A graduate of the school of Clos Rougeard, Stéphane Cossais was poised to become the greatest winemaker in Montlouis when he passed away unexpectedly in 2009, leaving his last two vintages of his top wine, Le Volagré, still in barrel. Working a mere 3 hectares of high density old vines, Cossais produced two single vineyard cuvées: Maison Marchandelle and Le Volagré. The wines were bottled by Frantz Saumon, using the same highest-quality corks and bottles that Cossais had previously used. The wines are nothing short of exceptional - clearly able to fulfill their intent of improving for decades in the cellar. Anyone who is lucky enough to track down one of the rare remaining bottles will face a difficult choice between opening the wine right away to enjoy it, or keeping it for another decade or more until it reaches its apogee.