Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Loire Valley, France
Farming: Organic
In 2013, longtime friends Nicolas Grosbois and Philippe Mesnier purchased 12 hectares of vines in Azay-le-Rideau, an excellent though relatively unknown terroir located a few kilometers east of Chinon. They immediately began farming all the vines organically, and set about on an ambitious project to reintroduce the wines of Azay-le-Rideau. Most of the vineyards are located in Azay-le-Rideau on the lieu-dit "Hauts Baigneux." The domaine also owns a two hectare plot in Saché, close to the former studio of famed American artist Alexander Calder. The wines of Domaine des Hauts Baigneux are all produced with natural yeast, and bottled with minimal intervention. The cuvées Les Chenes and Les Pentes are delicious vins de soif that showcase the best of Loire Valley. The sparkling wines are fantastic bottles of everyday bubbles, and the single vineyard Chenin Blancs are a testament to the towering quality of this terroir.
Food Pairing: Late summer produce filled salad would go great with this wine as well as any light shellfish dish.