Fruit
Earth
Acid
Body
Minerality
From the lieux-dits Les Albaudaises (on the southwestern slope on the hillside of Brézé, west-facing, 1 m deep sandy-silt topsoil, Turonian limestone bedrock) and L’Ardillon (on the southwestern slope on the hillside of Brézé, west-facing, 80 cm deep clay-sand topsoil, Turonian limestone bedrock).
Notes from Becky Wasserman & Co.:
"We met fellow ex-pat and wine geek, Brendan Stater-West, where magic happens – in Romain Guiberteau’s cellar in Saint-Just-sur-Dive. Since 2011, Brendan has been working behind the scenes as Romain’s right-hand-man. And in 2015, he completed the first harvest of wine to be bottled under his own label, from the wonderfully unique site of Les Chapaudaises!
Country
France
Sub-Region
Saumur
Region
Loire
Varieties
Chenin Blanc
Farming
Organic
Soil
The topsoil (about 80 cm deep) is a mix of clay and loam, above Turonian limestone
Winemaking
Sorted directly in the vineyard (with sorting table), whole cluster pressing, very light decanting (about 24 hours) to separate only the less qualitative, brownish lees. Indigenous yeast alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tank for about 3 weeks at 20°C. No malo due to the very low pH (between 3.07 to 3.12) and the cold cellar environment (10 to 12°C). Aged on fine lees for 12 months in barrel (50% 225L barrels of one wine, 50% 225L barrels of 2-3 wines), then a further 6 months in stainless steel. SO2: varies from 15 to 25 mg/l free, and 25 to 60 mg/l total. Very low doses are added at pressing (2g/hl), after alcoholic fermentation to help prevent malo (1 g/hl), with a final adjustment at bottling. Unfined, light filtration.