DOMAINE VINCENT CARÊME VOUVRAY le CLOS 2020

This is the jewel in the crown of this domaine. It comes from a limestone (tuffeau) site overlooking the Loire which is so steep it has to be worked by horse instead of tractor. It has such a chalky note on the nose, it almost reminds us of Sancerre grown on terres blanches soils. With greengage and lime singing out, and mineral energy and tension driving it forward, this is a brilliant wine you’ll wish you bought more of.

Vincent and Tania Carême inherited 5 hectares of vines in prime Vouvray terroir (just east of the city of Tours) from Vincent's parents. They have since bought more vineyards and rented some as well to give a total of around 15 hectares which includes the superb Le Clos terroir. 

All their wines are made from Chenin Blanc (the white Orbois grape is also permitted in this appellation) and they produce both sparkling and still wines. The wine is matured in oak casks, the majority of which are old (up to 10 years old) and a small proportion (around 10%) of which are new. The grapes are picked by hand and pressed gently and then the natural yeasts are allowed to do their work.

The vines grow overlooking the cliffs that line the Loire River in this part of the valley. Limestone rocks litter the surface and solid limestone is never far below the surface. Vincent is gaining a very strong reputation as one of Vouvray's finest producers being praised by the likes of Jancis Robinson.

93/100 Vinous (2020 Vintage)
"Sit back and relax, the 2020 Le Clos is a full and seductive dry style of Vouvray. It has rounded shoulders and a sense of weight assisted by the generous alcohol (14.5%), but that's held within its ample curves; however, it is a little warming. It evokes a light pastry character, almond meal and bruised apple. There's some fine tension and attractive structure that keeps this going, but I see this as an earlier prospect."