I know that once Charly Foucault passed away, rumors of selling started pretty quickly, with Nady finally selling in 2017. This, to me, seems strange as the domaine had been in the same family for so long (something like 8 generations), and that Charly’s son, Antoine, is quite the accomplished winemaker (I really enjoy Domaine du Collier.) Did Antoine not show interest in inheriting the estate? This seems unlikely. Was it just a good business decision–an offer too good for the family to refuse?
I know when he was alive, the duties were separated and Nady had always been in charge of the cellar and Charly in the vineyard. Has the farming been markedly different since ~2016 and Charly’s passing?
With the sale in 2017, I know that Hervé Berland was brought in to “oversee” Clos Rougeard. Has he implemented any significant changes to anything at the winery/in the vineyard?
I have read that as part of the sale, Nady was held as a consultant, but how involved is he now day-to-day? I also read that he has a protege he has been grooming to take over, in case he passes? Is there any truth to this? Does anyone know who the successor will be?
I know the current vintage is 2014, where both brothers were together. I think Charly made it through the majority of 2015 harvest. Does this mean people are expecting a drop-off in quality with the 2016s?
To each his or her own, of course. I bought 6 of the 2014 Le Clos and 2 of the Les Poyeaux. Killer Loire CF vintage and the Le Clos is fantastic. I am a bit twerked that I passed on the Bourg.
Curious to see how this thread, and the winery, evolve. I’ll buy 2015 to see.
David, you can buy the wines on release for $1-300, depending on bottling. I don’t see how that’s out-of-line for what most considered world class wine, and the best in it’s region.
As Robert said, to each their own. It doesn’t upset me that there are a number of wines people used to buy cheaply (Allemand, Gonon, Rougeard, etc.) that aren’t so cheap anymore. Have fun drinking what you like.
Run-up like Juge, the market better appreciating the incredible quality of this winery plus the anticipated changing of the guard. Given that coupled with the current economic uncertainty, and I’d be surprised if 2015 comes out higher. I expect it to be around the same plus maybe 5%. Pure speculation, of course. I will buy again around there, part of it being curiosity.
I’m also a buyer if the pricing for the '15s is indeed comparable to the '14s. Though I suspect I’ll be a far more cautious (and skeptical) buyer and just grab a bottle or two to try early and see what it’s like compared to prior vintages.
I’m not sure why it matters what folks on the board used to buy a wine for. Rougeard has been underappreciated for years, especially in the US, like Rayas decades ago. Looking at my notes the 2010 Poyeux was offered to me for roughly half the price of the current release Poyeux (~$190). A steep increase, sure, but not nearly as much as many other wines during the same stretch of time… e.g. Gonon. There’s now global demand for these wines, so they’re just being priced at what the market will bear. Heck, Rougeard has always been easier to find stateside than in France.