Bourgueil Vingt Lieux Dits

Twenty different vineyard sites are combined in this wine, all of which grow on clay soil, naturally on slopes. Clay gives the wine substance and body, but we'll come to that in a moment. First, I'd like to tell you briefly what the Gauthiers do in the cellar, even though there are no major differences between their wines in terms of cellar work. The Cabernet Franc grapes are completely destemmed and then macerated for 15 to 20 days. Unlike the Jour de Soif, the Vingt Lieux Dits undergoes “pigage” in addition to “remontage,” in which the cap of pomace is pressed down with a wooden stamp so that the skins, which tend to float on the juice, are repeatedly immersed in it. This wine is also fermented spontaneously, without the addition of yeast – yeast is everywhere, on our hands, on the grapes, in the fermentation vats and barrels, in the air, simply everywhere, which is why winemakers who work cleanly can dispense with the addition of cultivated yeast. The Vingt Lieux Dits is aged in 600-liter oak barrels that have previously stored at least two or three wines and are therefore practically aroma-neutral. This wine is magnificent, shining deep ruby red in the glass and smelling of black fruits, cassis, and mulberries, with spicy components and notes of licorice completing this mysterious, dark aroma. The sensation on the palate is heavenly, with the finest tannins and an elegant texture that stimulates the salivary glands, ending super juicy and, for a “small” wine, damn pure and clear, refreshing and so different from its Italian counterparts. Elegance is the keyword.