Les Vignes du Fresche "Radiclement" Blanc, Loire Valley, France 2023

FROM STEVEN GRAF:

THE WINE: 90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay, hand picked. The grapes were slowly pressed as whole bunches in our pneumatic press and the must was racked from thevats the following day. Fermentation lasted from two weeks to a month and the wines remained on all their lees until January, when they were blended together in preparation for bottling.

THE PRODUCER: In 2022 Marc Houtin, geologist and partner at La Grange aux Belles, and Daniel Craker, former cellarmaster, and importer in Bordeaux joined together to start Les Vignes du Fresche. Their intention is to make wines that reflect the vintage and their land, on the hills of the Coteaux de la Loire in Anjou. They farm 27 hectares of vines, all situated on a plateau 93m above sea level, south of the Loire river, on sandy clay soils on a bedrock of black schist typical of the Anjou noir. The vines have been farmed organically since 2000. Marc and Daniel are committed to working sustainably and improving the estate.