L’Affût: Vineyards
As noted in my profile the domaine is located in Sassay, just on the northern side of the village. The nearest other settlement of note is Oisly. The vineyards, of which Isabelle has 14 hectares, are located on sandy soils on an elevated strip of land, situated over deeper clay soils. The sand is granitic in origin, having washed down from the granite terrain of the Massif Central, giving the soils a lightly acid character. Clay, says Isabelle, is beneficial in retaining a sense of freshness in the wines, especially when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, while the sandy soils enhance the ripening of the fruit. One feature of Sauvignon Blanc she is determined to avoid are the very varietal, unripe, asparagus and grassy notes.
Sauvignon Blanc comes first in any discussion of the vines of L’Affût, as this variety dominates in the vineyard, but Isabelle does have other cultivars planted, including Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Menu Pineau. As noted in my profile Isabelle is not a committed devotee of Sauvignon Blanc, describing it as “not really a Sologne variety”, so she is determined the domaine will not become merely another source of this style. Alongside the other white varieties described she also intends planting more indigenous varieties, not least Romorantin of course. She also has some red cultivars planted, including Gamay, Côt, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, but these are at the moment something of a footnote in the story of the domaine. Perhaps the most notable among these varieties is Gamay, Isabelle having managed to secure a small parcel of old vines, planted in 1894.
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