{"product_id":"francois-chidaine-rose-of-gamay-grolleau-pinot-noir-touraine-loire-valley-fr-2025","title":"François Chidaine - Rosé of Gamay, Grolleau, Pinot Noir - Touraine, Loire Valley, FR - 2025","description":"\u003ch2\u003eNotes from the Winery\/Importer\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGamay, Grolleau, Pinot Noir\nFarming\nBiodynamic, No\/Low till, regenerative viticulture\nVinification\nSkin contact, Stainless Steel Vat Fermented \u0026amp; Aged\nSoil Type\nChalky Limestone, Clay, Gravelly loam\nProduced from equal parts of these varietals, the fruit for this wine comes from Chidaine’s estate-grown, bio-dynamically farmed vineyards located just north of the Cher river between the villages of Montrichard \u0026amp; Chissay-en-Touraine.\nThe nose of gooseberries has some some floral notes is followed by a medium-full wine with a chalky texture. Excellent acidity and beautiful tension bring up the solid mineral core. Very refreshing, but surprisingly complex, this is a perennial favorite where supply never is sufficient for demand. Amazing value and very food friendly!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNotes on the Producer\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrançois Chidaine is one of the Loire Valley’s great success stories. After finishing viticultural school in the mid-1980s, François went to work alongside his father, Yves, who had only four hectares of rented vineyard land in the appellation of Montlouis, in the Touraine. When Yves retired in 1989, he passed the torch to François. Early on, François developed clever contracts with the owners of the vineyards he worked, allowing him an option to buy should the property ever come up for sale. In 1999, his wife, Manuéla, joined him and set up La Cave Insolite, a tasting room and wine shop. Soon after, he started experimenting with organic and biodynamic farming, and by 2003, he was certified in both methods of farming.  When in 2002, he and his cousin Nicolas Martin bought Vouvray’s prestigious Clos Baudoin, and in 2006 he bought several of the parcels he had been renting, this small artisan farmer became one of the Loire Valley’s most serious players.\n\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe majority of François’ terroirs are situated in Montlouis, with more in neighboring Vouvray, and additional land in the Touraine appellation, totaling more than 30 hectares. Before Montlouis had earned its own AOC in the 1950s, it was considered the lesser part of Vouvray due to the higher quantities of gravel and sand in the soil. In truth, there is a striking minerality derived from the flinty soils of Montlouis that has since given the appellation its own reputation for excellence. While François is a darling of the organic and biodynamic movements, he is by no means interested in indicating as much on the labels. Instead, he focuses on keeping his 40- to 80-year-old vines healthy and yields low, averaging 35 hl\/ha. He follows the almanac developed by biodynamic legend, Maria Thun, which looks at both the solar and lunar calendars to establish the best timing for specific vine treatments. He and his team harvest the entire crop by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes are pressed gently and are vinified on wild yeasts in both barrels and demi-muids. François seeks slow alcoholic fermentations that last all winter long, and avoids malolactic fermentations when possible. The cold limestone cellars allow the wines to develop more layers of complexity, which are simply unattainable when the process is rushed.  Slow cuvaisons produce an antioxidant blanket of carbon dioxide, which allows the winemaker to put off adding sulfur to the wine, thereby lowering the total amount needed. Many of the wines age for 12 months on their lees before bottling. The sparkling Montlouis Brut also goes through alcoholic fermentation in demi-muids for more than five months, after which it is bottled and aged on its lees for 12 months to produce a delicious Chenin Blanc likely to impress devoted Champagne drinkers. In addition to their Montlouis and Vouvrays, the Chidaines also produce some stunning red and white wines from their Touraine vineyards just outside the Montlouis AOC. With such special care given to every step of the process, it’s no wonder that they sell out their stock within just a few months of bottling. We are lucky to receive these wines, as they remain some of the best values on the market today.\u003cbr\u003e-Beaune Wine Imports\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrapes \u0026amp; Style\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGamay\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGamay is the red grape of Beaujolais, and one of the best arguments for light-bodied red wine that still has energy, detail, and real character. It’s genetically related to Pinot Noir through the same Pinot and Gouais Blanc parentage, but it has its own personality: more immediate, more exuberant, and often more forgiving at the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the vineyard, Gamay buds early and can be productive, so yield control matters. It thrives on the granitic soils of Beaujolais, especially in the crus, where it can move from juicy and playful to structured and quietly serious. It’s also found in the Loire and a few other cool-to-moderate regions where freshness is easy to preserve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the glass, Gamay often shows red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, violet, pepper, and a bright, mouthwatering lift. Some versions are simple and gulpable; the best cru Beaujolais can be savory, mineral, and surprisingly ageworthy. It’s a grape we love for its ability to be joyful without being unserious.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGrolleau\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrolleau is an old Loire red grape, most closely associated with Anjou and Touraine. For a long time it was treated more as a workhorse for pale, easy rosé than as a grape worth taking seriously, but that reputation has changed as more growers have started farming it carefully and bottling it on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the vineyard, Grolleau can be productive, so the better wines usually come from restrained yields and thoughtful handling. It tends to make naturally lighter-colored wines with fresh acidity and moderate alcohol, which makes it especially useful for the kind of Loire reds that feel bright, crunchy, and immediate rather than heavy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the glass, Grolleau often shows red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, black tea, pepper, and a little earthy or herbal edge. The best examples are light but not simple: juicy, savory, refreshing, and quietly distinctive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePinot Noir\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePinot Noir is one of the old noble red grapes of Burgundy, and still the variety most associated with the Côte d’Or’s ability to translate small differences in site into meaningfully different wines. It’s been known under older names like Morillon, Noirien, and Auvernat, and its history reaches back to medieval northern France. Over time, the Pinot family produced or revealed a whole set of mutations — Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Teinturier, Pinot Noir Précoce — but Pinot Noir remains the central red expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the vineyard, it’s famously sensitive. It buds early, so spring frost can be a real issue, and it ripens early enough that warm climates can push it too fast, leaving thin-skinned berries prone to shrivel and sunburn. It prefers temperate climates, calcareous-clay soils, and careful yield control. It’s also susceptible to mildew, botrytis, virus pressure, and plenty of other vineyard headaches, which is part of why great Pinot has such a fragile, hard-won quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the glass, Pinot Noir is rarely about sheer power. At its best, it’s relatively pale, aromatic, and finely structured, with red-fruit notes like cherry and raspberry when young, often moving toward more savory, autumnal, earthy, mushroomy, or truffle-like tones with age. The better examples are compelling because they carry delicacy without feeling thin — fruit, perfume, texture, and place all held in a lighter frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Satellite SB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49019878965499,"sku":"00077482","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0403\/3655\/6193\/files\/c00069431e9e9daa19316a470934095b_3e61c5e5-ab66-4a11-b9a1-8c1d2e9e38a1.jpg?v=1782862329","url":"https:\/\/satellitesb.com\/products\/francois-chidaine-rose-of-gamay-grolleau-pinot-noir-touraine-loire-valley-fr-2025","provider":"Satellite SB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}