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AOC
Vouvray

Dry, tender, soft or finely bubbled, Vouvray whites reveal their exceptional diversity.

The appellation area opens to the eastern limits of the Touraine agglomeration and extends over 7 communes on the right bank of the Loire and along its tributary, the Brenne. Its area is 2000 hectares.

History

The development of the vineyard is attributed to Saint Martin who established the famous Marmoutier abbey and, according to the legend, introduced grape varieties and a pruning method that is still in use. Balzac left his mark in Vouvray by setting the action of his novel “L'illustre Gaudissart” there, so much so that the bust of this imaginary salesman still adorns a square in the town...

Soils

The vineyard covers stony hillsides on tuffeau substrate (white Turonian chalk) interspersed with confluent valleys, and covered with "parakeet" (flint clays which give the mineral character) and "aubuis" (clay-limestone which makes the power of sweet wines).

Climate

At the edge of confluent valleys, the soils heat up quickly under the oceanic influence which penetrates to the heart of the vineyard. Sunny autumns favor over-ripening, even noble rot.

Obtaining soft (semi-dry) or sweet wines depends on climatic variability: the vintage effect is decisive. Furthermore, we vinify great dry Vouvray every year.

BASIC YIELD

52 hl/ha for still wines

65 hl/ha for sparkling wines.

VARIETY

100% Chenin Blanc (Pineau de Loire)

DOMINANT CULTURAL PRACTICES:

Fan-shaped waist, necessarily short.

Density of 6,600 plants/ha.

THE CHENIN BLANC

The Chenin blanc, also called Pineau de la Loire, comes from the Loire Valley, where it was called “Anjou plant” around the 10th century. It was Rabelais who popularized its current name in the 16th century.

Nowhere else does it better express the richness of the terroirs. A late grape variety, it knows how to adapt to the microclimate of Touraine, offering an astonishing range of wines.

Harvested at the start of the harvest, it is used to produce distinguished dry white wines or base wines for fine bubble wines.

At the end of the harvest, after the development of Botrytis cinerea or “passerillage” (drying of the grapes under the effect of the sun and wind), it gives rise to great semi-dry, sweet and sweet wines, whose aptitude for aging is exceptional.