Wine Region: Loire Valley - France
Grape: 100% Chenin.
Tasting notes: "Le Petit Chenin is a new wine from the estate made from young vines from some of the castle's best south-facing fields. The subsoil here is mostly clay and contributes to the wine's fullness. All grapes are hand harvested and vinified in 500L oak barrels. Pale gold with hints of green, floral, acacia aromas followed by zesty acidity, full weight, rich, a little honey, white peach and a textured mount-feel, acidity and ripe fruit elegantly balanced with a mineral finish. Fresh with lively fruit and a gentle influence of oak. This combines lovely honeyed richness with zesty and fresh acidity." Philippe Germain
About the winery: In 1996, Philippe Germain’s father, Bernard, bought Château de Fesles along with Château de la Guimonière and Château de la Roulerie from pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre. Lenôtre had bought these wineries in a fit of enthusiasm in 1991 following the wonderful vintages of 1989 and 1990, which unfortunately were followed by the severely frosted 1991, and very mediocre 1992, 1993, and 1994. Making great sweet wines in the Loire is risky. Fesles and Guimonière were sold off and Bernard kept Château de la Roulerie. In 2004, Philippe took full control and implemented winemaking at the Domaine, after renovation of all the buildings and installation of the equipment.
The domaine has a total of 42 hectares, 38 of them planted, divided between La Roulerie and Les Grandes Brosses, for a total of 17 parcels. The vines are planted at a dense 4500 plants per hectare on schistose soils, ideal for fine wine production. The vineyards are all on the slopes and oriented South-Southwest, critical for even ripening in this northerly vineyard.
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