Welcome to the smallest appellation from Touraine.
The wine-farm
Located in Touraine, in Esvres between the Cher and Indre river, Bernard and Michel Rousseau cultivate 19 ha of grapevine, mostly in the appellation Touraine Noble Joue. Winegrowers for 4 generations and attached to our wine growing region, we cultivate our vineyard on the integrated agriculture principle.
Grapevines are planted with grass to preserve the biologocal life of the soil, the grape processings are low-dose and in biocontrol in order to maintain the ecological balance. We associate tradition, modernity and creativity in the respect of our wine growing region to elaborate our wines.
Soils
We are located on a plateau above the Indre. Grapevines are mainly established on a clay-limestone soil (old lake limestone of Touraine characterized by stones and flint clay) for our breeding vatful and on a very pebble-strewn sand-siliceous soil for the others vatfuls.
These are ideal soils for the Pinots which found in here their balance and a perfect soil-grape variety alliance.
Touraine Noble Joué
It is a 3 pinots, known as “noble”, blending:
• The Pinot Meunier : 50 to 60 % brings fruit.
• The Pinot Gris or Malvoisie : 30 to 40 % brings body and strength. It will give a sweet wine, called Malvoisie, if it is late-harvested.
• The Pinot Noir : 10 to 20 % brings finesse.
It is nicknamed “grey wine” because of its reflects. Production remains confidential since it is made on some forty hectares by 5 winegrowers.
The wine begins its production from the ninth century. It is told to be served on Louis XI table in his castle of Plessis les Tours. It expanded over the centuries, until its peak in the early 20th century. 1929 frost and phylloxera had a distructive effect, as the development of the Tours metropolitan area.
We need to wait until 2001 for the Noble Joué to be recognize as an AOC.
Malvoisie
Malvoisie is the name given to a group of grape variety which come from the same-name peninsula in Greece, in the south of Peloponese (used to be named Monemvasia).
This syrupy white wine faced a fashion in all Europa during the Middle Ages.
According to a popular region, Georges Plantagenêt, Duke of Clarence, sentenced to death for plotted against his brother the King of England Edouard the IX, would have chosen to die drowned in a baril of this wine. During the 19th century, Malvoisie was as famous as Noble Joué and was considered as the White Noble Joué. Nowadays, the appellation remains regional.
The word Malvoisie is used especially in the Swiss Valais, in Savoie and in the Loire Valley only for a wine made from Pinot Gris.
The grapes are small and compact, and the berries are pink grey.