2022 Clos De Tue-Boeuf, Cheverny Blanc ‘Frileuse’, Loire, France

1/3 each Sauvignon/Fi Gris/Chardonnay. Roughly translated as “little cold one”, Frileuse is an apt name for this frost-prone, 3.8-hectare site at the top of the Tue-Boeuf estate. It is home to three varieties, including Fi Gris, the historical name for Sauvignon Rose, a Sauvignon variant with dusty-rose-colored skins and a softer flavor profile vs. the better-known Sauvignon (Blanc). Vine age ranges from 15 to 55 years with most in the 20-35-year zone. The soils are predominantly sticky clay and flint. The Puzelats farm them organically and harvest them by hand. Typical of Tue Boeuf whites, Frileuse fruit is whole-cluster-pressed and allowed to ferment spontaneously with native yeasts and without sulfur in large oak tanks. The wine ages for around 8-9 months in used demi-muids and Burgundy barrels, without racking and with occasional stirring of the lees; it is bottled without fining or filtration and with a minute quantity of sulfur. It is classified as AOC Cheverny.

-Importer’s note