"Best known for its famous pyramid-shaped goat cheese, the Valençay area of France’s Loire valley also produces an
equally singular (if much lesser known) array of wines. What they lack in name recognition, however, they more than
make up for in terms of sheer deliciousness and everyday charm— which illustrates an important principle. More often
than not, the hidden values of the world of wine are discovered along the road less traveled, far from the common crowd.
Geographically, Valençay is separated into two main areas, each straddling either side of the Modon, a winding tributary
of the famous Cher river. The first, “Les Terrajots,” is characterized by stony, flinty clay soils known as “perruches,”
which contribute structure and depth of fruit to the area’s wines. The second, located near the loge à Perin— a tiny hut
constructed in the middle of the vineyards at the end of nineteenth century— is defined by “silex,” a mix of clay,
limestone and silica, which imparts freshness and brisk minerality. Together, this unique geographic profile results in
bright, flinty whites derived from Sauvignon Blanc, and— as evidenced by this exquisite example from the family-run
Domaine Jourdain— mouthwatering reds, which are produced from the region’s three main varieties: Gamay, Pinot Noir,
and Côt (the local name for Malbec).
Originally founded in 1960, the Jourdain estate has been run since 1990 by Sophie Siadou and her partner Francis
Jourdain. Together, they sustainably farm 28 hectares of vines, from which they craft their brilliant range of honest,
regionally expressive wines. Although the winery functions as a family affair, it was Sophie’s unique vision that informed
this specific bottling, to which she has lent her name. Reflecting her holistic approach to the ecosystem of the vineyard
and her careful attention to the nuances of her terroir, this wine was allowed to ferment naturally, using only the
indigenous ambient yeasts present in the surrounding environment. The wine spends 18 months on its lees in older,
neutral barrels.
Expressing all the lightness and elegance of its high percentage of Pinot Noir, plus a wonderful floral quality, it also
reveals its leaner, more structured “Malbec” side, expressed through a sturdy wash of tannins that balance its succulent
flavors of raspberries, blackcurrant, and spice."-Mary Taylor