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Vincent Carême and his South African wife Tania established themselves on their Vouvray property in 1999. They farm organically on 14 hectares of land around the villages of Vouvray, Vernou-sur-Brenne and Noizay in the Loire Valley, supplementing production with grapes, and sometimes wine, bought in from friends and colleagues locally to produce a négociant range to sit alongside their domaine wines.
The soils here are classic tuffeau limestone with some clay and flint and the vineyards sit at just over 300 feet above sea level. The ancient cellars are hand cut into the tuffeau cliffs overlooking the river.
Having plied his trade all over the world, including making wine in Thailand, Vincent has settled back into his home region with Tania, where he makes several styles of wine from hand-picked chenin blanc grapes, using minimal sulphur in the winemaking process. He also teaches locally and consults for friends and colleagues in the area.
Given their personal links with South Africa, it comes as no surprise to learn that Vincent has also been making wine there, from the chenin blanc that is the speciality of Vouvray of course. The grapes are sourced from old vines grown in granitic soils in the Swartland region and the wine – Terre Brûlée (Scorched Earth) – is made at the Leeuwenkuil winery, where the team have enjoyed working together. The end result, they say, is that some of their wines have become a little more European in style, whilst Vincent's is very much a wine of...
If 2017 was classic (in a good way), with consistent purity of fruit and glorious freshness to the fore, 2018 is by contrast a riper and – for many – friendlier vintage, with super-healthy fruit, richer flavours and less of the acidity which some can struggle with.
