philippe foreau vouvray sec 2020

"philippe foreau has been in vouvray since 1983, his first vintage. he represents the third generation on the family estate, which now covers 12 hectares. independent and not attached to any school, philippe foreau strives to get the best out of his flinty clay terroir, to produce wines with a perfect balance ""between the earth and the sky"". the winegrower has been practicing organic farming for decades, and is in the process of conversion since 2021 (the first certified vintage will be 2024). two traditions have been preserved: never malolactic fermentation (which would erase the minerality and the sharpness of the wine) and a work under wood precisely proportioned, thanks to original barrels, of about thirty years. his wines are all fermented in wood for six months, matured for a short time and bottled in april-may, without chaptalisation, acidification or yeasting. dry, semi-dry or mellow depending on the year, the wines stamped ""clos naudin"" are always very deep, mineral and the perfect expression of their terroir. the sweet wines are available in two rare cuvées: ""classique"" (raisined grapes on vines, with 50 to 80 g of sugar) and ""réserve"" (botrytised grapes, 110 to 220 g of sugar, about 2 vintages out of 10). the wines of the estate are all of excellent quality and are made for gastronomy, in a rich style with very good aromatic persistence. his son vincent took over the family estate, adding his personal touch to his father's work. unquestionably one of the greatest names in vouvray, a sure bet. the dry vouvray is a cuvée made from 100% chenin blanc grown on flinty clay soils, typical of the estate. the vines have been cultivated according to organic principles for decades and are in the process of conversion (since 2021). in the cellar, the vinification is not very interventionist. the alcoholic fermentation is triggered by indigenous yeasts, in old barrels. there is no malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the freshness of the wines. chaptalisation and acidification are obviously banned. the maturation is short, since the bottling takes place before the summer. the original barrels (300 litres) are old (only 5% new barrels). on tasting, it is a wine of great freshness, depth and exceptional purity. reflecting the terroir and the vintage, this wine has a pale colour and a fresh nose with lemony and mineral aromas. enjoy this wine cool (12°c) and without decanting it (vincent foreau's advice). it will go wonderfully with iodine flavours in particular, to recall the salinity of the wine."