France, Loire

Based in Vernou in the Loire Valley and covering 27 hectares, the Sylvain Gaudron estate has been family-owned since the 1890s. About 2/3 of the vines on the domaine are at least 30 years old on average. The soils are calcareous marls, as is typical of the area, and ideal for the Chenin Blanc grape variety. Gilles Gaudron currently runs the estate, and keeps up the tradition of quality by ensuring hand-harvesting, whole bunch pressing, with closely spaced gobelet-pruned vines. Fermentation is slow, and using natural yeasts, with a few of the still wine vintages aged in oak casks for several months in order to obtain more complexity.