Notes from Pieksman Wijen:

"This is a relatively new cuvée for the Garrelière domain. It is a 100% Chenin Blanc made from grapes picked from younger vines than the Le Chenin de la Colline described below. These vines vary from 5 to 10 years old.

The grapes were directly and quite slowly pressed (to allow some interaction with the skins which extracts some extra polyphenols thus contributing to the texture of the wine) and, after 12 – 24 hours of settling, the juice was transferred to a steel tank where fermentation took place over a period of 2 weeks using only the natural yeasts.

Because the vineyards have been managed biodynamically for so long (since 1993) the Plouzeau family rarely have any problems with fermentation due to the healthy vineyards producing healthy yeasts that are reflective of the time and place here – in other words they are an important part of the terroir.

The juice was transferred to 500 litre old wooden barrels for a period of 6 months and then bottled. 13% ABV.

The result is a lively and quite delicious wine that is perfect with a wide range of foods. And, once again, the label is joyful and uplifting!

A beautiful domain of François Plouzeau, 8 kilometers from the village of Richelieu in the south of the Touraine on a beautiful hill. A small vineyard of only 3.2 hectares with vines of 40-45 years old. Grown on a soil of clay and flint, harvested manually in small bins.

Since 1973, Domaine de la Garrelière has been in the hands of the Plouzeau family. François and Pascale have been at the helm since 1985 and although they are ECOCERT organically certified, they work strictly biodynamically. Some wines have minimal sulphites added and some are sulphites-free.

The 18 hectares of the estate are located halfway between Poitiers and Tours, Domaine de la Garrelière belongs to the southern part of the Touraine appellation. The terroir here consists mainly of sand and gravel. The estate practices biodynamic agriculture on the plots. Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Gamay and Cabernet Franc are grown there, among other things. The winemaker François Plouzeau relies solely on his intuition during vinification. He describes his most important tool as follows: “My nose is my best advisor!”

François and Pascaline Plouzeau of Domaine de la Garrelière maintain an immaculate vineyard near the fascinating village of Richelieu which lies south of Tours quite close to the Chinon region.

At Domaine de la Garrelière they implement strict biodynamic vineyard practices which are certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin. A feature of their lovely wines is the wonderful set of labels produced by local artists that reflect the naming of the wine."