A succulent, ancestral-method Chenin made using the earliest harvest selection from the youngest vines. Open aromas of ripe orchard fruits take on a zing of sherbet and a soft, fuzzy-edged definition on the palate as perlant pinprick bubbles dance on the tongue. A hairline wire of lingering acid pulls through into an extended saline finish.
From the first pass of the vineyards in mid-September, the grapes were directly pressed into fibreglass cuve and then bottled that winter while fermentation was still in motion. Enjoying an extended period sur latte, bottles were disgorged 14 months later in early 2024, the balance of minerality and subtle residual sugars keeps things wide-eyed and more-ish. A good-time aperitif that also does the work when the cheeses hit the table.
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!
