemakers.
Rooted in traditions, the estate has also been home to groundbreaking approaches. More than a century ago, at a time when most of their colleagues were selling wine in barrel only, Charly and Nady’s grandfather had trademarked the Clos Rougeard name and was bottling the estate production.
Clos Rougeard wines belong to that rare group of wine that isn’t just the best of their type but also transcends their region and grape varietals. Four releases come out of Clos Rougeard’s cellar doors each year: three 100% Cabernet Franc red wines and one 100% Chenin Blanc white.
Following the death of Charly in 2015, Olivier and Martin Bouygues, who also own Château Montrose in Bordeaux, acquired Clos Rougeard in 2017. To ensure the safe passing of his family’s legacy, Nady stayed at the estate consulting and building a team of close friends to take over. Jacques Antoine Toublanc, Clos Rougeard’s former oenologist consultant, is now the estate manager and winemaker and Richard Desouche is the vineyard manager.
97 Points Vinous
The 2017 Le Bourg exemplifies the site’s characteristic power and structure. This is not a wine that you should buy to drink now. This Cabernet Franc is almost beast-like compared with Les Poyeux, which is relatively accessible and graceful. It has rounded shoulders and finely woven yet structured tannins, which could be attributed to the clay topsoil of the Le Bourg site. It’s a heady expression that displays the smoky bacon notes that can be found when it’s a baby wine in barrel. It also offers mocha notes, and a heady perfume that lingers in the air as if you’re in an Indian garden, followed with bergamot and tea leaf. This is a wine that moves with power and direction.
