Le Vau Renou 2018 - Domaine Amirault

Le Vau Renou 2017 -  Domaine Amirault

Loire - St Nicolas de Bourgeuil - Wine from the Agnès and Xavier Amirault estate

• Score : 93/100 Parker
• Cellaring potential: Drink now to 2037.
• Stephan Reinhardt's tasting on October 14, 2021: "The 2018 St Nicolas de Bourgueil Le Vau Renou comes from two vineyards on the gentle slopes of St Nicolas, one on chalk, the other at 100 meters, 15 meters higher in altitude and with clay and flint soils. The wine has a dark cherry color and opens with a deep, pure, refined and elegant bouquet of black fruits, flint, meat and spices. Intense yet fresh and refined on the palate, this is a full-bodied, vital and fine Cabernet Franc with remarkably fine tannins and perfectly ripe and elegant fruit. Perfectly balanced, the finish is pure but intense and long, and the tannins that structure this powerful wine should allow it to age for at least 15 years, although it is already impressive today. Compared to the beautiful Le Fondis, this one is perhaps more plummy, softer and less tense. Tasted in March 2021". 

THE ESTATE TELLS YOU ABOUT IT

• "Origin and Originality: Located on the hillside of Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil where the historical cellars of the Domaine are located, in the place called: Le Vau Renou. There are 2 parcels here.  One is on a limestone soil, called Tuffeau, which also constitutes the walls of the cellar. The other one, 100m further and 15m higher in altitude, is made of green clay with flint.
• Vineyard management : On this type of soil, clay and limestone, it is important not to compact them and to avoid the erosion of these beautiful hillside soils. For this reason, the winegrowers favor natural grassing and we limit the amount of soil work. At the beginning of winter, they put shoes on the foot of the vines to protect them from winter frosts. The objective is to maintain a natural balance so that the vine does not suffer brutally from the weather (drought, heavy rain). This balance is also obtained by a small amount of "home-made" compost that receives biodynamic preparations. In the spring, thanks to the natural flora, the grass cover is balanced with the vigor of the vine in order to produce wines of great typicity. They reduce the use of "Bordeaux mixture" thanks to the association of plants (meadowsweet, nettle, yarrow, dandelion, horsetail) that they pick themselves and infuse before applying them. The vineyard is harvested by hand by them, with a first sorting on the stump, so that the fruits arrive in their cellar in perfect sanitary condition.
• Vinification and Maturing : The goal is to harvest a perfectly healthy grape at optimal maturity. The harvest is destemmed and sorted a second time. They use only the indigenous yeasts of each parcel. They vinify without any input and with indigenous yeasts! 50% of the grapes are directly introduced into the 500L barrels (demi-muids) in "integral vinification" and 50% in fermenters.
• After 3 to 5 weeks of "infusion", the winemakers will pour the free-run juice into Ateliers center France and Saury barrels, of 228L (25%) and 500L (50%) and in amphoras (25%). The wine will be matured for 24 to 30 months in barrels and clay amphorae at ideal temperature and hygrometry in the Vau Renou cellars.

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