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Item Number: 7306
UPC: 0805109515574
Country: France
Region: Loire
Appellation/AVA: Vin de Pay du Val de Loire
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2013
Grape(s): 50% Melon de Bourgogne / 30% Chardonnay / 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Type: Wine - White
Bottle Size: 750ml Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 12.5
Soil Type: Granite, mica, and schist
Location Notes: The village of Chateau-Thébaud sits on a hill overlooking the Maine river as it winds through the soft, rolling hills of the Nantais, just south of Nantes. This fertile area of France is particularly blessed with extraordinary mineral deposits, and Chateau-Thébaud profits from this perhaps more than most. From its vantage point at the top of the hill, Domaine de la Fruitière overlooks its holdings of old vine Melon planted on soil filled with granite, mica, and schist. The granite forms the base of the soil, and as it has been eroded for centuries and centuries, small fissures have formed, allowing the roots of these vines to plunge deep into the rock, stealing precious minerals to send back up to the surface. Even without knowing this, you would certainly taste it in the wines.
Vineyard & Winemaking Notes: Jean Douillard & Jean-Michel Boussonniere are obsessed with making sure that they extract as much of this minerality from the soil as they can. As such, they use only natural vine treatments, leaving a final grain that is pure and ready for the crush. There is an aggressive de-leafing and a green harvest that is still a rarity in the
region. At harvest, the team goes over every grain as it is destemmed, culling any under-ripe grapes and sending
the rest on to press, ferment, and then sit quietly on their fine lees all through the cold Nantais winter.
Tasting Notes: This blend of Melon de Bourgogne, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc is fruit forward (dried fruit, lime) with balanced acidity and minerality.
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