VDF "Autochtone" (White) 2020

This is 100% Romorantin, a rare grape grown almost exclusively in a small corner of the eastern Touraine, the area surrounding Cheverny. It is a sibling of Chardonnay, but with more minerality. It is often described as a cross between Chenin and Savagnin with a hint of Sauvignon freshness. It has both citrus and savoury notes, with marked acidity and just a whisper of oxidation. Textured, slightly tannic and a true delight. A must-try wine for Loire lovers.

Julien Courtois is the eldest son of one of the leaders of biodynamic grape farming in the Loire. In a small 5 ha estate called Clos de la Bruyère in the Sologne, Julien and his wife Heidi Kuka craft energetic wines filled with life and express the purest flavours of often-overlooked grapes. These are wines made with the utmost passion– from the vine to the bottle each stage of production follows, without compromise, a singular vision of natural winemaking. The idea is to return to the practices of generations past, using historic native varieties and the lowest intervention methods possible.

Terroir: Silica in surface and clay with flint (silex) in depth.

Average age of vines: 15 years old

Vinification: Grapes harvested manually at full maturity and controlled yields. Julien always presses the whites with the stems. Naturally fermented in old oak barrels and aged for 18 months in old oak. Only one racking, no filtration, no fining.

Match it with: Fresh shellfish, sushi, baked fish with lemon, blue cheeses, nuts.