Christian Venier ‘Les Hauts de Madon’ Cheverny Rouge NV (2022)
Location: France, Loire, Cheverny
Winemaker: Christian Venier
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Gamay
Soil: flinty clay with rocky subsoil
Winemaking: Semi-carbonic maceration with whole bunches, followed by spontaneous fermentation using natural yeast in a cement and resin tank with low temperature control. Bottled unfiltered with no SO2.
‘Les Hauts de Madon: Hand-harvested from 17 year old vines from Christian’s higher vineyard site of the same name.
From the importer Savio Soares: Located in the eastern section of Touraine, in Cheverny at the corner of Sologne south of Bois, is situated Christian Venier. It is here that he honed his natural winemaking skills under his cousin Theirry & Jean-Marie Puzelat of Clos du Tue Boeuf. After spending seasons assisting with harvests over the years, it wasn’t until the mid-90s that he produced his first vintage “Brin de Chevre” while simultaneously enrolling in the viticultural school of Amboise where he found the student body was ignorant of organic farming practices. All the while he kept to his philosophy of making wine naturally, bucking the trend that had taken the country by storm after the first World War who opted for mechanization. Christian remained a farmer akin to his ancestors, farming with the land organically his approximately 6 hectares of vineyards, planted with Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Pineau d’Aunis, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Menu Pineau and Chenin Blanc grown on a variety of silica and clay, some with gravel and stones. Christian remains a staunch non-interventionist with regards to his wines allowing natural fermentation, under a loose fitting cap, to occur while making use of resin-fiberglass, stainless steel, cement and oak, all in large format and never with additions or subtractions. His aim is to create wines with minerality and structure, while maintaining the natural feel of the wine that the vine itself provides. He is a man who makes wine for pleasure, and around whom it is a pleasure to be.