Journal

New from Thomas Puéchavy

After introducing Thomas last year with two unforgettable expressions of Vouvray Chenin, it’s with no shortage of anticipation that we can announce our second shipment has arrived, comprising two new wines from the 2022 vintage.

He produces exactly the kind of taut, electric Chenin that we adore. If you’re a fan of the grape, you’ll know what we mean. He is doing so in the heart of Vouvray, Loire, but in a quirk of the appellation system resulting from the historical rift between that better-known commune and neighbouring Montlouis, he is not permitted to describe his wines as such. The reason is because his cellar sits a few hundred metres outside of the recently-redefined border of the AOC, in Nazelles, so as the grapes must be taken there to be turned into wine, Vouvray it is not, in the eyes of the establishment. It is fitting though, as the stately prestige of Vouvray is not what Thomas is about at all.

In the cellar the grapes are typically pressed directly, usually into old barrels to spontaneously ferment and then given as much time as they need before bottling, with no filtration and minimal to zero additions. However, the two wines we have received on this shipment differ in that they are the first to be released of the 2022 vintage, are completed in either the bottle or inox cuve and are the most accessible of Puéchavy’s output:

Les Turbulents 2022 - a delicately perlant pet nat of 100% Chenin made in the off-dry style of the region. Ripe orchard fruits and sherbet zing.

Les Vrilles 2022 - a new, highly drinkable tank-only Chenin from younger vines. Crisp green apple, crystalline lemon pith and matchstick reduction with a soft structure, salty minerals and a bright line of acid.

Hit the links to find the wines, read more and order. You'll find them on the shelves of our Leeds shop too.