Description

Chinon Les Picasses from Château de Coulaine is a wine produced from south-facing plots. Aromas of juicy red fruits blend with subtle floral notes and hints of spice. On the palate, ripe fruit and almost velvety tannins dominate, all supported by a beautifully balanced structure. This full-bodied cuvée charms with its warm character, making it the ideal companion for traditional Centre-Loire cuisine. This seductive wine should reach maturity soon and will continue to improve over the next ten years.

In the vineyard, in the cellar

A 2.4-hectare plot of 100% clay-limestone on yellow tuffeau, in the legendary Picasses terroir (Beaumont-en-Véron). A vineyard-covered hillside, north-south facing. The plots for this cuvée enjoy full sun exposure: on the top of the hillside, well-ventilated, and on the southern slope. 100% Cabernet Franc, 35-year-old vines. Hand-harvested. Traditional vinification with indigenous yeasts, maceration in concrete vats. Malolactic fermentation in barrels during ageing. The wine is neither fined nor filtered and very lightly sulphited if necessary. Aged for 11 months in oak barrels (1/3 new, 1/3 aged for one vintage, 1/3 aged for two vintages), then blended in vats until bottling.

The estate has been certified organic since 1997. However, the process began much earlier, as the desire to work the soil mechanically and without using herbicides had already taken root since the estate’s re-establishment in 1989. Efforts are being made to reduce soil tillage between the rows. This includes preserving the natural ground cover or sowing mixtures of plants that provide nutrients for the vines. Additionally, pheromone traps are being used to combat the proliferation of grape-damaging moths.

What to eat with a Chinon Les Picasses from Château de Coulaine?

FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS

Roast duck – Roast beef with vegetables – Grilled and stewed red meats – Venison chops – Leg of lamb – Game.