Domaine de L’Oubliée, Bourgueil

Xavier Courant is a former Parisian caviste who decided to get closer to wine. He studied viticulture and oenology for one year and thereafter worked with legendary Romain Guiberteau in Saumur – where he almost unlearned everything he’d been taught in school (!).

In 2009 Xavier managed to purchase three major plots of Cabernet Franc and a small parcel of Chenin Blanc. Nowadays Xavier runs his 4 hectares of vineyard under the name of Domaine de L’Oubliée, in the commune of Saint-Patrice, Bourgueil.
He’s been working organic from the start, also using some biodynamic philosophy. Today he has 4 ha of vineyard which he finds being a perfect size to achieve the results he wants.

Unlike in the vineyards, there’s not much going on in the cellars except grapes being put into a tank.

The results are fruit driven, extremely pure and expressive Cabernet Francs that are actually really nice to drink young – but if you’d like to store some it won’t disappoint you either. The whites are pure and vibrant – just the way we like it.

Soil: Sandy clay on Tours limestone
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Appellation: Vin de France
Age of Vines: Planted 2000

Vinification: Direct press before fermenting, then aged in 225 liter old oak barrels, bottled in March 2022.

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2021 Le Bruit de Glacons Rosé

Soil: Sand and gravel
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Vin de France
Age of Vines: Planted 1990

Vinification: Maceration for 10 hours before press and continuous fermentation. Aged in concrete until bottling in March/April the year following the harvest.

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2020 Combien tu m’aimes?

Soil: Clay and limestone, full south exposition
Grape: Vin de France
Appellation: AOC Bourgueil
Age of Vines: Planted 1975

Vinification: Destemmed followed by a 4 week maceration in 3 barriques, that Xavier gently turned a little bit 2 times/day. Bottled in Mars 2022. The name of the wine, lika all his other ones, comes from the name of a movie

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 2021 Merci la Vie

Soil: Sand and gravel. Clay and limestone on bottom of the hill.
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: AOC Bourgueil
Age of Vines: Planted 1970-1999

Vinification: 2,5 weeks maceration the skins in closed tanks to not extract heavy tannins. Aged on the lees in concrete before bottling in March/April the year following the harvest.

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2018, 2020 Notre Histoire

Soil: Sand, flint and silex
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: AOC Bourgueil
Age of Vines: Planted 1953-1999

Vinification: Fermented in concrete a tank with 4 weeks of skin maceration. Aged in concrete eggs until the wine was moved to assembling tanks in December 2019 (vintage -18)/December 2020 (vintage -19). Vintage -18 was bottled in April 2020 and vintage -19 in March 2021.

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2017 Tenue de Soirée

Soil: Clay and limestone, full south exposition
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: AOC Bourgueil
Age of Vines: Planted 1953-1999

Vinification: Fermented in concrete tanks with 4 weeks of skin maceration. Aged 12 months in 225-liter and 400-liter old oak barrels.