2006 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Pineau d'Aunis l'Arpente

The Roussel family planted the vineyards of Close Roche Blanche on the Touraine hillsides at the end of the 19th Century and they have been in the family ever since. Catherine Roussel took over the estate in 1975, bringing on Didier Barrouillet to tend the vineyards and make the wine. The duo have converted the vineyard's poor, clay, flint and limestone soils to organic viticulture practices, becoming certified beginning with the 1995 vintage. The grapes are all hand harvested, fermented using wild yeasts and have long lies contact. They are cared for very gently through to bottling, when they are treated with CO2 instead of sulfur. The pineau d-aunis, also known as chenin noir, expresses bright bubble gum aromas on the nose, pine and cherry fruit. It is fresh and lively on the palate. Fantastic!