Bourgueil

The AOC Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil arises from the AOC Bourgueil, but is produced only on the municipality of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. We find a unique vine used for the elaboration of red wines there: the Breton. These wines are considered as their sharpness of exception. This vineyard also counts a quite small production of rosés stemming from the same vines.

Bourgueil is a red wine appellation in the Loire Valley, made from a single grape variety: Cabernet Franc, known locally as Breton. Granted appellation status in 1937, the vineyards stretch along the right bank of the Loire around the town of Bourgueil and seven neighbouring communes, including Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, which produces a very similar style of wine under its own appellation, with slightly different soils and characteristics.

A terroir with two distinct sides

Cabernet Franc has found one of its finest French terroirs here, alongside neighbouring Touraine and Anjou. What truly sets this appellation apart is the diversity of its soils within a relatively small area. The gravel terraces along the Loire warm up quickly in spring and produce supple, fruit-forward wines that are ready to drink young. The clay-limestone slopes, further from the river and at higher elevations, produce more tannic, structured wines with genuine ageing potential. Between the two, sandy and clay soils add another dimension, combining some of the immediate freshness of the gravel terraces with the greater depth of the hillside vineyards.

This diversity of terroirs explains why two wines from the appellation can taste remarkably different from one estate to another, despite sharing the same grape variety and appellation. It has also allowed winemakers such as Jacky Blot at Domaine de la Butte to develop single-vineyard cuvées: each slope and exposure produces a distinctive wine, ranging from approachable, fruit-driven styles to wines built for ageing, all within the same estate.

Two distinctive styles

A wine from the gravel terraces can be recognised by its purple colour, aromas of fresh red and dark fruit such as strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant, and a supple, almost juicy texture on the palate. This is an easy-drinking style, best enjoyed within two to three years of the harvest while it retains all its vibrant fruit and freshness. Wines from the slopes, by contrast, tend to show more peppery notes, sometimes with a slightly herbal character when young, a hallmark of Cabernet Franc grown on this type of soil. They reward greater patience: five to ten years in the cellar allow them to develop aromas of forest floor, gentle spices and cooked dark fruit, while softening the tannins, which can be firm in their youth.

Serving and food pairing

Fruit-forward Bourgueil wines are best served slightly chilled, at around 15-16°C, with no need for decanting. More structured, age-worthy cuvées benefit from being opened around an hour before serving, or even decanted when the vintage is still young, allowing the wine to soften and its secondary aromas to emerge.