Henry Marionnet is generally considered to be the best producer of Gamay in the Loire. By picking late and discarding
green grapes he achieves maximum ripeness which translates into fleshy and sweetly-fruited wines.
Henry now assisted by his son Jean-Sebastien run this immaculate 60-ha estate located near the village of Soings, nestled deep in the forest of Sologne.
Around Soings, the terroir is very varied, but the soils around Charmoise are predominantly fine sand, flint and clay, peppered with fossilised shells in places. Just behind the Marionnet residence is the highest peak between the Cher and the Loire, which is characterised by these soils mixed with large, heavy stones. The climate is favourable, there are occasional hailstorms but the vines are otherwise quite well protected from frost.
Although the two Cabernets are popular varieties for those wishes to try their hand at producing a red wine in the Loire, Marionnet is of the opinion that these varieties are poorly suited to his particular corner, and he has the same opinion of Pinot. He prefers to work with indigenous varieties best suited to the terroir and climate, shunning the commercial, opting instead for Gamay and Cot as the two principle red varieties, the more popular Sauvignon Blanc, with tiny plots of Chenin Blanc and Romorantin alongside for the whites.
The Vinifera Sauvignon blanc is a remarkable wine, an attempt to recreate the flavour
of pre-phylloxera wine.
“I wanted to know if an ungrafted vine gave the same wine as its grafted equivalent and if our grandparents were drinking the same wine as us. Not only are the wines completely different but they also are always better in the case of those made from original stock. They give more aromas, better colour and richer matter than those from the younger rootstock” says Marionnet
Expressive, almost exuberant nose of white flowers, peach and pear the palate is crystal clean and vibrant with gorgeous ripe white fruit character throughout. Great effort.
