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2003 Vouvray “Trie de Vendange”
ChampalouThe ripe 2003 vintage proved ideal for producing luscious, concentrated dessert wines. This late-harvest Vouvray is the result of rigorous sorting in the vineyard, and after ten years it is generous and balanced, featuring notes of honey, brown sugar, and baked pear.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2003 |
Bottle Size: | 500mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Champalou |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Didier Champalou |
Vineyard: | 45 years average |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 10.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
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2019 Vouvray “Le Portail”
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The most serious and age-worthy of Champalou’s dry wines, it has a depth and richness of flavor that allow it to shine alongside refined cuisine.
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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The Chotards are some of the lucky few who have Sancerre parcels that are ideal for growing Pinot Noir, and theirs have been planted to Pinot for well over fifty years, so the vines are at full maturity.
2021 Vin de France Blanche
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2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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2022 Vouvray
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Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes.
Vouvray Brut
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From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.
About The Producer
Champalou
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
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2022 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
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2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
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2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
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2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236