2015 Reynald Héaulé L'Insoumis du village

WINEMAKER: Reynald Héaulé
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VARIETY: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Gascon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pineau d'Aunis, Côt
VITICULTURE: Organic

Mainly Cabernet Franc with 6 other varieties - all organic. De-stemmed by hand. Fermented separately, then 30 months élevage in old demi-muid.

Darkest in colour and still looks young. Blackberries, boysenberries, currants, dark chocolate and warm soil on the nose. Lots of baking spice and pretty florals coming through with time. Nice sour cherry flavours on the palate, with mineral backbone and medium acidity. Silky glide, effortless to drink. Little berries burst onto the scene and add to the flavour. Complexity builds with time in the glass. Elegant and lightly fruity, this is a younger version of this great wine, and a superb example at that.

Reynald Héaulé started out in Accounting, then made the switch to winemaking. He worked at wineries in Burgundy, and then in the Loire, finally with the legend that is Claude Courtois, in Sologne. In 2000, he managed to rent 0.3 hectares of vineyards, and has been increasing his holdings ever since.

He farms organically, with vineyards around the village now totalling 3.5 hectares. The vines are close-planted, 12,500 vines per hectare. Incredibly, in this small space he is growing 15 different varieties, of which he planted himself. The soil types vary, depending on the vineyard; silica, sand and silex on the southern side of the Loire river, and clay, limestone and silica on the northern side. 

The winemaking is done without the use of any additives except for tiny amounts of sulfites (~5-10mg/L, which is barely detectable). Reynald uses an old vertical press, and the wines are aged in old barrels, majority of them demi-muids. Élevage for most of his wines is 30 months. And because of this, the complexity found in these wines is incredible. These are wines that will grab your attention and make you beg for more.