Tasting notes:
Les Coteaux Tufiers, Vouvray. A deliciously off-dry style of Chenin Blanc with aromas of just-picked walnuts, a hint of lime and ripe melon notes. The palate is honeyed with cooked apple and agave. The sweetness is perfectly integrated and balanced, resulting in a refreshing wine with good length.
Food match:
So versatile! On its own or fantastic with cheese (especially goat’s cheese), and with fish – hot smoked trout or mackerel would work well, as would Thai flavoured prawns and any brightly spiced Asian dishes.
Producer:
Boutinot source their Vouvray Les Coteaux Tufiers directly from growers in the heart of the Vouvray region and have been doing so for over 20 years. Their old vine Chenin Blanc plots lie on chalky, tufa-laden plateaux (‘Les Coteaux Tufiers’) above the Premieres Côtes de Vouvray. Grapes are hand harvested at optimum ripeness to ensure a good sugar level which is necessary for the Demi-Sec style. Cool vinification is followed by élevage on fine lees to ensure maximum concentration. The wine is grown and vinified sustainably, achieving HVE3 certification.
Like all good stories, that of Boutinot France is both long and a little bit complicated! Boutinot began as a tiny importer in 1980, specialising in French wines. Paul Boutinot himself began by personally selecting the wines from France, back in the UK he would unload the trailer by hand, and deliver the crates of wines to customers himself. But good things grow and by the end of the decade we had become a bigger and better company. A company that not only sought out great wines but made them too.
Ten years later, Boutinot France was founded in January 1990. The first office was in the middle of the vines in Julienas; perfectly located to navigate the Beaujolais and Mâcon regions on the quest to make beautiful wines. Samantha Bailey, who started as a wine enthusiast, was there at the beginning of this adventure. Since then, she has grown into their Master Blender and has key responsibilities: building long-standing relationships, tasting, understanding the terroir and appellations, and pushing the boundaries. She is at the heart of the whole process from blending to quality assessment, making sure there is always a Boutinot touch in every cuvée.
