Vouvray "Trois Argiles"

2020
France
Loire

100% Chenin Blanc. "Trois Argiles" or "three clays" is named for the 3 parcels of Pinon's most clay-forward soils which go into this demi-sec bottling. They lie on an east-facing plateau and tend to be cooler and slower-ripening thanks to the water-retaining soils. Overall the Pinon vines average 45 years old and have been certified organic since 2007. "Trois Argiles" is made identically to the other demi-sec terroir bottling, "Silex Noir". The bunches are harvested by hand, rigorously sorted and directly pressed. The juice flows by gravity into underground tanks for a spontaneous native-yeast fermentation that lasts 2-3 months and stops naturally in Pinon's cold cellar. The wine is aged on its fine lees for 4-5 months in a variety of old oak ranging from 500-liter demi-muids to 20-hectoliter foudres. The 2020 finished with 20 grams RS and 5.1 grams acidity.

 

93 points
"This is tightly wound and bright, with nice purity to the Bosc pear and green almond notes, hints of fennel seed and singed lemon peel accents. Finely beaded acidity and minerality create an invigorating backbone, with the orchard fruit notes returning on the finish, meeting hints of sea salt. Leaves a spicy aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2031. 300 cases imported. "
Alecks Zecevic,
Wine Spectator
November 2020
92 points
"The Pinons’ 2018 les Trois Argiles, produced from predominantly clay soils over a base rock of tuffeau, As is the case with the Silex Noir cuvée from the family, this wine usually is allowed to find its own sweetness level during vinification, with the range generally between Sec and Demi-Sec, but in the warm summer of 2018, it seems just a touch sweeter than customary Demi-Sec levels. The wine is lovely nonetheless, offering up a ripe and complex nose of sweet quince, apple, a fine base of soil tones, lanolin, a touch of honeycomb and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and complex, with a lovely core and soil signature, very good acidity and a long, moderately sweet and beautifully balanced finish. Like the 2018 Silex Noir below, this is like a light Moelleux in sweetness level in this vintage, but absolutely lovely. 2021-2055+. "
John Gilman,
View From The Cellar
May-June 2021

SKU/Code: 
DB8926-20
Product Line: 
Wine
White
Varietal: 
Chenin Blanc
Farming Type: 
Organic