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Domaine du Valbrun, Bois Pivain

Léo Charruau’s family has been farming in the region since 1722, and the first vintage here at Domaine du Valbrun was by his grandfather in 1983. The family has 30 hectares on clay & limestone soils bordering the Loire River between the communes of Parnay and Souzay-Champigny, while Léo personally farms his own 6½ hectares since 2021, having returned after a few years making wine in Bordeaux.. In recent years, both sets of vineyards have been certified organic.

They say it’s a true ‘climatic enclave’, benefiting from being in the lee of ranges to the west and south-east, protecting from the humid Atlantic weather patterns, resulting in plenty of sunshine and less rain. Low altitude and proximity to the Loire River also help protect against adverse cooler weather patterns.

Léo’s deploys a range of techniques and vessels including amphora, oak barrels and concrete vats, being part of a new generation of experimental younger growers flawlessly marrying tradition with modernity in the style we love.

Coming from the main Domaine du Valbrun stable, this organic AOC Saumur-Champigny is from 35-40 year old Cabernet Franc vines on typical alluvial soils along the Loire. Raised in inox tanks for 8 months, it is a delicate, delightful, expression of 100% Cabernet Franc; cassis and raspberries, beautifully fresh with supple tannins and a smoky finish.

Maison Ventenac, Coup de Chance

Winemakers Stephanie & Olivier Ramé, a husband and wife team, are the third generation of their family to run the show at Maison Ventenac. Their vineyards are in Cabardès, the only Languedoc appellation that allows both Atlantic and Mediterranean grape varieties, so offering a unique exploration of flavours. Their specific location around the village of Ventenac-Cabardès is famed for its limestone, chalky soils, which they say gives their wines their saline & fresh characters. The winemaking philosophy is to allow their unique terroir to shine through in the wines, presenting them as naturally as possible and raising in tuns, terra cotta urns and concrete vats to enhance their purity. They are also experimenting with winemaking without sulfites but deploying non-saccharomyces yeast to avoid spoilage from the likes of brettanomyces.

One day, the young winemaker accidentally mixed together the juice of two different grapes, creating, by chance, a beautiful and unique new wine. This improbable blend of Chenin and Colombard has since become a classic. Rumor has it that the vintner sometimes add a splash of Gros Manseng in order to give it a bit more bite and bring out citrus notes. “The story continues in your glass and nobody knows how it will end. Take a sip and write the next chapter…” Fruity wine with primary aromas of grapefruit and lemon. A focused wine, well balanced and fresh.

25% CHENIN BLANC, 15% GROS MANSENG, 60% COLOMBARD

Mary Taylor, Signature Bordeaux

BONUS WINE!

Neither glitzy nor flashy, but perfectly embodies the region’s rural soul. A signature blend of 50% Merlot with equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, even at its modest price point it possesses much of the dark-fruited complexity that made Bordeaux famous in the first place – but rendered in a brighter, more refreshing frame.

Mary Taylor, Veneto Frizzante

Reviews and Scores

90 Points “Best Buy” – Wine Enthusiast

Veneto Frizzante

From the foothills of the Alps on the east side of the province of Vicenza, vineyards planted upwards of 30 years ago bear fruit of the Glera and Garganega grapes. The winery works sustainably, and in concert with the local eco-system. Grasses and flowers grow between the rows. Sofia Brescia is a name given to honor to previous generation of wine growers, many
of who were women that have been forgotten by historical naming conventions.

Veneto is a substantial and increasingly important wine region in the northeast corner of Italy. Veneto administratively forms part of the Triveneto zone, along with its smaller neighbors Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In terms of geography, culture and wine styles, it represents a transition between the alpine, Germano-Slavic end of Italy and the warmer, drier, more Roman lands to the south.

The Glera grape is a long-standing synonym of northern Italy’s Prosecco grape, and the name by which it is now officially known. This green-skinned variety has been grown for hundreds of years in the Veneto and Friuli regions, most famously to produce sparkling Prosecco wines.

Garganega is best known as the white grape variety used to make Soave and Gambellara. In the early years of the 21st Century, DNA profiling revealed that it is the same variety as Grecanico Dorato found in Sicily.

Frizzante wine is a lower pressure than Spumante. The bubbles are a result of the addition of tirage – in this case 15-25 g/l concentrated grape must is added as part of the liqueur d’expedition before secondary fermentation

Pacheco Pereda, Organic Estirpe

Estirpe is the name of parcel 31, located in the Alto Agrelo vineyard, situated around 1,200 metres above sea level in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.

There are just a total of 10 hectares of organic Cabernet Franc planted here. The 2022 vintage will be remembered as cooler than previous years, with a cold spring marked by repeated frosts and rainfall throughout December and January.

Compare this new world Cabernet Franc against the one from the Loire

Sebastien Vaillant Valencay

The Loire Valley is renowned for Sauvignon Blanc. Sebastien blends Chardonnay to give this wine a lovely grassy, citrus nose showing plenty of zesty Sauvignon Blanc aroma.

On the palate, the affect of stirring the juice regularly, has paid off with richness and body, great balance with racy acidity that is rounded out by the richer Chardonnay.

Creamy but still very lively, with a mineral note on the finish. Valancay is possibly best known for its pyramid goats cheese – so give this wine a try with a similar style from the cheese board.