THOMAS BOUTIN
FRANCE, LOIRE, ANJOU
Thomas Boutin produces charming, glittering expressions of his three hectares over schist and sandstone in Anjou. We're thrilled to have them back.
One of the first producers we worked with in Anjou, Thomas works organically across 2 hectares in Rochefort-sur-Loire and 1 hectare in Saint Aubin. We've just received new vintages of three cuvées that he refines each year with careful consideration, along with his 2010 moelleux TOPAZE and tiny quantities of EXTAZE - a rare cuvee produced when Topaze ferments dry.
Determined to keep his approach small-scale and intervention minimal, Thomas tackles most jobs among the vines by hand, alone. Thomas works in the cellar with no additions besides a minimal dose of sulphur at bottling if he feels the wines require some protection against oxygen.
We've just received CHARABIA - light, floral and fresh. Thomas' easy-drinker, majority Chardonnay with a splash of Chenin. CELISANE is his calling-card Chenin, four of his' five plots are picked for this one, with vines between 30–80 years old. The 2020 is incredibly long, and generous, with a direct, mineral attack. QUILLETTE is his blend of semi-carbo Gamay, Cab-Franc & Grolleau. 2020 is on the fruit, with a pleasing grip of tannin holding things in place.
Charmers all round, feeling very appropriate for Autumn's cool evenings.
AVAILABLE NOW
WHITE
2020 - Charabia - Chardonnay, Chenin
85% Chardonnay and 15% Chenin from a parcel that ripens earlier than the four picked for Celsiane. Pressed to fibreglass, and assembled mid-fermentation. Aged 10 months on the lees.
2020 - Celsiane - Chenin
Hand harvested from four micro-parcels, two averaging 40 years old, two averaging 80 years old, in Rochefort sur Loire and Saint Aubin. Saint Aubin is heavy with schist and quartz, Rochefort moreso with black schist and sandstone. Pressed slowly and oxidatively over 12 hours to fibregalss, fermentation lasted one year.
2018 - Extaze - Chenin
From the old parcel in Saint Aubin picked for Topaze, botrytised grapes selected over three weeks. Fermentation lasted two years and the wine fermented to dry, aged for 24 months on the lees before bottling as the very-limited-release 'Extaze' - rich, dense and unfolding, incredibly special stuff.
RED
2020 - Quillette - Gamay, Cab Franc & Grolleau
Hand-harvested from all of Thomas' parcels where you'll find his red varieties dotted among his Chenin. A fairly even split of Gamay and Cab Franc with Grolleau making up the remaining 15%. Macerated and fermented separately as whole bunches for about two weeks. Aged 9 months on the lees before assembling in spring and bottling.
SWEET
2010 - Topaze - Chenin
Picked and sorted over three weeks, botrytised Chenin Blanc from one old parcel in Saint Aubin de Luigné. Assembled during fermentation, and aged 36 months on the lees.
