2018 Domaine Du Viking Vouvray Sec Tendre, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The Tendre is made from 100% Chenin Blanc from flint soils in Reugny rather than the “typical” tuffeau soils one finds further south and west in Vouvray. Harvested by hand and rigorously sorted at the cellar, the grapes are pressed and are fermented spontaneously in 600L French oak demi-muids – with 10% of the barrels refreshed yearly. With a small amount of residual sugar, a little too much to be called sec and far less to be classified as a demi-sec, Tendre is a versatile wine at the table, as you would no doubt experience should you visit the Viking.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

In the early part of the 20th century, most of Vouvray (like much of viticultural France) was worked by farmers in polyculture. Cows, sheep, and grain were raised alongside vines. Such was the case for the land belonging to Lionel and Francoise Gauthier, the owners of Domaine du Viking. Francoise’s grandparents owned just 2 hectares of vines in the early 1940’s along with animals and cereals. Winemaking was something that was done for family and local consumption. All that changed after World War II when farmland was planted with vines.

Most of Lionel and Francoise’s 13 hectares are not on the famous chalk (tuffeau) soils that make up over 90% of Vouvray but on the hard silex soils of the northern tip of the appellation. This silex produces crisp, mineral, and long-aging Vouvrays that bring to mind great Riesling. The style chez Le Viking (as he refers to himself with only a small degree of irony) is called sec tendre. This “tender dry” style allows for the sugar levels of a demi-sec but with the acidity level of a great Sancerre or Chablis. If you’re into Riesling, you’ll probably like this style.