Les Cailloux du Paradis - Romorantin 2013

I'm seeing more and more Romorantin in London and loving it. That's saying something, with a grand total of only 70 hectares in existence. But what makes it more special is that it happens to produce great wine.

Romorantin is grown around the Cour-Cheveny AOC in the Middle Loire, between Orléans and Tours. The Cailloux du Paradis estate is in Soigns-en-Sologne, just outside the official Cour-Cheverny area. Claude Courtois bought the then 13-hectare estate in the 1990s. Since the beginning, Claude focused on biodiversity and local grape varieties. He eschews the biodynamic label, but belongs to the Nature & Progrès group, which in some measures has stricter rules than Demeter. Today his younger son Etinenne works on 6ha, while Claude still keeps 2ha to make his red and white Racines cuvées. Claude's elder son Julien set up the 5ha Clos de la Bruyère close by. This Romorantin was made by the now 29-year-old Etienne.

Vinification

The Romorantin grapes were hand-harvested from vines planted…