2012 Marc Plouzeau Touraine Clos De Maulevrier Ante Phylloxera Franc de Pied

In 1976, Pierre Plouzeau purchased the former Chateau de la Bonneliere and set about restoring the Chateau and its vineyards to their former glory. In 1999 son Marc took over management of the estate. Encompassing 30 hectares on the Left Bank of Chinon, Marc Plouzeau pioneered organic farming in Chinon and today his wines are recognized as extracting and displaying a purity of terroir from the famed region. The estate includes a 0.3 hectares collection of vines on a south-facing slope that survived the phylloxera attack in 1860 and forms the basis for the estate’s coveted Clos De Maulevrier Ante Phylloxera Franc de Pied. Bid on Marc Plouzeau wines online today!

Touraine AOC is a sub-appellation of the Loire Valley, one of France’s largest and most picturesque wine regions. Located around the city of Tours, the region is known as château country because of the many fairy-tale castles located along the Loire River, its tributaries and plains. Touraine was awarded AOC status in 1939 and it includes 13,000 acres and 70 communes. Red, white and rosé wines can be made in this AOC. Red grapes grown in Touraine are Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pinot Noir. The white wine grapes grown here are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Red Touraines are tannic and sometimes fruity. Whites are dry and full-bodied. Wine writer Hugh Johnson notes that the best reds of Touraine “have all the fragrance and charm of Cabernet Franc.”