It bursts with ripe and concentrated Chenin Blanc
fruit. The gentle acidity is balanced with apricot, pear and honey notes and a just off-dry
finish.
The Gautier Domaine in Vouvray has been in the family for seven generations. Benoit
Gautier, the present winemaker, took charge in 1981. He began the policy of domaine
bottling, whereas previously the wines were sold to negociants. The domaine comprises 29
acres in the communes of Rochecorbon and Parcay-Meslay. The soil is the classic Tuffeau
or limestone chalk for which the central Loire is famous. The average age of the vines are
25 years. Gautier follows a policy of hand-picking for the still wines, while about one quarter
of the grapes for his sparkling wines are machine harvested. The grapes are pressed in a
pneumatic press and fermented and matured in temperature controlled stainless steel
tanks. Depending on the year, some of the single vineyard wines are matured in old oak
casks.
| Technical notes |
| The hillside vineyard located in the communes of Rochecorbon and Parcay-Meslay is
planted in white clay (argile) soil mixed with crumbled silex or quartz. The silex layers derive
from coral bands in the ancient sea-bed dating back one million years. The grapes are
hand-picked when ripeness and natural acidity are in optimal balance, so that the wine is
fresh, vivid and expressive. The wine is fermented to dryness using only native yeasts, and
aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks. |
| Producer |
| Located in Vouvray France, the Benoit Gautier estate has been in the Gautier family for seven generations. The current winemaker, Benoit took over in 1981 and introduced domaine bottling. The vineyards are located in the communes of Rochecorbon and Parcay- Meslay and the soils are a regional mix of limestone chalk, affectionally called Tuffeau. On average, the vines are 25 years old. Fruit for the still wines are hand-picked and about 25% of the grapes for the sparkling wines are machine harvested. The grapes are fermented and matured in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Depending on the vintage, some of the single vineyard wines are matured in neutral oak casks.
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