Domaine Joel Delaunay, `Casca Macération de Soif` Sauvignon Blanc Vin Orange

Domaine Joël Delaunay is a family-owned estate in the Touraine AOC, currently run by fifth-generation owner Thierry Delaunay. Like his forward-thinking father Joël Delaunay, who insisted on estate bottling in 1970, Thierry is similarly pioneering and was the first Touraine producer to bottle under screwcap in 2004.

The domaine comprises 34 hectares of vineyards farmed using sustainable practices. 90% of Domaine Joël Delaunay’s production is white wine, predominantly made from Sauvignon Blanc, with the remaining 10% being red wines made mainly from Gamay and Cabernet Franc. Thierry’s wines are best drunk while young and fresh. They are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks after a short, cold maceration on the skins to enhance the grape's natural aromatics.

Sauvignon Blanc,

Domaine Joël Delaunay is situated on the bank of the Cher Valley, 50 kilometres east of Tours near the famous Château de Chenonceau. Soils here comprise of clay and silex (a mixture of flint and sand) and the pruning method is simple Guyot. The vineyards are planted with grass between the vines to control yields.

The ripe Sauvignon Blanc grapes underwent a 15-day maceration on the skins in stainless-steel tanks, in order to extract the aromas, flavours and delicate tannins that are typical of this wine. The must was then fermented on its skins without temperature control and very few pump overs. Following racking, the wine was aged for between 3 and 12 months on its fine lees, with no lees stirring.

This wine is deep orange-hued in colour and reveals bold aromas of dried mandarin zest, honey and almonds. The palate is clean and fragrant with orange peel and honeysuckle notes coming to the forefront, backed up by a grippy texture. This deliciously complex wine has an elegant minerality, superb structure and long finish.