Mathieu Cosme: Vineyards
Although the town of Vouvray itself is an obvious focus for the appellation that takes its name, and plays host to a number of leading domaines, it certainly does not have a monopoly on vineyards, nor is it the only place where wines of quality can be found. Many domaines of interest are waiting to be discovered in the peripheries of the appellation, which extends some way to the west, past Parçay-Meslay, and also some way to the east, past Vernou-sur-Brenne and Noizay, as well as stretching north away from the river, past Chançay to Reugny. In the case of Mathieu Cosme we must look to Noizay, a small town which, like Vouvray, lies directly against the premières côtes, which rises up here from the Loire’s alluvial plain. The domaine is located on the edge of the Bois de l’Olive, a remnant of a once-broad forest which covered the landscape here.
There are 13 hectares of vines here, although as I have indicated in my introduction only a small chunk of what exists is available to Mathieu, as much of his domaine is currently bound by a twelve-year contract to the local cooperative. This leaves him only a few hectares to play with, and there are several lieux-dits of interest.
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