BOURILLON

Exceptional, Benchmark Chenin Blanc"

Because we don't see a lot of Chenin Blanc produced in New Zealand, it's easy to forget that the grape has always been prized in France, and, more particularly in its home in the Loire Valley. Here, in the right hands it thrives, and there are no better hands than the experienced ones of famed producer Domaine Bourillon-Dorléans. Established in 1921, with 20 hectares of some of the best hillside slopes in the Loire to call their own the current generation, headed by Frederic Bourillon produce scintillating wines in a range of styles, based on fiercely traditional winemaking principles. With the average age of vines being 35 years old, the final wines are headily aromatic, deeply flavoured and lusciously textured, with the Sec (Dry) style in particular, showing a flintiness and minerality that is unique to the terroir of the Loire. This is an expression of Chenin Blanc like no other.

Frederic Bourillon selects only top-quality blends that meet his requirements in terms of the quality of the viticulture and of respect for the environment. To qualify for blending, they must reflect the importance of the concept of terroir and remain faithful to the Domaine Bourillon Dorleans philosophy: integrated pest management, natural vegetation growth around the vines, and limitation of yields.