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2003 Vouvray “Trie de Vendange”
Champalou

Late-harvest Vouvray is legendary. It possesses sweet lusciousness and fresh acidity, a balance that makes it immediately appealing yet allows it to age magnificently. In fact, Didier Champalou mentioned that he once enjoyed a bottle from the late 19th century! While we don’t expect you to wait that long, we do know the merits of having a great bottle or two of dessert wine on hand. Already mature, “Trie de Vendange” is one of the most unctuous and mesmerizing examples of this style, and it will only continue to improve until you pull it out for that special occasion.
—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, silex |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 10.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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Delicate, precise, and succulent at the same time, this beautiful blanc will pair well with fresh seafood and light summer salads and pastas.

2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead.

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.

2018 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
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This is the Champalous’ late-harvest wine, gently sweet yet retaining the mouthwatering acidity that Chenin from the great sites of the Loire can provide.

2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
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Gently perfumed and full of fresh berries with the bright, stony finish typical of wines from Reuilly

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.

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.

2017 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
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The singularity and beauty of Chenin Blanc really shines with a bit of age, which is what makes this wine so special to enjoy now.

2022 Jasnières
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Racy, slightly honeyed, exotically perfumed, and loaded with minerality, this wine is an excellent representation of how Chenin reacts to the local conditions.
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.
More from Loire or France
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanc Chenin “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2019 Bourgeuil “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanc Chenin “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2019 Bourgeuil “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117