LRO0622RW
Cuvee Léo
2022
Loire
Organic Farming
Biodynamic Farming
Wild yeasts
No sulphur
Vegan
The Loire, France's longest river, is home to many much celebrated and quintessential French grapes. From the once ubiquitous-in-the-UK Melon de Bourgogne by the Atlantic coast, to the home of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre, via some of the world's best Chenin and crunchy Cabernet Francs, Gamays and Pinots there is quality all around. Being at the northernly limit for winemaking, the wines are hallmarked by their crisp, fresh, crunchy fruit and high acidity, where reds may sometimes struggle to ripen and whites nearly overdeliver on acidity. The 69 appellations that make up the larger region are grouped into smaller sub-regions with predominantly single variety wines leading the way. As you move east the climate changes markedly from maritime to continental as the soils change from flint and limestone to the hard granite of central France.
On our Tour de France in January 21, upon leaving Bordeaux for the Northern Rhone, we had no-one to see to break up the 500km trip. We reached out to Gilles Bonnefoy’s (Vins de la Madonne - a much respected winery in the Eastern Loire) on the phone to ask him for any hot tips. It so happened that he had just started renting some of his old, organic Gamay vines to a young up-and-coming winemaker called Nadia Beaune who, he says, is making a very tasty wine. We arrive at 7PM and tastes for hours with her incredibly kind boyfriend (and winemaker) Maxime. Together they have taken it upon themselves to treat the fruit of these exceptional, high quality old vines with the maximum respect and minimal intervention. They started in 2018 by making a single juicy, concentrated Gamay Pet Nat and with a number of other cuvées lined up, it won't be long before I have more.
Wine details
LRO0622RW
Les Reves Oublies
Cuvee Léo
2022
Loire
Organic Farming
Biodynamic Farming
Wild yeasts
No sulphur
Vegan
The Loire, France's longest river, is home to many much celebrated and quintessential French grapes. From the once ubiquitous-in-the-UK Melon de Bourgogne by the Atlantic coast, to the home of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre, via some of the world's best Chenin and crunchy Cabernet Francs, Gamays and Pinots there is quality all around. Being at the northernly limit for winemaking, the wines are hallmarked by their crisp, fresh, crunchy fruit and high acidity, where reds may sometimes struggle to ripen and whites nearly overdeliver on acidity. The 69 appellations that make up the larger region are grouped into smaller sub-regions with predominantly single variety wines leading the way. As you move east the climate changes markedly from maritime to continental as the soils change from flint and limestone to the hard granite of central France.
On our Tour de France in January 21, upon leaving Bordeaux for the Northern Rhone, we had no-one to see to break up the 500km trip. We reached out to Gilles Bonnefoy’s (Vins de la Madonne - a much respected winery in the Eastern Loire) on the phone to ask him for any hot tips. It so happened that he had just started renting some of his old, organic Gamay vines to a young up-and-coming winemaker called Nadia Beaune who, he says, is making a very tasty wine. We arrive at 7PM and tastes for hours with her incredibly kind boyfriend (and winemaker) Maxime. Together they have taken it upon themselves to treat the fruit of these exceptional, high quality old vines with the maximum respect and minimal intervention. They started in 2018 by making a single juicy, concentrated Gamay Pet Nat and with a number of other cuvées lined up, it won't be long before I have more.
