Thomas Puechavy VDF Les Rayon Blanc 2023

Type: White
Producer: Thomas Puechavy
Country: France
Region: Loire Valley
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Year: 2023
Farming: Organic

The vines that produce this wine are sandwiched between those of Huet and Foreau, the two most famous estates in Vouvray. The terroirs here are Vouvray's typical clay and limestone, but this area is reknown for having much less clay than other sectors in the appellation, therefore providing optimal drainage and imparting chalky minerality to the wines.

Because Thomas' cellar is a mere 500 meters outside of the delineated zone permitted to make Vouvray, he can only apply for Touraine AOC status. In such he's decided to intentionally declassify all his wines to Vin de France. 

The grapes are direct-pressed then ferment and age in old barrels 14 to 16 months before bottling. The wine ferments naturally and is not fined or filtered. S02 is low and used as sparingly as possible but Thomas is pragmatic, using it at any point the wine may need it. The wine was bottled with a touch of RS and shows some trapped gas upon opening, but is not a sparkling wine.