Brendan Tracey: Vineyards
The Loir and its wine regions are less well known than some of the region’s ‘celebrity’ rivers such as the Sèvre and the Maine (which define the greatest slice of the Muscadet vineyard), the Vienne (on which lies the town and the vineyards of Chinon) and the Cher, which runs along the southern border of the Viticole Sologne, where some of the coolest of the Loire Valley’s vignerons are to be found. In contrast to all these other rivers the Loir runs in from the north, its vineyards collectively known as the Coteaux du Vendômois, Jasnières and the Coteaux du Loir. It is close to the heart of the first of these appellations, near the town of Vendôme, that Brendan is based.
Despite this enviable location Brendan was unable to take advantage of the viticultural wealth that surrounded him. Funds were tight, and in his first vintage he vinified a small amount of purchased fruit, from the equivalent of 2 hectares of vines. This practice continues today. The vineyards from which he sources fruit are scattered fairly wide; he looks far beyond the vineyards of the Loir, as far south as the Cher. Some varieties he brings in from closer to home, such as Pineau d’Aunis which is of course strongly associated with the Loir, but other varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Romorantin, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Côt, come from more southerly Touraine vineyards.
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