Hubert Brochard
World-renowned Sancerre is far from monolithic. The many faces of their vineyards bear witness to this: there is not one Sancerre, but many Sancerre wines. This philosophy has guided every move since the Domaine Hubert Brochard was founded in 1900, in Chavignol. These are wines that celebrate the diversity and richness of the Sancerre terroirs through skilful and respectful viticulture and winemaking.
History
With over a century of family history in Sancerre, the vineyard and farm of Hubert Brochard was established where three hillsides of Chavignol meet. In 1900, Aimée and Hubert Brochard began rearing goats, cultivating fields and tending to their vines. They established their vines on a mix of extraordinary soils, farming them entirely by hand.
Their son Henri and his wife Thérèse expanded these vineyard plantings and their passion for grapes was then passed down to their children Daniel, Jean-François and Benoît who, with now a fourth generation at play, expanded production further and have continued the commitment to this very special land.
In 2022, family-owned Maison Bollinger joined this wine-growing legacy, acquiring the estate. Now with 89 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, wines are made to reflect complex terroirs from across eight of Sancerre’s most celebrated villages.
Cuvées
Château Fotaine Audon – Terre Silex – Sancerre Blanc
Château de Thauvenay – Terres Blanches Sancerre Blanc
Le Cul de Beaujeu – Sancerre Blanc
La Cote des Monts Damnés – Sancerre Blanc
Viticulture & Winemaking
The Team
Rich in talent, the team is headed up by three accomplished individuals. Rodrigo Zamorano, Matthieu Franchini and Anne-Sophie Brochard have worked together since 2022 combining viticulture and winemaking excellence, guided by François-Régis de Fougeroux, the Domaine’s Managing Director.
Viticulture
The Hubert Brochard vision is to show parcel diversity, celebrating the nuances and complexity of each vineyard, working with a rich tapestry of terroirs.
Planted in these vineyards are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, spread across eight of the most celebrated Sancerre villages. These plots represent the region’s three principal terroirs:
- Les Terres de Silex, at the Château de Fontaine-Audon vineyard
- Les Terres Blanches, at the Château de Thauvenay vineyard
- Les Terres de Caillottes, at the Chavignol vineyard
Since 2011, Vineyard Manager, Matthieu Franchini, has been working away from conventional farming and herbicides at the Fontaine-Audon vineyard. In 2022, Domaine Hubert Brochard started the transition to organic conversion of one-third of the land, with the aim to achieve full organic certification for its entire vineyard by 2030.
Winemaking
Rodrigo has been particularly important in modernising the Brochard vision, introducing a fresh point of view as to how best to best expose the individual qualities of each terroir in the cellar.
Winemaking is done in small batches with a minimal intervention philosophy, emphasising each individual parcel’s sense of place.
Bunches are whole-bunch pressed and gravity-fed to preserve the pristine nature of the grapes. Yeasts used are neutral and additional sulphur is limited to help develop aromas to the fullest potential. Longer fermentations are favoured for greater expression and wines undergo extended lees ageing to perfect their character. Equally, the ageing process is tailored to suit each parcel, whether it be in stainless steel, concrete vats, older barrels or even amphorae.
These are pristine and exciting wines, showcasing the unique individuality of remarkable Terroirs.