Domaine des Echardieres

LOIRE, FRANCE

Out of the 16 hectares that Domaine des Echardieres owns, half are given to Sauvignon Blanc and the other eight hectares are planted with a combination of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay. The vineyards lie on very chalky, clay soil which gives the wines a pleasant coolness and delicate herbal aromas. Growing Mablec and Cabernet Franc in the Loire, with its cool climate, can prove quite challenging; there is no guarantee that there will be a full harvest every year. While it can be quite agonising to wait on the grapes to ripen, better cellaring techniques and improved vineyard management have improved the quality and consistency of red wines coming from the Touraine over the past decade. 

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