From: Vouvray, Touraine, Loire Valley, France
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Tasting Notes: This classic Vouvray presents a pale straw color and a delicate perfume of white peach, apple, yellow flowers, and Bosc pears. The palate is super fresh with a racy and balanced character, showcasing depth and delicate fruit flavors. The vivacious minerality, born of Vouvray’s limestone-rich tufa soil, melds seamlessly with clean stone fruit notes to delight the senses. Its satin-like underpinning and laser-like precision lead to a long, distinctive mineral finish, epitomizing the qualities of Vouvray wines.
Pairing: Light seafood, fish dishes, and appetizers are perfect matches, including clams, mussels, prawns, oysters, scallops, and nearly everything with a shell. Shrimp tempura, or smoked salmon with cream cheese, onion, capers, and most flaky white fish, complement this Vouvray beautifully. Southeast Asian dishes, sushi, sashimi, vegetables, and organic greens are natural accompaniments. In France, foie gras and pâtés are traditional pairings, as the acidity of Chenin Blanc cuts through the richness. Chicken and pork dishes, such as Chicken Saltimbocca, cheese pies, and creamy pastas, also make excellent companions.
Lancashire Cheese-and-Onion Pie
By Mark Bittman
About. The Gautier family, with a lineage dating back to a land deed from 1669, now oversees the Domaine de la Racauderie. Under the guidance of Jean-Michel Gautier, this estate, founded in 1981, produces traditional Vouvray from its 35-hectare vineyard. The wines, aged in extensive underground cellars carved out of tuffeau limestone, boast a unique character. From the classic dry Vouvray Sec to the racy, off-dry Demi-Sec and the rare Vouvray Moelleux made from botrytis-infected late-harvest grapes, each bottle is a testament to the family's dedication. Jean-Michel also offers a selection of high-quality sparkling wines.
Jean-Michel’s sparkling wines are crafted with great attention to detail, using the traditional method to produce elegant, effervescent wines that rival some of the best in the world. The underground cellars, carved out of tuffeau limestone, provide an ideal environment for aging these wines, allowing them to develop complexity and finesse.
Wine Notes: The grapes for this wine come from sustainable vineyards with limestone and clay soils. The vineyard, planted exclusively with 100% Chenin Blanc, features vines with an average age of 25 years and yields around 40 hectoliters per hectare. With an average production of 6,000 bottles. Gautier employs a minimalist, hands-off approach to vinification and élevage, manually harvesting the grapes and utilizing traditional methods. Fermentation and aging occur in stainless steel tanks and large, older barrels.
