Alain Mabillot, Reuilly, Loire

 

Now waiting for his son to return and take over some of the responsibility of running this tiny 5ha estate (3 of sauvignon and 2 of pinot), Alain Mabillot is way and above the smallest producer in the appellation.
 
Planted in the tiny 160 hectare cru of Reuilly, Alain’s wines are vinified in the appellation’s remarkable Chai, a winery created in 1992, grouping ten independent producers (and some 50% of the appellation’s wines) under one roof.
 
The whole concept of the Chai (now officially classed as a ‘material’ cooperative) is refreshingly simple: to enable the participating growers to share the latest wine-making equipment (pneumatic presses, automatic pigeage for the reds, thermo-regulated vats etc) and the services of a qualified oenologist employed full time by the group – an immeasurable bonus for the likes of Alain.
 
With each member’s wines vinified and bottled separately, the Chai has brought immense improvements to the wines of the appellation at the same time as preserving the identity of each member’s wine.
 
Planted with Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, Reuilly’s varieties nicely suit the argilo-calcaire that gives the appellation’s wines that much more minerality and complexity than those from the sand of next-door Quincy.
 
Shy yet unashamably competitive, Alain has consistently shown a willingness to run his vineyards as a vigneron rather than as a cash-hungry paysan, happily limiting yields to make wines of the highest quality.
 
To this end he combines long pruning with a systematic spring ébourgeonnage to spread out the crop and eliminate any unwanted bunches – in vineyards 100% grassed over – using a summer thinning to further thin the crop, measures that proved their worth yet again in 2006 as the crop came in at an average 13.5° at harvest with that perfect 4.8 gms/l balance of acidity.
 
At harvest, Alain inerts the trailer with dry ice to prevent any oxidation of the juice. A gentle pressing in pneumatic press and a long, cool fermentation is followed by a long maturation sur lies fines to add further complexity to this already excellent Sauvignon.
 
Wine to Watch: Reuilly 2007 £9.50/bottle
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