We’re delighted that the first wine to land in 2026 comes from Thomas Puéchavy and numbers a dynamic selection of Vouvray-not-Vouvray Chenin. Some welcome new vintages and some variants on other cuvées - it’s an exhilarating start to the year.
Thomas specialises in electrically-charged Chenin Blanc, grown in the heart of one of Touraine’s better-known villages. His vines sit smack between big names more synonymous with Vouvray, Gaston Huet and Clos Naudin, but despite the prime location he bottles his wine simply as Vin de France.
We see the return of the refined sparkling Les Turbulents, the 2023 made in both bottle and magnum. Also from 2023, Le Rayon Blanc shows its finest vintage in memory - ‘I think the best wine I’ve ever made’ Thomas reveals when he gets wind of our wide-eyed enthusiasm for it. The ‘versions’, so to speak, are an intriguing non-vintage take on Les Vrilles that marries the hot 2022 vintage with the more moderate 2023, as well as a tiny run of the old-vine Les Doyennes from a single amphora that stylistically stands apart from the rest on show. Also in the micro-cuvée category is a stunning 2020 demi-sec Chenin, five years in the making, Dame-Jeanne.
All five are available to order here. A selection of Puéchavy Chenin can be found on the shelves of our Chapel Allerton shop too.
