Naturally Loire: Chrisophe Foucher's "La Lunotte"
11/15/21 -
Foucher’s vineyards are located on the southern bank of the Cher River, near St. Aignan, just a few miles from our friends at Clos Roche Blanche, and with quite similar terroir. Foucher farms seven distinct plots planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Menu Pineau, Gamay, Cot and Cabernet Franc; everything is done by hand at this 7 hectare domaine and the farming is strictly organic, without copper sulfate. The whites are aged in small, used barrels and have a certain creaminess and weight that magically balances their high acidity and intense minerality, while the reds are generally light, low in alcohol and high in refreshing pleasure. Bottling is done by hand, without pumping and without added sulfur.
The news in August from Christophe was not good, but his attitude is admirable..."So here, the climatology was catastrophic for more than two months, very little sun and a lot of rain and humidity. In short, this really rotten summer obviously generated an explosion of mildew in the vines. It's a shame, because I had pretty much gotten through the freezes and hail that fell really very close to here. Today the crop is devastated and I will not organize a harvest for the 2021 vintage. But it's not that big of a deal, because 2019 and 2020 have really been two great years. So I still have in the cellar, a lot of wines in vinification and aging."
We hope to have "Haut Plessis," "La Flou," "Bulottes" and who knows what other special cuvées arriving in 2022, so stay tuned and in the meantime enjoy the magical, natural glou-glou of "Rossignoux," "Les Ormeaux" and "Pochetières!" (Our first delivery sold-out quickly, additional inventory arrives 11/16.)
For those of you seeking to drink more "naturally," we've included a few of our favorite exmples from the Loire Valley, all produced with organically-grown grapes and bottled with zero or minimal added SO2. Enjoy!
