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Thomas Puéchavy
Le Rayon Blanc 2021

  • Region Vouvray, Loire, france
  • Grapes Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
  • ABV 13.5%
  • Size 750ml

About the Wine

Taut, electric Chenin that ticks all the boxes when it comes to what we want from the grape. A gentle note of matchstick reduction intermingles with aromas of pithy white grapefruit and underripe peach. Perfectly balancing a low-key richness with a lucid clarity, this finely-tuned wine sees crystalline fruits tightly bound with a sinew-y coil of acidity that cuts with phenomenal length. Layers of detail and stunningly pure. Drinking well already, this wine also appears has everything in place for a long life ahead.

From 30 year-old vines planted over a more limestone-rich soil than is typical for Vouvray, the grapes are direct-pressed into barrel to ferment and age for one year, before the wine is transferred to steel tanks for a further six months before bottling with zero additions.

About Thomas Puéchavy

Thomas farms his 3 hectares organically and the vines vary in age from 20 to 80 years old. Sitting directly between the estates of Vouvray royalty, Domaine Gaston Huet and Clos Naudin, Thomas is something of the underdog. Fortunately, they too have been practising organic and biodynamic vineyard work for many years now, so they are good neighbours to have. The soils here differ from the majority of the region in that the limestone dominates over clay, contributing to that tightly-wound coil of acid and crystalline orchard fruit that characterises his wine.

In the cellar the grapes are pressed directly into barrels and given as much time as they need before bottling, with no filtration or additions at any stage. The finished wines span the full spectrum, from sparkling, through fresh and dry to oxidative and demi-sec. We have a couple of wonderful cuvées from the 2020 and 2021 vintages to begin, hopefully with more to follow in the future. They are fascinating expressions of the region that have made a big impression on us - we look forward to sharing them with you too, while they last!

Find out more about Thomas Puéchavy