Vin Orange, Vin de Macération VdF 2021

Wine Description for Vin Orange Vin de Macération VdF 2021 by du Bouchot

Colour & Appearance

Astonishingly pale straw yellow – surprisingly restrained for a wine that macerated on skins for five months. An Vin Orange with unusual elegance and transparency.

Nose

Refreshingly straightforward and noticeably less herbaceous than typical Loire Sauvignons from this vintage. Pomelo and ginger lead, followed by apple and fine apple skin. A pleasant floral perfume lends the bouquet finesse and depth.

Palate

Here the true class of this maceration wine reveals itself: weighty, yet never demanding. The skin extract and liquorice notes form a dense foundation, whilst a subtle bitterness creates tension. The cool vintage acidity has been beautifully integrated through the élevage. Remarkable is the mineral intensity of the Caillottes soils, which expresses itself in juiciness and aromatic complexity.

Finish

Medium-length with fine limestone minerality that lingers. The bitterness of the skins carries through and lends structure, without dominating.

Terroir & Origin

From the small parcel Les Coûtes du Bout on the Loire, where 45-year-old Sauvignon vines are rooted in Caillottes – limestone soils from Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian chalk. Biodynamic viticulture under the direction of Antoine Gouffier.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Sauvignon Blanc. Complete vinification in wood with five months of skin maceration, gentle pressing, followed by a further six months‘ élevage in the same barrels. Gouffier’s philosophy: „We don’t make red wines – so we do a maceration for fun.“

Food Pairing Suggestions

Pan-seared scallops with chorizo and orange beurre blanc, brown crab risotto with fennel fronds or roasted golden beetroot with salt and fennel pollen. The wine harmonises with the sweetness of seafood just as well as with earthy vegetable aromas.

Special Characteristics

An approachable, elegant introduction to the world of Orange Wines – without dogmatism, with plenty of drinkability. Proves that skin maceration need not be radical to be interesting.