Wilfrid Rousse: Vineyards
As indicated in my introduction the domaine today has grown to 20 hectares, and it takes in many of (if not all) of the classic terroirs of Chinon. Wilfrid has some parcels down on more sandy and gravelly soils close to the waters of the Vienne, some on the plateau behind Chinon, where the soils are typically a mix of clay and flint, over deeply buried limestone, and he also has vines on the clay and limestone soils that dominate parts of Savigny-en-Véron. This range of terroirs allows Wilfrid to fashion a portfolio of wines from early- and easy-drinking cuvées to those which are more ageworthy.
In the vineyard the vines are mostly Cabernet Franc, typically planted at a density of 5,000 vines per hectare. He also has a small parcel of Chenin Blanc, more detail on which I will provide below. The vines range in age, with several parcels of older vines, including some rows aged well over one hundred years. The work follows organic methods and the domaine is certified as such. Rather than explore each parcel in turn here I will do this below, in relation to the various cuvées.
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