LE ROI DES PIERRES

ESTABLISHED: 2014 The Loire Valley is the historical heart of France, renowned for its beautiful countryside, breathtaking WINEMAKER: châteaux, stunning architecture and of course, legendary wine. From the 10th century onwards, kings and queens have called it their home, promoting intellectual and cultural advancements Adrien Gaudiat, Oenologist throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The area was also fiercely coveted by the English LOCATION: Loire, France monarchy and inhabited by the British until Joan of Arc led French troops to victory to regain the area for France. COMMUNE: Sancerre

Sancerre is one of the most well-known wine regions in not only the Loire, but also the world, and its SOIL TYPE: Silex, Terres Blanches, wines have a particularly lengthy history, recorded as far back as 582 by Gregory of Tours in his work, Caillottes Historiae Francorum. However, legend has it that vines have been cultivated here since ancient times and it is believed that the Romans were actually the first to plant vineyards. Julius Caesar THE NAME: Le Roi des Pierres, conquered the area, building a temple and camp in what is currently Sancerre to honor Ceres, the meaning “King of Stones,” pays goddess of fertility and agriculture. The Loire River, the longest in France, provided the transportation homage both to the Loire Valley’s necessary to export goods, resulting in mentions of Sancerre wines in accounts at royal courts over the centuries. Duke Jean de Berry, the third son of King John II of France and brother to King Charles decorated royal past and silex’s V, stated that Sancerre’s wine was indeed the finest to be found in the entire kingdom. moniker as “the king of all stones.”

The 14 villages of the Sancerre appellation are all situated on the left bank of the Loire River and WINES IMPORTED: experience distinct seasonal changes which allow for a lengthy growing period. While Sancerre was Sancerre, Sancerre Rosé historically more well-known for its red wines, primarily Pinot Noir, the famed Sauvignon Blanc came into being at the end of the 19th century after the original vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera. Today, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir-based reds and rosés reign in the region, with Sauvignon Blanc representing over two thirds of production.

150 million years ago the ocean covered the appellation contributing to the current terroir which is rich in limestone and shell fragments. There are three soil types found in Sancerre, terres blanches, which are clay and limestone soils rich in shellfish fossils, caillottes, pebbly limestone soils, and finally silex. Each soil type plays a significant role in the character of a wine’s flavor. Le Roi des Pierre’s Sancerre is crafted from silex, the rarest of the three, representing only 15% of the soil. Silex is composed of flint over a clay and limestone base and has proven to produce distinctive wines with an extraordinary ability to age. Le Roi des Pierres Sancerre Rosé, which is 100% Pinot Noir, stems from chalky, clay soils, a combination of terres blanches and caillottes terroir.

Le Roi des Pierres, meaning “King of Stones,” pays homage both to the Loire Valley’s decorated royal past and its unique terroir, particularly silex’s designation as “the king of all stones.” Sancerre’s wines, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, represent a sense of place, reflecting the land and the history, easily transporting one to the hilltops of this spectacular appellation.