Description

The Fool of the Angel

About theLe Sot de l’Angeestate |Organic Wines in Azay-le-Rideau

Anglique and Quentin Bourse, artisan winegrowers from the Le Sot de l’Ange estate, made the big “Sot” in 2013 by deciding to settle in the Azay-le-Rideau vineyard.The wine estate is certified in organic farming by ECOCERT FR-BIO-01.Dynamic, we constantly seek to evolve our practices in the vineyard and in the cellar for greater respect for humans and the environment.The soil, the plant and the wine are worked as naturally as possible, with particular concern for protecting natural balances and maintaining biodiversity.The collective is at the heart of our production system.Our team brings us skills and know-how on a daily basis to bring the quality of our wines to the maximum.It is on these Ridellois terroirs steeped in history that we compose a plot selection of finely crafted and taut whites, atypical ross as well as unusual natural reds or sparkling wines.Thanks to our collaborations with winegrowers, brewers or simply based on our encounters or our desires, we also regularly create original vintage concepts.Our objective: to respect the different elements of the terroir and the environment to obtain purity, precision and balance in our wines so that they are for you products of universal pleasure and sharing.we also regularly produce original vintage concepts.Our objective: to respect the different elements of the terroir and the environment to obtain purity, precision and balance in our wines so that they are for you products of universal pleasure and sharing.we also regularly produce original vintage concepts.Our objective: to respect the different elements of the terroir and the environment to obtain purity, precision and balance in our wines so that they are for you products of universal pleasure and sharing.

AOC:Touraine Azay le Rideau, Touraine, VDF
Varieties: Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay, Cot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Viticulture: Biodynamic (Demeter/AB France)
Size:12 hectares
Production: 6,500 cases annually
Terroir:Clay over silica

Show me a fanatic and Ill show you a success. Truer words could not be said about Quentin Bourse the Idiot Angel of Azay-Le-Rideau. While this is the rough translation of the name of his label, Le Sot de LAnge, he is a far cry from anything remotely resembling an idiot. Before taking over a friends estate just in time for the 2013 vintage, Quentin worked in various fields (wine related and not) including numerous internships in the surrounding area, with both natural and conventional producers, notably a six-monthstageat the famed Vouvray producer, Domaine Huet. These experiences have shaped his winemaking philosophy; his relentless work ethic, innovation, and borderline obsessive perfectionism result in meticulously crafted, serious wines.Quentins estate is certified biodynamic (which is quite rare in Azay-Le-Rideau) and has been for over ten years (even rarer still). His vines cover approximately twelve hectares, though its hard to keep up with him as he continuously seeks to expand. In July I was shown new plantings and acquisitions of vines on different parcels, with the classic, local varieties planted to capitalize on the clay and silica soils the region is famous for. In many parcels white silex stones litter the rows making it look as if theterroiris oozing from the earth. Quentin cuts no corners while working in the vines, doing everything by hand, usually without help, and limits copper sulfur sprayings to 500 grams a year: 75% less than commonly used by other producers in the area. 25 friends help harvest in multiple passes, berry by berry, ensuring that the grapes reach peak maturity.
This high level of thoughtfulness is equally apparent in the cellar, which, for the time being, he happily shares with Pascal Pibaleau an old-school producer in the region. All of the grapes are painstakingly sorted four times before whole-cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts in tank, and a slow, gentle pressing that in some cases lasts five or more hours. Aging occurs either entirely in tank, neutralbarriques, or amphora depending on the cuve, and zero SO2 is added during the winemaking process for the reds; a touch is added for the whites. The result is wines with soul, immediacy, and tension.I wont mince words: Quentin is a man on a mission.

Le Sot de l’Ange