Description
55% cabernet franc, 25% grolleau, 10% gamay, 10% chenin. Made with whole bunches and with a short maceration, an infusion rather than an extraction. Bottled with minimal Sulphur and no filtration.
This is an assemblage of varieties, some of which are rarely seen together. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc, 25% Grolleau, 10% Gamay and – wait for it – 10% Chenin Blanc. The fruit saw a relatively short maceration, followed by an élevage in barrel for twelve months. The nose leads with a curiously leafy note, fresh and aromatic. It has a delicate composition on the palate, charming with rose petal and cherry stone, with a light and easy-drinking structure. It finishes soft and short. A good choice for lunchtime charcuterie.
Chris Kissack www.thewinedoctor.com
About the Domaine
Based in Anjou in the heart of the Loire Valley, Terra Vita Vinum are producing some of the most remarkable wines we can remember tasting. Their single vineyard wines are fantastically focused, full of energy and life, often made with no additions of any kind. The decision not to use Sulphur is not an easy one- it requires hard work and laboratory-like levels of care in the winery, but when done well the resulting wines can be magnificently expressive and complex, whilst retaining purity of fruit. You won’t taste better than Terra Vita Vinum.
The soils Luc and Bénédicte farm are a geologist’s (and oenophile’s) dream. Hugely complex, often volcanic in origin, they impart a unique character to the wines they produce. Tasting them together is fascinating, and really for me represents why wine is such an endlessly compelling and soulful pursuit. These single vineyard wines are the pinnacle of Bénédicte and Luc’s project. Now fully converted to biodynamic farming, each parcel is given maximum care to emphasise its subtle differences in character and style. In the winery each wine is aged in a specific combination of barrel, foudre, amphora and concrete egg, chosen to best show each site’s unique character. From the racy Grand Vau to the rich, silky Grand Rogeries, or the deep minerality of the Pavillon – each talks in its own distinctive voice, despite their common grape variety and their vineyards relative proximity.
The domaine now consists of 40ha, only 30 of which are planted to vines. The other ten are used to grow wildflowers and other beneficial plants, the better to increase the domaine’s bio-diversity, which in turn will create healthier vineyards. This attitude isn’t a marketing ploy- it is at the heart of the project. Luc and Benedicte are devotees of Jules Guyot, a visionary who wrote in 1860 that “the genius of wine was in the vine”. Only by talking the best care of one’s vines can one expect to make the best wine.
Everything at Terra Vita Vinum is done by hand, with care. Even down to using the smallest possible trays when picking grapes, to ensure no berries are squashed during transport – the attention to detail here is incredible. They are artisans in the best sense of the word, utterly devoted to their craft. Terra Vita Vinum are clearly destined for greatness, it is so exciting to work with them!
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