Le Bourg 2014: Vines of the Tuffeau Throne

Clos Rougeard’s cult Cabernet Franc rises from Loire’s limestone catacombs - sublime scarcity with liquidity as elusive as Bacchus himself.

The Night I Stained the Stone

Long before the Cistercian monks carved their cellars, I - Bacchus - slipped through Saumur’s white-chalk tunnels, chalice brimming with Cabernet Franc. One reckless swing splashed crimson against the tuffeau walls; the rock drank deep, and a single hectare of vines sprouted where the droplets fell. That enchanted plot became Le Bourg, and its 2014 vintage still beats with the heart I left in the limestone.

Market Snapshot: Prices & Prints

Retail offers for Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2014 cluster around $520–$570 ex-tax on Wine-Searcher, with U.S. listings cresting at $629. A Zachys shelf recently flashed $341, proving bargains appear when fog rolls in. Auction houses move small parcels: Sotheby’s guided a 12-bottle case at $1,600–$2,200 this March - roughly $150 a bottle before fees, a reminder that live hammers may trail retail froth. Liv-ex, alas, records no trades, so price discovery relies on specialist brokers and passionate forums.

Why Collectors Kneel at This Altar

Le Bourg springs from 80-plus-year vines on just one hectare, yielding a scant 4,000 bottles in generous years. The wine spends up to two winters in 80% new oak, emerging dark-ruby, perfumed with cigar leaf, kirsch and violet. Critics hover at 92–95 points, calling the 2014 “brooding, silky and persistently mineral.” Vintage conditions delivered freshness and 13.5% ABV - ideal for the long arc (drink 2025-2040). Under new ownership by the Bouygues brothers (also of Château Montrose), global visibility has grown without diluting the estate’s fiercely traditional ethos.

Risks Written in Limestone

• Liquidity thin as Loire mist – With no Liv-ex tracking and rare auction lots, sales can take months and spread 15-25%.
• Authentication stress – Paper labels and hand-waxed tops invite counterfeit; insist on impeccable provenance.
• Ownership transition – Style drift is minimal so far, but collectors eye each new release for clues.
• Portfolio scale – At ~$550 a bottle, upside gains will be incremental next to four-figure Burgundy or Bordeaux.

Portfolio Fit: A Dash of Green Pepper in the Cuvée

Your cellar overflows with Lafite, Screaming Eagle and Rousseau - but not a whisper of pure Cabernet Franc. A six- to twelve-bottle allocation (≈2-3% of value) plants Loire’s flag, hedges against Burgundy inflation, and offers a story no other wine can tell. Professional storage at 54°F is essential; Le Bourg rewards cool patience, developing truffle and graphite while tannins resolve into silk.

Bacchus’s Verdict

Le Bourg 2014 is the tuffeau’s heartbeat - scarce, soulful, and likely to appreciate with the slow certainty of roots cracking stone. Treat it as a passion-pivot rather than a profit engine: a living relic to uncork when your boardroom allies doubt that magic still exists in wine. Acquire modestly, guard it well, and someday you’ll taste the night I painted the tunnels red.