Henri Chauvet left banking and office work in 2021, to settle on the gravelly hillsides of the Saint-Nectaire region. Having just turned 30, he obtained an advanced technical diploma in viticulture and winemaking through correspondence and went on to train with Jérôme Bressy at his Gourt de Mautens estate, in the southern Rhône Valley. He subsequently acquired the Sauvat estate, comprising more than ten hectares of vines. Each parcel of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay flourishes on volcanic soils composed of blue marl. Henri Chauvet has been converting his vineyard to organic viticulture since the day he arrived, convinced of the benefits for vines and wine and, above all, driven by a desire to get back to the land. Even if his methods have much in common with natural wines, Henri Chauvet doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed, so he retains complete freedom to create his authentic, flavoursome wines.

Froussard is part of the exciting rediscovery of the Côtes d'Auvergne vineyards, one of the oldest in France. Located in the foothills of the Chaîne des Puys and Sancy mountain ranges, this appellation is experiencing a remarkable revival thanks to a generation of committed winemakers, such as Henri Chauvet. The basalt and pouzzolane terroir, a product of ancient volcanic flows, give the wines a sharp minerality, lively tension and a unique signature. The Chardonnay grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness. Low intervention winemaking methods are used to respect the expression of the terroir, such as natural fermentation without added yeasts and ageing for several months on lees in used barrels that previously contained several wines.
The glass shows a pale yellow colour with golden highlights. It has a fine and expressive nose marked by aromas of citrus fruits, flint and fresh hazelnut. The lively, chiselled and direct palate reveals a beautiful tension leading to a salty and persistent finish.