Vincent and Tania Careme inherited 5 hectares of vines in prime Vouvray terroir (just east of the city of Tours) from Vincent’s parents. They have since bought more vineyards and rented some as well to give a total of around 15 hectares which includes the superb Le Clos terroir.Their cave is very old. It is carved into the tuffeau cliffs just near the village of Vernou. Inside the cave there are some extraordinary sculptures carved by a friend called Olivier Masson.
All their wines are made from Chenin Blanc (the white Orbois grape is also permitted in this appellation) and they produce both sparkling and still wines. The wine is matured in oak casks, the majority of which are old (up to 10 years old) and a small proportion (around 10%) of which are new.
The grapes are picked by hand and pressed gently and then the natural yeasts are allowed to do their work.
The vines grow quite near the cave (some of them) overlooking the cliffs that line the Loire River in this part of the valley. Limestone rocks litter the surface and solid limestone is never far below the surface. – Importer Note