Delicate new sparkler from Thomas and the first non-Chenin wine we have tasted from him. Made using Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Côt from a small quarter-hectare parcel that he has recently taken on. A luminous salmon pink in the glass from just 24hrs with the crushed grapes sitting in the press, it was then transferred to bottle to complete fermentation and disgorged after one year sur lattes.
Soft, mousse-y bubbles cushion a pretty watercolour wash of little bramble fruits and crisp Russett apple, with some unexpected notes of blood orange and clementine citrus. As ever, there is a petrichor mineral note that sits beneath all this. Those who have tasted his masterful Turbulents will know that Puechavy is adept with the ancestral method and this is absolutely no exception. From a very small run, we have just a few cases to go around.
Thomas farms his 3 hectares organically and the vines vary in age from 20 to 80 years old. Sitting directly between the estates of Vouvray royalty, Domaine Gaston Huet and Clos Naudin, Thomas is something of the underdog. Fortunately, they too have been practising organic and biodynamic vineyard work for many years now, so they are good neighbours to have. The soils here differ from the majority of the region in that the limestone dominates over clay, contributing to that tightly-wound coil of acid and crystalline orchard fruit that characterises his wine.
In the cellar the grapes are pressed directly into barrels and given as much time as they need before bottling, with no filtration or additions at any stage. The finished wines span the full spectrum, from sparkling, through fresh and dry to oxidative and demi-sec. We have a couple of wonderful cuvées from the 2020 and 2021 vintages to begin, hopefully with more to follow in the future. They are fascinating expressions of the region that have made a big impression on us - we look forward to sharing them with you too, while they last!
