Bertrand Galbrun Chatrois Bourgueil Amicale 2020

Bourgueil, a sleepy commune situated on the right bank of the Loire River about midway between Angers and Tours, was granted AOC status legally in 1937, but red wine production in the area dates back centuries. Here, you can find the mainstay grape, Cabernet Franc, produced in its apogee. Clay-limestone soils unique to this part of the Loire, called Tuff, feature lots of fine white calcareous content. Another soil commonly seen in Bourgueil, graves, is an alluvial gravel of small pebbles. The best wines render these soils purely, dustily -- a quality that gives Loire reds their allure.

Bertrand Galbrun is a young winemaker with a passion for clean, simply-spirited wine. Back when he was looking for the right plot of land for his winery, Galbrun began to work with his friend, winemaker Sebastian David, in Bourgueil four days a week. Inspired by the uniqueness of the terroir, he founded his eponymous domain in the area in 2005 -- and now farms 3.5 hectares of 100% biodynamic grapes. He is truly committed to the production of non-interventionist wine in order to eke out the purest, most limpid expression of grape and place. Harvest is performed manually. Grapes are collected in small crates and undergo many tries before vinification. Grapes are then 100% destemmed and crushed by foot. No yeast, no added enzymes, and no SO2 are added to the vat, and the wine is not chaptalized.

The reds of Bourgueil, which can include up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, are elemental and visceral: they make you want to eat. They are peppery, savory, with just enough tannin to pair beautifully with a wide variety of foods.