Domaine Stéphane Guion, 2017 Bourgueil "Cuvée Domaine"
Cab Franc du Jour #38
Domaine Stéphane Guion was established by Stéphane’s family in the 1950s, and the estate has been farmed organically since 1965, a remarkably forward-thinking commitment to holistic viticulture that was far ahead of its time. They farm 8.5 hectares in the commune of Benais.
Benais is the commune in the Bourgueil AOP set furthest back from the Loire River, situated just north of Restigné and bordered by the Changeon River to the west and the Benais forest to the north and northeast, which provides important protection from the cold northerly winds. It is a small commune of around 950 people and 18 vignerons.
The Bourgueil AOP divides into three broad terroir groups. Closest to the Loire are the recent alluvial terroirs of sand, silt, and clay. Further north, predominantly in the communes of Bourgueil and Restigné, the ancient alluvial terroirs of sandy-gravelly soils over limestone bedrock take over. Finally, the côte, the slopes, are defined by the Turonian-era tuffeau limestone soils. In Benais, all of the lieux-dits are situated on the côte, and as a result the wines of this commune are regarded as the most structured in the appellation.
The Cuvée Domaine is drawn from parcels across four lieux-dits in Benais: Les Marquises, Les Caveries, La Maupas, and Les Chavannes, all of which carry south or southeast-facing exposures. The parcels used for this wine are planted with younger vines of around 20 to 30 years of age, with approximately 20 to 30cm of clay-limestone topsoil before the tuffeau limestone bedrock is reached.
The wine sees a relatively short maceration of about 15 days and is both vinified and aged entirely in stainless steel.
Wine Details
Producer: Domaine Guion
Appellation: Bourgueil
Commune: Benais
Lieux-Dits: Les Marquises, Les Caveries, Le Maupas, Les Chavannes
Soil: Tuffeau chalk subsoil with stony clay-limestone topsoil
Alcohol: 12%