Florent Cosme Vouvray Sec Coup de Fougue 2016
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Fresh apple, pear and spices on the nose. Very pure and focused in the mouth, offering juicy pit fruits, a hint of honeydew, and fresh citrus zest. A current of freshness lends gorgeous balance.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and full in feel, with tasty pear, quince and green apple gelée notes, enlivened by light ginger and lime details. A fresh zing of minerality adds length and cut on the finish. Approachable, but there's no rush. Drink now through 2028.
This 4 ha esttate is Certified Biodynamic with it's vineyards on the premiere cote in Vouvray in the village of Noizay. The oldest plantings on the property are from 1933 and only indigenous yeast is used and no malolactic fermentation is done.
30 year old Florent Cosme has deep roots in Vouvray, with his family having been in the village for generations. Being the youngest sibling in the family, the vineyards originally owned by his grandmother, went to his older brother Mathieu. This small speed bump would not stop young Florent from pursuing his dream of making wine in his sacred home village. After finishing oenology school, he took a full time position with famed Vouvray producer Vincent Careme as one of his key vineyard managers, where he still works to this day. In 2010, he quietly accrued some beautiful, old vine parcels along the Premiere Cote of Vouvray (the steepest and rockiest section of Vouvray – home to the best vines of the village). During nights and weekends, he would work his 4 ha of vines biodynamically, eventually making his first vintage in 2011. Only indigenous yeasts are used, never any malo, and the wines are aged in older 400L barrels. With his small domaine, Florent is part of a young and talented group of vignerons who have elevated this noble appellation through biodynamic farming and non-interventionist winemaking.
Farming Practice:
Certified Biodynamic
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.
Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.
The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.
The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).
The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.