By Francesca Hansen
on May 02, 2018

All About Touraine with Courtault-Tardieux

Tucked away in Thésée, just east of the city of Tours, Simon and Alain have been making stunning, honest, organically-farmed Touraine wines since they joined forces in 2009.

Courtualt+Tardieux+Rose

Touraine may often be overlooked in the middle Loire, but if only everyone made wine as meticulously as Simon and Alain, Touraine would quickly overtake some of its better-known neighbors.

All of their 16 hectares are farmed organically, everything is hand harvested, and all the wines are produced on site using native yeasts and natural processes. As Rosé season kicks into gear, we always make room for their old-vine Pineau d’Aunis rosé (55 year-old vines pictured below). The Sauvignon Blanc cuvées (Les Parcs and Les Sagères) are hallmark Loire Sauvignon Blancs, and the Red “Tradition” is a perfect weeknight red, which – surprise – ages stupendously.

…and exciting things are afoot at the Domaine: This year they added two new Sauvignon Blanc cuvées from the brand new A.O.C. “Touraine Chenonceaux” which covers just 50 hectares of the Cher river valley, near the Château de Chenonceaux. Alain Courtault was instrumental in the creation of the appellation and the domaine has two new Sauvignon Blanc cuvées that are in the new AOC with label illustrations from Alain’s son, Benjamin Courtault who’s a well-known French illustrator.

Avec vue sur le Cher comes from a parcel planted in 2002 on a steep hill overlooking the Cher river. Clay-limestone soils make for a warm, filtering soil. Expect a richer, aromatic sauvignon, with balanced salinity.

Les Maselles planted in 1996 on a vineyard that been abandoned since 1946 – no chemicals have ever seen this soil! The vines border the Cher river and a gallo-roman archeological site of Tasciaca. Les Maselles is packed with punchy minerality and a back palette spring-loaded with acidity.