Lamé Delisle Boucard Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2018

Loire, France

Lamé Delisle-Boucard’s “Vieilles Vignes” is pure Cabernet Franc exclusively from vines over 40 years of age in the commune of Ingrandes de Touraine—part from the sandy gravel terraces of the lieu-dit Louys, and part from hillside plantings in the clay-limestone of Mont Sigou. This cuvée undergoes alcoholic fermentation in tronconic oak casks with a 10-day maceration, then spends a year in large, very old 25-hectoliter foudres. Invitingly ripe on the nose and tinged with earth, it enters the mouth silkily, revealing its underlying minerality as it moves across the palate, and it closes with a gentle clench of supremely elegant tannins.

Lamé Delisle-Boucard today encompasses 47 hectares of vines, averaging 40 years of age and spread among four villages within the Bourgueil appellation: 21 hectares in Ingrandes de Touraine, encompassing soils of gravel, siliceous clay, and clay-limestone; 13.5 hectares in Saint Patrice, with soils of siliceous clay and well-draining large-stoned gravel; 8.5 hectares in Restigné, with vines planted in sandy soil and gravelly clay; and 4 hectares in the limestone-rich soils of Benais. Philippe and his crew work their 61 parcels without chemicals, having transitioned from Terra Vitis certification (beginning in 2001) to full-on organic viticulture (to be certified as of the 2021 harvest). Grass is maintained between the rows of vines, which are planted at a density of 5,000 per hectare, and meadows and woods interspersed among the parcels are allowed to flourish, thereby contributing to overall biodiversity. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand.

Enjoy Lamé Delisle Boucard Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes with roast pork, veal chops, rich vegetarian dishes, and aged cheeses.