Eric Louis’ labels bear the name of his great-grandmother, Pauline, who established the family’s reputation for quality wines all the way back in the 1860’s. A little over a century later as Sancerre’s popularity expanded beyond the bistros of Paris to foreign shores, Eric’s father, Léon, married Eric’s mom, Ginette, uniting the two family properties that would become Les Celliers de la Pauline. The 18-hectare domaine is located in the the village of Thauvenay-en-Sancerrois, one of the appellation’s 14 communes, just across the bridge from Pouilly-sur-Loire.
While eschewing the bureacratic headaches associated with certification, Eric tends his vines organically, limiting yields, and scheduling pruning, ploughing and picking according to lunar cycles (Maria Thun calendar). His year-round, labor-intensive vineyard regimen demonstrates the passion he has for continuing the family legacy. In the cellar, Eric’s philosophy is minimal intervention. The Sancerre blanc and rosé are vinified entirely in stainless steel tanks while elevage for the Sancerre rouge takes place in a combination of neutral Tronçais, Nevers, Allier and Bertrange barrels.
SOIL:
Soft, porous Kimmeridgian limestone chalk (terres blanches) and pebbles (caillotes) with outcroppings of silex – Pinot Noir parcels are comprised of heavier clay marls
Vinification Methods:
Three to four-week temp-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tanks. Sancerre Blanc does not undergo malo-lactic, but is left on lees until February following harvest. Cuvée Pauline is fermented and aged in neutral oak and acacia barrels on lees for up to 10 months.