'Reuilly' good wine from the Loire Valley: Richard Esling, June 15

Situated in the southern part of the Loire vineyards, not far from the town of Vierzon, the little village of Reuilly gives its name to an appellation for white, red and rosé wines. White wines were granted the appellation back in 1937 and are made from pure sauvignon blanc. In terms of quality, the best are certainly equal to the better known – and more expensive – wines from Sancerre. Crisp, dry and characterful, with definite yet restrained characteristics of the sauvignon grape.

The reds are from pinot noir and rosé from either pinot noir or pinot gris. The latter variety is considered as a white grape variety, but when ripe, has a reddish tinge to the skin, giving a delicate pink colour to the resulting wine.

The Reuilly vineyards date back to the beginning of the 7th century, when King Dagobert made a gift of Reuilly and its vines to the monks at the Abbey of Saint-Denis. The Abbey already supplied mediaeval Bourges, and thereafter also supplied Vierzon. Wines were shipped along the Cher towards the Loire and were then transported to England and Flanders. In 1365, the Duke of Berry, son of the King of France, issued a charter covering the sale of Reuilly wines. As the vineyards were being replanted at the end of the 19th century following the phylloxera crisis, new wine industry unions were also being established; their aim was to protect wine producers. A dormant period followed, and the Reuilly vineyards came to life again in the 1980s.

The soils of the Reuilly region are mainly limestone, with sand and gravels, often containing large stones with fossils and perfect for the grape varieties grown. I am a great fan of the wines of Reuilly and stop in the vineyards to purchase a few bottles every time I pass through the area heading south. One of my favourite producers is Domaine Valery Renaudat, producing wines in both the Reuilly and neighbouring Quincy regions. With viticultural experience gained in the United States, Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Domaine was established in 1999 and now extends to nearly 30 hectares.

Apart from the first class Reuilly AC wines – white rosé and red are all terrific – the Domaine also produces a separate range of wines from the younger vines. Named P’tit Renaudat, they are IgP as opposed to AC wines, thus having a less stringent regional designation. Less expensive than the main range, these are great value since they still conserve the general characteristics of their peers. The pinot noir is a fabulous summer red and great slightly chilled. Light tannins with cherry and redcurrant character fruit, it accompanies a courgette and goat’s cheese quiche to perfection.

Richard Esling is a wine consultant, agent, writer and educator. He runs agency and consultancy WineWyse, is founder and principal of Sussex Wine Academy and is chairman of Arundel Wine Society