Les Charmes SAUVIGNON
| Designation | TOURAINE |
| Vineyard Size | 17 ha |
| Soil type |
The soil is of the « Perruches » type, i.e. consisting of flint clay with silica and gravel in varying proportions. The Estate is located on the highest point between the Loire river to the North and the Cher river to the South. |
| Vine varieties | Sauvignon |
| Planting density | - |
| Average vine age | - |
| Vine growing conditions | - |
| Pruning method | - |
| Grape harvesting | The grapes are almost entirely hand-picked |
| Vinification | the winemaking process may be different from one year to another ! For it is necessary to adapt to the quality of the grape crop. The TOURAINE SAUVIGNON of the Charmoise Estate comes in fact from a blending achieved between two techniques : the first one proceeds in the following way : harvesting, slow pressing using pneumatic presses, juice separation, cooling at 5°, then settling of the juice with a fermentation wich is achieved between 16° and 25°. The second method is developed from cuvées involving GAMAY – like winemaking : hand-picking, « intracellular » fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 3 days, then slow pressing, with juice separation and fermentation at the same temperature. No yeasting or fining agent is used. When everything has been completed, the wine is separated from its bigger lees in order to avoid any untimely start of the malolactic reaction. After the first cold spells, bottling is carried out with slight sulfiting followed with filtration, and this all year long. The SAUVIGNON is subject to little or no chaptalization. Generally, it has an average alcohol content of 11.5° to 12°. |
| Maturing | - |
| Ageing | - |