Domaine Pichot Vouvray Moelleux Le Marigny 2020

Variety: Chenin Blanc
Country, Region: France, Loire Valley
Appellation: Vouvray

From the superb première coteau vineyard site located just above the village, across the valley from Le Clos du Bourg. A gently sweet moelleux with residual sugar around 70 grams per litre making this a wine that will match with so many desserts rather than competing with them for sweetness. Also goes superbly with many rich cheeses and has a special affinity with Forme d'Ambert blue from the nearby Auvergne region: the cheese is actually injected with Vouvray Moelleux during its ageing process! Drinking well now and will age effortlessly for decades.

”A 10-hectare parcel produces the fruit for the nobly rotted 2020 Vouvray Moelleux Le Marigny. It's relatively aromatic, offering up florals, orange and apricots on the nose. On the palate, it's round and sweet and super easy to like, sitting comfortably in the mouth like honey.” 89 points, Vinous Media, March 2021

'Less well known than Huet or Clos Naudin, the Pichots merit as much praise.' Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France, La Revue de Vins de France.

The Pichot family is one of the oldest in Vouvray with origins as restaurateurs going back to 1739 later followed by the purchase of the superb Coteau de la Biche vineyards in 1770 establishing them as growers to help supply the restaurant. Their vineyard holdings are mostly located all at the top of the village with the largest holding which makes up their classic Coteau de la Biche in the prime Vallee de Nouys which is perfectly sited for making drier styles of wine and faces south-east. The Pichot family also own most of the “premiere coteau” site of Le Marigny located just above the village opposite Clos du Bourg. These are quite simply regarded as being amongst the very best vineyard sites of the appellation.

All vineyards are farmed organically with grasses grown between the rows to reduce the uptake of moisture and vigour to the vines. The average age of vines is high with the Clos Cartaud vines around 75 years old. While Vouvray as a whole produces about 40% sparkling wines and 60% still wines at Domaine Pichot more than 85% are still wines made into sec, demi-sec or moelleux and less than 15% being made as sparkling wines. The style of the wines here is among the driest of the appellation for each style with sec typically being from 3-7 gms/litre residual and demi-sec from 13-17 gms/litre with moelleux most often around 60 gms/litre. Harvesting is mostly done by hand and yields are kept low at an average 25 hl/ha.

One of the first domaines of Vouvray to export to the U.S.A. Domaine Pichot are perhaps better known in export markets than at home in France as Christophe spends most of his time ‘hands-on’ in the vineyards and winery and being such a small producer he is very focused for each step of production. Domaine Pichot are very well known for the brilliant quality of the stunning sweet wines, although their dry and demi-sec wines are also superb. Right across the range these are remarkable wines that will age effortlessly for decades (as vintages back to 1950’s very generously shared from the family cellar have demonstrated) and will also provide great satisfaction from a young age.