2023 Reuilly Blanc, Les Pierres Plates, Denis Jamain, Loire

An important white grape in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley that has now found fame in New Zealand and now Chile. It thrives on the gravelly soils of Bordeaux and is blended with Sémillon to produce fresh, dry, crisp  Bordeaux Blancs, as well as more prestigious Cru Classé White Graves. It is also blended with Sémillon, though in lower proportions, to produce the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It performs well in the Loire Valley and particularly on the well-drained chalky soils found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where it produces bone dry, highly aromatic, racy wines, with grassy and sometimes smoky, gunflint-like nuances.

Denis Jamain owns 15ha of vineyards in the Loire wine appellation of Reuilly, about 10% of the entire appellation. The vines are planted on gentle slopes of limestone and clay. The estate applies the principles of la lutte raisonée. Denis works with the three permitted varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. The domaine‘s wines are vinified in a very modern, temperature-controlled winery which is equipped with thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. Each vineyard parcel is vinified separately with full traceability.