Domaine Xaiver et Agnès Amirault, 2019 St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil “Les Gravilices”
Cab Franc du Jour #113
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. 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, such as Les Gravilices, and others that are cuvées parcellaires sourced from a single lieu-dit.
St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Most references lump Bourgueil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil together as sharing the same terroir, and at a broad level there are certainly similarities. But the beauty lies in the details. The Bourgueil appellation stretches nearly 15km from east to west across seven communes, encompassing a wide diversity of aspects, elevations, and soils. St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, by contrast, encompasses a single commune of the same name, beginning at the western boundary of the Bourgueil commune and stretching roughly 6km further west.
A few key features distinguish the viticultural character of St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. The way the appellation is positioned along the Loire as the river begins its dogleg toward Saumur gives it a slightly south-southwest orientation overall, and its proximity to the mouth of the Vienne tributary makes it a touch warmer than the Bourgueil AOP, with harvest sometimes starting up to 10 days earlier. The ancient alluvial terrace that begins in Restigné and runs westward through Bourgueil also widens as it enters St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and as a result it accounts for roughly 65% of the appellation’s vineyard area. As the terrace expands, the zones of recent alluvium and the côte, where the tuffeau chalk-dominated soils are found, narrow considerably.
The Ancient Alluvial Terrace in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
The ancient alluvial terrace is a defining feature of the appellation. It ranges from about 1.5 to 2.5km from north to south, spans the full width of the commune, and is narrowest in the east, widening progressively as you move west. It rises gradually from around 40m above sea level at its southern edge to about 55m at the base of the côte.
The soils across the terrace are deep and predominantly sandy throughout, but the picture grows more complex when you examine the stoniness of both the topsoil and the subsoil. Three broad zones can be identified.
At the southernmost edge of the terrace, a narrow band of vineyards flanking either side of the D35 carries very stony or gravelly topsoils, with 50 to 100% stone content, over a gravelly subsoil. These sites drain very freely with lower water reserves, making them warmer and earlier-ripening, though they carry some risk of drought stress in drier years, particularly for younger vines.
Through the central portion of the terrace, a large swathe of vineyards spanning roughly 1km from north to south has virtually no stones in the topsoil and a deep subsoil of hydromorphic sands. With less free drainage and better water-holding capacity, these sites tend to be more vigorous with higher yield potential, and are slightly cooler overall.
Toward the northern part of the terrace, closest to the base of the côte, the topsoil becomes gravelly again but not to the same degree as at the southern edge, with a subsoil of gravels or sand depending on the specific location. In terms of viticultural character, including vigour, drainage, and precocity, this zone tends to sit somewhere between the other two.
Les Gravilices
As the name suggests, Les Gravilices is sourced from select parcels on that narrow, very gravelly vein of terroir at the southern base of the terrace. The cuvée draws from approximately 3.7 hectares across a handful of lieux-dits, with vines averaging around 30 to 45 years of age. A small portion of fruit from very old Cabernet Sauvignon vines also contributes to the blend.
In the Cellar
The fruit is hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and fully destemmed. Fermentation takes place in 45hl wooden vats with indigenous yeast at a maintained temperature of around 22C, with light daily pump-overs to keep the cap moist, and total skin contact of approximately three weeks. After the post-fermentation maceration, the approach to pressing is closer to how one might handle a white wine: the free-run wine is drained off, several cuts are made through the press cycle, and the heart of the press wine is blended back with the free run. Aging takes place in 45hl wooden vats for approximately 16 months, followed by six months in bottle before release.
Wine Details
Producer: Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault
Appellation: St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Commune: St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Assemblage: Approximately 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Lieux-Dits: multiple
Soils: Sandy topsoil with high percentage of gravels, over a gravelly subsoil
Alcohol: 13.0%