Tasting Notes: “Les Trois Chênes” comes from a tiny south-facing parcel of silex and sand that was planted by Vincent Ricard’s grandfather in 1947. The grapes are harvested entirely by hand, wit... h strict selection in the vineyard and winery, and are barrel-fermented, then matured in used 400-liter barrels for eight months. The 75-year-old vines, and the long maturation in neutral barrels with frequent batonnage result in the wine’s creamy, pillowy texture: a rounder and fuller counterpoint to racy Sancerre. But the wood never distracts from the aromas of ripe forelle pears, white peaches, and buckwheat honey that sometimes alternate with fleeting suggestions of blanched almonds, dried parsley, jasmine, and crème fraîche, as the nose evolves in the glass. On the palate, the briny, sea salt-seasoned flavors of ruby grapefruit, satsuma oranges and lavender are interwoven with firmly hewn salty silex minerality. Read More
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Vincent Ricard is the perfect example of the kind of winegrower I admire the most: the first in his family to estate-bottle his wines. When he took over the family estate in 1998, Vincent immediately quit the Oisly-Thésée Cave Cooperative, which had been founded by his grandfather. He never looked back—and is now one of the Loire Valley’s most admired young growers, regularly crafting wines that are the equal of any top Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. The entire harvest is bottled at the estate. There are seventeen hectares planted mostly to Sauvignon Blanc, with small parcels of Cot (Malbec), Breton (Cabernet Franc), and Gamay. The farming is entirely organic and incorporates practices learned from the discipline of biodynamics, which Vincent encountered while working with Claude Levasseur, the uncle of François Chidaine of Montlouis and Vouvray.
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The Loire River runs 635 miles from the Cévennes Mountains in southeastern France to the Atlantic Coast and flows through (or near) over 60 different appellations. During its long history, the hillsides along the banks provided well-drained soils on which to grow grapes, and the river itself provided a transportation network to outside markets. The Touraine appellation covers a broad area of land in the central Loire and encompasses many famous, smaller appellations such as Vouvray. Many interesting wines are also grown along the banks of the Cher, a small tributary of the Loire, in steep calcereous soils planted to a broad variety of grapes such as Sauvignon, Gamay Cot, and Cabernet Franc.
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The Sauvignon Blanc grape originated in France, and this vigorous vine gets its name from the French word “sauvage,” meaning “wild.” Depending on the climate and soil type, Sauvignon Blanc wines vary in terms of aromatics and flavor profile. In general, maritime and cooler climate areas, such as the Loire Valley, seem to be particularly well suited to Sauvignon Blanc. General characteristics of wines produced from this variety include citrus fruit (grapefruit and lime), and grassy or herbal aromatics, with a high acidity.
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Goat cheeses, crudité, and butter-laced seafood preparations (Coquille St. Jacques!) work very well with this wine.