Clos Thierrière

Guilhaume Frey saved our family from a disastrous day by helping us with a flat tire. Winemakers are jacks of many trades, and fixing stuff is part of daily life - having a compressed air pump spared us a day lost to repairs. Earlier, when we arrived at the domaine, we could smell the proverbial paint still drying in Clos Thierrière’s brand new, exceptionally thoughtfully built cellar in Vernou-Sur-Brenne, Vouvray, France. As a point of fact, there is no paint, only gorgeous, reclaimed wood and a spare-but-meaningful array of tools, tanks, and drains. But it felt like we were a lucky first few to see the future: just into their 8th vintage the brothers, Guillaume and Baptiste Frey, are working hard to produce pure, terroir-specific wines from their myriad, small plots. We spent a morning with Guilhaume walking his vines that are clustered within a patchwork that includes tuffeaux, flints, and one parcel of red clay - provenance of the mighty Cuveé Petrichor. The conversation meandered along with us before the degustation, during which our youngest daughter fell in love with the vineyard dog, Purdie. Visiting the lineup in full was eye opening. We could taste what we had just seen and where we had just walked, and Guilhaume offered insights to the mysterious ways each elemental wine of shiny, river water freshness knits itself together. What a joy to have these wines in our shop!!