30 Hectares, 24 of which are contiguous with the cellar
Wine-growers for four successive generations, the estate offers familial continuity whose main concern is combining hard work and know-how in order to create the consistently subtle fruity wines so widely sought after by connoisseurs.
Our land is arid and slightly sloped, two- thirds of the soil being clay-with-flint and the remaining one-third limestone.
The local terminology used to describe this soil is “argilo-siliceux” or siliceous clay, soil rich in flint which provides a continual warming of the vine. In addition, this land lies on the highest point of the hills east of the vineyard
The oxford-like soil, locally called “caillottes”, corresponds to stoney , chalky terrain. From the very beginning, we chose to use state-of-the-art equipment enabling us to continually be high performing. All of our wines are vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel vats.
After restructuring in 1980, our estate now boasts 30Ha of vines, 24 of which border the cellar. These 30Ha were divided into five large parcels of land which aided in rapidly working the vineyard mechanically using machines such as the mechanical grape-harvester which was introduced into the vineyard in 1980.
All the wines from our vines are born on the estate. The abuse of alcohol can be hazardous to your health. Consume with moderation.
The history
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1932
Gabriel and Isabelle Maudrey arrive at the Chezatte estate. The estate is uncultivated.
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1945
Planting on one hectare of Gamay for family consumption.
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1952
Beginning of planting vines with business plans in mind.
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1959
The town of Saint-Gemme obtains th AOC label for its vines.
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1960
Purchase of the estate for life, which ended 33 years later after the death of the owner.
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1972
The estate's wine-producing area reaches 15 hectares.
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1977
The estate reaches 20 hectares and becomes equipped with a cooling chamber as well as two harvesting bins. A decree forbids all vines planted within more than 1m30cm from each other to be classified AOC; the 20 hectares of the estate are planted within 1m80cm of each other.
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1980
Purchase of a mechanical grape-harvester - the first in the Sancerre region.
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1985
Purchase of a bottling machine (bottling 1200 bottles per hour).
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1986
The estate purchases an adhesive labelling machine and begins the eight-year process of uprooting its 20 hectares of vines, replanting them over 30 hectares of land ,in accordance with the A.O.C. appellation decree.
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1991
85% of the estate's vines were damaged by frost.
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1994
The third generation of the family takes over the estate.
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1996
Renovation of the tasting room as well as the facades of the buildings and the courtyard.
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1999
Acquisition of two 1009Hl assembly casks and extension of the cellar.
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2000
Purchase of a new bottling machine, with DEPALETISEUR bottling 4500 bottles per hour.
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2003
Installation of the thermoregulation of the vats is completed.
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2008
The fourth generation enters into the estate's affairs.