Domaine Amirault, 2017 St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil ‘Le Vau Renou’
Cab Franc du Jour #141
The estate was established in the 1830s when Octave Amirault purchased his first parcels in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Today it is run by Xavier Amirault and his wife Agnès, who farm 34 hectares of vines primarily in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, with some recently acquired parcels in Bourgueil, including holdings at Grand Mont in Benais. All of the estate’s vineyards have been certified organic since 2008 and biodynamic since 2011. The range of Cabernet Francs produced here is diverse, with some cuvées built on the philosophy of assemblage, blending fruit across multiple parcels, such as Les Quarterons, Les Gravilices, and the Vieilles Vignes, while others are cuvées parcellaires from a single lieu-dit. Le Fondis falls into the latter category, sourced from the ancient alluvial terrace, as does Le Vau Renou, which comes from the slopes.
The Côte in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
The slopes, or côte, in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil represent a relatively small portion of the appellation’s overall viticultural landscape, accounting for roughly one quarter of the area under vine. Because of how the Loire River begins to curve to the northwest toward Saumur, the ancient alluvial terrace widens considerably, while the zones of recent alluvium and the côte, where the tuffeau chalk-dominated soils are found, narrow significantly. The ancient alluvial terrace ultimately accounts for around 65% of the appellation’s vineyard area.
The côte stretches the full width of the appellation but narrows as you move from east to west, from roughly 600m wide just west of the Bourgueil AOP boundary to only about 300m wide past the hamlet of La Gardière. Elevations across the côte range from around 60 to 88m above sea level. While most vineyards here face south, the slope undulates in places, following the treeline, which gives some sections a southeast or southwest orientation. The forested area to the north plays an important role as well, providing shelter from the cold winds that sweep in from that direction.
Soils on the côte in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil are dominated by sandy and silty-sand topsoils of colluvial origin, varying in depth depending on location, and underlain by the Middle Turonian tuffeau chalk, the glauconitic-micaceous chalk. Scattered pockets of deeper sandy clays mixed with flint and sandstone appear in places, as do areas of deeper aeolian sands.
Le Vau Renou
The lieu-dit of Le Vau Renou spans about 21 hectares in total, of which approximately 11 hectares are planted to vine. It sits in a section of the côte just west of the hamlet of La Gardière, where the slope undulates along the treeline, giving the lieu-dit a predominantly southeast-facing orientation. Elevations range from around 65m at the base to about 88m at the top of the slope. The site sits on the Middle Turonian white tuffeau, and directly beneath and just east of the lieu-dit are the Caves du Vau Renou, a series of tuffeau caves quarried many centuries ago, the stone used to construct village buildings throughout the Loire. Today these caves serve the vignerons as cellars for aging and storing wine.
Domaine Amirault holds about 4 hectares here, divided into two adjacent parcels, both located mid-slope. One parcel sits slightly higher and is dominated by deeper, sandy green clays mixed with flint. The other has shallower topsoil of a silty-sand texture over the Middle Turonian tuffeau. The vines average around 40 years of age.
In the Cellar
The winemaking philosophy at Domaine Amirault is built around micro-vinification. The estate’s 34 hectares are divided into 58 distinct plots, and in any given vintage Xavier typically vinifies upwards of 45 separate micro-cuvées, treating each one slightly differently according to its terroir. For Le Vau Renou, the two parcels are vinified separately and blended prior to élevage. Xavier notes that the fruit from the clay parcel contributes generosity to the mid-palate, while the fruit from the tuffeau parcel brings finesse, precision, and length.
The fruit is hand-harvested and sorted up to three times between the vineyard and the cellar, then fully destemmed without crushing. Fermentation takes place in 32hl large wooden vats with indigenous yeast at around 22C, on the cooler side for a red wine. Maceration is by infusion, with a total skin contact of around three weeks. Following the post-fermentation maceration, the free-run and press wines are blended together, the two parcel vinifications are then assembled, and the wine is aged in a combination of amphora and older oak barrels of 228L and 500L, split roughly 50/50 between the two vessels, for approximately 24 to 36 months.
Wine Details
Appellation: St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Commune: St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Lieu-Dit: Le Vau Renou
Soil: Deep green sandy-clays with flint, clay-loam over the Middle Turonian tuffeau chalk
Alcohol: 12.5%