Domaine du Tremblay, Les Demoiselles Tatin Reuilly Grisee 2023

100% Pinot Gris

Loire Valley, France

This Pinot Gris comes from two parcels: Les Lignis, with vines planted in 2004 (sand and gravel from the high terraces of the Arnon river, which settled on a Kimmeridgian limestone soil) and La Commanderie in Preuilly, with vines planted in 2007 on clayey gravel.

The juice macerated on the skins for one month in order to extract color and aromas, before going through a pneumatic press. After a slow fermentation and aging on the fine lees, it was filtered and bottled at the end of January. VEGAN. 1,250 cases produced.

Both generous and delicate, the nose combines the opulent scent of white flowers with those of fruits (pear, peach) and sweet spices. On the palate, the fresh attack offers delicate aromas of red fruits (redcurrant, cherry) and citrus (grapefruit), which persist in the long and generous finish. 

Jean Tatin and Chantal Wilk started the Domaines Tatin more than 20 years ago and were joined by their youngest daughter Maroussia in 2010. The property now spreads over 35 hectares of estate vineyards. The cuvées of Quincy are sold under Domaine du Tremblay and Domaine des Ballandors, and the cuvées of Reuilly under “Les Demoiselles Tatin” (4 hectares total, mostly Pinot Noir with the parcel “La Commanderie” and the rest for Sauvignon Blanc and some Pinot Gris). There are two separate cellars, one in Quincy and one in Reuilly. The total production is 170,000 to 200,000 bottles per year, with 10% reds – under the Reuilly appellation. The wines are vegan: the whites are fined with bentonite, the Reuilly is unfined.

Quincy is located just west of the famous vineyards of Sancerre in the central Loire Valley. This tiny appellation lies in the shadow of its very large neighbor Sancerre, along the River Cher. It consists of only 270 hectares of plateaux vineyards made up of old sand and gravel, shared amongst about 25 producers. This whole area of France was covered by an ancient ocean and the resulting limestone soils are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc cultivation. A pneumatic press employing low pressure is used for a controlled extraction and for preservation of the complete aromatic spectrum. The temperature controlled fermentation occurs in stainless-steel tanks with battonage of the fine lees for greater richness and texture.

Neighboring Quincy, the vineyard of Reuilly is spread over the departments of Indre and Cher and covers 300 hectares. Planted on gently sloping hillsides, the vines flourish on calcareous marl soils