Domaine de la Fontainerie, Vouvray Brut, 2022

Vintage: 2022
(Note: While the domaine regularly releases a non-vintage (NV) Brut base, specific top years like the exceptional 2022 vintage are declared as single-vintage releases)

Viticulture & Terroir

Terroir
Grapes are sourced from hillsides featuring a thin layer of clay-limestone soil directly overlying the region's famous deep tuffeau (limestone) bedrock, interspersed with distinct veins of flint (silex).

Vintage Conditions
The 2022 vintage in the Loire Valley was highly acclaimed, characterized by excellent sun exposure that yielded fully ripe grapes with concentrated sugars while remarkably preserving the grape's essential structural acidity.

Harvest
Strictly hand-harvested to select only pristine, unbroken clusters, preventing early oxidation before pressing.

Winemaking & Production

Primary Fermentation
The base wine undergoes its first fermentation gently in seasoned oak barrels using indigenous, local yeasts to build a complex, textured baseline.

Secondary Fermentation
Bottled with a precision dosage to spark secondary fermentation inside the bottle.

Cave Aging
The bottles are aged on their fine lees deep within the estate’s subterranean, high-humidity troglodyte limestone caves. This extensive contact with the lees yields fine, persistent bubbles and develops autolytic notes (brioche and pastry).

Eye
Pours a beautiful pale gold color with a lively, fine-beaded mousse.
Nose
The bouquet is highly expressive, blending the classic Chenin character of green apple, crisp pear, and citrus zest with sophisticated layers of warm brioche, subtle vanilla, and a distinct chalky, wet-stone minerality.
Palate
The palate is clean and crisp, driven by vibrant acidity but anchored by a creamy, expansive mid-palate and a lingering, fresh finish.

Pairing
An outstanding aperitif wine. It pairs beautifully with fresh oysters, light seafood starters, lean grilled river fish, or rich charcuterie boards where the crisp effervescence cuts cleanly through the fat.