Gautier Vouvray De Gautier 2017
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Winemaker Notes
The “Vouvray De Gautier” is winemaker Benoit Gautier’s signature wine of the vintage. It is made from a selection of ripe Chenin Blanc grapes from many of his domaine’s vineyard parcels with flint-clay (argilo-siliceux) soil. Grass is planted between the vine rows to reduce yields and create a healthy natural ambiance. The grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press at low temperature and fermented with the natural yeasts present on the grape skins. The wine matures on its fine lees in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks over four months. Three is no malolactic fermentation. In the Spring, Gautier chooses young wines with the sugar-acid balance that he seeks for Vouvray de Gautier. The fruity acidity of the Chenin Blanc is balanced with apricot and pear fruit with and honey notes and just enough residual sugar – the amount varies from year to year in proportion to acidity level – to attain a slightly off-dry finish.
Other Vintages
2015-
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Wine
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
An important white wine appellation in the Touraine and one of the top in all of the Loire, Vouvray uniquely specializes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, and still to sparkling, each with its own definitive character. Vouvray is almost always 100% Chenin blanc (however up to 5% Menu Pineau is theoretically allowed but not often used).
Vouvray is also the name of a pretty little town just east of Tours on the northern bank of the Loire—its vineyards surround it to the northeast. Houses and cellars are carved out of the local tuffeau, a chalky or sandy, fine-grained limestone. Vineyards inhabit clay and gravel topsoil over tuffeau on the plateau, the best of which have a slight slope with a southerly aspect.
Chenin blanc’s high acidity and natural adaptability allow it to produce a wide range of styles with enormous success. Styles under the Vouvray name include sparkling, both Brut and Demi-Sec and still: Sec (dry) and Tendre (off-dry) as well as Demi-Sec (noticeably sweet), Moelleux (very sweet) and Liquoreaux (botrytized). Most can age about five years but the best quality versions will continue to improve over decades.