Vincent Pinard

Domaine Vincent Pinard is based at Bué, in the Sancerre appellation of the eastern Loire. The family has grown vines in the village since the seventeenth century. Vincent Pinard took over the estate in the early 1970s, and his sons run it today: Florent, who joined in 2001, and Clément, who joined in 2007. They farm about 17 hectares, roughly 12.5 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 4.5 hectares of Pinot Noir, spread over some forty parcels and picked by hand.

Bué lies on Kimmeridgian marl, weathered in places into the stony limestone soils known locally as caillottes. Chêne Marchand, Grand Chemarin and Petit Chemarin are single-vineyard whites grown on caillottes; Le Château comes from Kimmeridgian marl and Les Creots from clay and silica-rich soils. Florès, Nuance and Harmonie are blends drawn from several parcels, Harmonie from the older vines. The reds are Pinot Noir, among them Charlouise, from old vines and aged in barrel, and Vendanges Entières, fermented with whole bunches.

The vineyards are worked without herbicides or insecticides, and biodynamic preparations have been used since the mid-2010s. The domaine obtained organic certification with the 2024 vintage, through Ecocert. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts, and ageing takes place in vats, demi-muids and larger barrels rather than new oak. The whites are dry, with citrus and orchard-fruit aromas; the reds are light to medium bodied. Arcana Cabinet lists part of the range: the whites Florès, Nuance, Harmonie, Petit Chemarin, Grand Chemarin, Chêne Marchand, Le Château and Les Creots, and three Pinot Noir reds, Pinot Noir, Charlouise and Vendanges Entières.