Chinon Chateau du Coudray Montpensier

🇫🇷 Wine region: Loire Valley, near by the city of Saumur.

📍 Appellation: Chinon

🍇 Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

🏜 Terroir: Sand, Limestone and Alluvial Sand.

🌱 Age of the vines: 15 years old

🫙 Yield : 50hl per Hectare

👨🏻‍🌾 Wine-making : The Cuvée Tradition has been vinified in order to obtain wines that are fruity, fresh, fine with a good structure. Immediately after the picking the grapes have been destalk and put in tanks protected by a CO2 atmosphere. The temperature of the tanks have been lowered below 10°C to prevent an immediate alcoholic fermentation and to allow 5 days of pre-fermentation maceration. This technique, new for us in 2003, increased the extraction of aromas and soft tannins.

After this phase the alcoholic fermentation has started and its temperature kept around 20-22°C (70 to 75°F). Once the tasting optimum reached (before the end of the alcoholic fermentation), the wine has been run off and we “micro-oxygenated” during 5 to 10 days before the “malolactic fermentation” in order to get softer tannins and bigger fruity body.

🛢 Maturing: This wine has been racked 3 times and bottled in May 2019. 10% of the cuvee spend few Months in 500 litters oak barrels.

📝 Tasting notes: This young and fruity wine has red cherries that lie over soft tannins and a stalky texture. It’s all about fruit that’s ready to drink, and not for aging

🍽 Food pairing: white meat, bird, red meet in sauce, Grilled fish cheese, BBQ, salads or by itself.

🌡 Serve between14-15°C. (60 to 62°F)

🏰 The Domaine: Located in the heart of Chinon appelation, on the left bank of the Vienne River, The Château du Coudray-Montpensier is made up of old vines and parcels planted a little over ten years ago; the vineyard covers an area of 30 hectares. Each plot is managed with particular attention, respecting the geological identity of the soil. The vines located on the clay-limestone plateaus offer aromatic, powerful and structured wines; in the sandy plains, the vintages are more supple and fruity.

🤓: The Château du Coudray-Montpensier, built at the 14th century, was embellished and enlarged at the beginning of the 15th century. It stands out at the bend of a country road a stone's throw from François Rabelais' birthplace: La Devinière.