Le Clos de la Gaucherie
DISCOVER THE PLACE
How can one not fall under the charm of this magical place, steeped in history and extremely symbolic for us…
The Clos de la Gaucherie is situated in the Bourgueil appellation between the communes of Restigné and Ingrandes de Touraine, 15kms to the east of La Ferme des Fontaines.
Before the Revolution, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil and Bourgueil belonged to the province of Anjou. Ingrandes (the final Bourgueil vineyard with Saint Patrice) marked the border between Anjou and Touraine.
Today, it’s La Ferme des Fontaine which marks the border with Anjou, between Indre et Loire and Maine et Loire…our vineyards extend therefore for 15kms, between La Ferme and Le Clos, between 2 appellations, between 2 historic borders….!
The Clos de la Gaucherie is one of only 3 “Clos” in the Bourgueil Appellation, covering 4.5ha of vines, but at the start of the 20th century it was not planted only with vines.
Local archives record that Mr Thauraux, the then mayor of Restigné and owner of the Clos, had planted cherries and produced a liqueur, Guignolet du Clos de la Gaucherie. In addition, he grew Réglisse (liquorice), used at the time for medicinal purposes and marketed as “Réglisse de Bourgueil”. It was very popular in Paris and Flanders.
Following a geological study, we know that the Clos de la Gaucherie sits on Turonian marly chalk. However, this limestone does not cover all the parcel as the north-east corner is formed of sand and gravel, the ancient alluvial soils of the Loire. This means adapting our work to the best of our ability, depending on the positioning of the vines in the Clos.
The 2020 vintage will be notable for the cooperation between Jean- François Roît -Levêque, vineyard manager of Clos des Quarterons, and Agnès & Xavier Amirault, in the taking-over of the historic Clos de la Gaucherie and producing yet another Bourgueil wine together.
A new challenge, a new adventure, as we love!