Francois Cazin 'Le Petit Chambord' Cheverny Rouge

Gamay / Pinot Noir

Loire Valley, France

Created in 1993, Cheverny is one of the most recent appellations in the Loire Valley. The area, south of the Loire and abutting the marshy region of Sologne (the best hunting grounds in France), has produced wines since the 6th century. The soils consist of various combinations of clay, limestone and silica. Many varietals are planted: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet and Côt for red wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin and Menu Pineau for the whites.

 The Pinot Noir is destemmed and fermented with about a week's maceration; it is aged in used oak. The Gamay undergoes a whole-cluster, semi-carbonic maceration and is aged in tank. The two are blended and bottled in the spring after the vintage, with a small amount of sulfur. Note: "Le Petit Chambord" is the ancestral name of this property and appears on the label along with the Cazin family winery name.