François & Julien Pinon Vouvray Sec 2022

Profile & Story

François et Julien Pinon has farmed the Vallée de Cousse, just outside Vouvray, since 1786, and is now in its seventh generation. François Pinon, a former child psychologist, took over from his father in 1987 and converted the 37-acre estate to certified organic farming (Ecocert) in 2003, combining traditional techniques such as short pruning and soil cultivation with careful, low-intervention winemaking; his son Julien, a former city planner, now works alongside him. The estate's 15 parcels span clay, flint and clay-siliceous soils over limestone, with vines ranging from 3 to over 70 years old, and the domaine produces Chenin Blanc across the full range of Vouvray styles, from sparkling brut to sweet dessert wines. Vouvray Sec is their driest still expression of Chenin Blanc.