Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Silex ’18

The grapes are picked by hand, typically in October and carefully brought to the press in small bins. Pressing is deliberate and slow and the wine is allowed to settle. It is then racked into its fermentation vessel, either stainless steel or neutral cask, depending on the cuvée.

The fruit from younger vines is harvested earlier and used for sparkling wine production. Only mature vines, 30+ years of age, go into still wine making. The soil of this wine sometimes gives hints of “flint”, emphasizing its mineral character, along with a fruity undertone from the ripeness of the grapes.

Brilliant yellow gold, aromas of apple, pear and citrus fruit; ample and round on the palate, refreshing acidity in the finish. Slightly off-dry, sweetness balanced by the natural acidity. Outstanding with seafood such as scallops, langoustines and white fish in a delicate sauce.

Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau has been a family-run estate since 1875. The 33-hectare Domaine consists of classic, regional soils made up of tuffeau, clay, and silex. The latter of these soils bears an abundance of flinty stones on the surface and is most favorable to the cultivation of Chenin Blanc, giving the wine its aromatic diversity of ripe quince, baked apples and acacia honey.

The Domaine is certified organic by Ecocert, and the vineyards are in fact tended biodynamically, which involves even stricter standards than organic wine-growing. Although this method involves much more work and considerably lower yields, the benefits to the long term condition of the vineyards, and therefore the quality of the wines, are dramatic.