Domaine des Hauts Baigneux: Vineyards
Domaine des Hauts Baigneux sits high up the slope above the valley of the Indre, just as it opens out to join the valley of the Loire. Many of the original Hauts Baigneux parcels once tended by Jean-Pierre Perdriau lie close by, in the shadow of the forest of Cheillé, not far from the vineyards of Château de la Roche en Loire. In total the domaine now boasts approximately 12 hectares of vines in the Touraine Azay-le-Rideau and Touraine appellations. As well as the original Hauts Baigneux vines other parcels have been added more recently, as mentioned on the preceding page. The most notable parcel seems to be 2 hectares of vines in the commune of Saché, upriver from Azay-le-Rideau. These are the Atelier Calder vines, the soils a desirable clay and flint mix, the varieties planted dominated by Chenin Blanc. They also tend 2.6 hectares of vines planted at Château de Rigny-Ussé, again on clay and flint soils, although these vines remain the property of the château. The fruit they harvest here tends to be used for the Tète au Bois Dormant cuvées (more detail on which below).
At the time of writing the majority of the vines, approximately 9 hectares, are farmed organically and are suitably certified. Philippe Mesnier (pictured) and Nicolas Grosbois also buy in some grapes which may be blended with home-grown fruit in the production of the entry-level wines.
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