Winemaker Notes
The fruit for this wine is grown in Chidaine’s estate-grown, bio-dynamically farmed vineyards located just north of the Cher river between the villages of Montrichard & Chissay-en-Touraine. Known primarily for making some of the greatest white wines in the Loire region, Chidaine has been farming these vineyards for several years. This Gamay is perfectly ripe without any hint of jam. Boisterous dark berry fruit wafts from the nose with just a hint of the mineral bedrock that lies below the surface of this vineyard. Soft tannins but a tense, high-toned texture make this a delightfully food-friendly wine. The great value inherent in this wine will keep you coming back for more.
Delightfully playful, but also capable of impressive gravitas, Gamay is responsible for juicy, berry-packed wines. From Beaujolais, Gamay generally has three classes: Beaujolais Nouveau, a decidedly young, fruit-driven wine, Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The Villages and Crus are highly ranked grape growing communes whose wines are capable of improving with age whereas Nouveau, released two months after harvest, is intended for immediate consumption. Somm Secret—The ten different Crus have their own distinct personalities—Fleurie is delicate and floral, Côte de Brouilly is concentrated and elegant and Morgon is structured and age-worthy.
Stretching east along the steep banks of the Loire River, Touraine is a major part of the Middle Loire. Soil variations of clay, sand, tuffeau and gravel throughout its subregions support both white and red varieties. Chinon and Bourgueil remain the source of Loire’s finest Cabernet Franc; various styles of the most outstanding Chenin blanc come from Vouvray and Montlouis.