O Poitou Sauvignon Blanc | Loire, France

Haut Poitou is a Loire region situated 50 miles to the south of Saumur. It produces wines noted for their power and intensity. ‘O’ is a wonderfully fresh and zesty Sauvignon Blanc with a vibrant citrus zing to it.

The vineyards of 700ha are located in the north of Poitiers making it one of the most southerly wine regions of the Loire. The vines are planted in islets of the best clay-limestone soils and on hillsides to achieve the best exposure to sunshine. The climate of oceanic influence is a little drier and warmer than that found in the neighbouring vineyards of Anjou and Touraine.

Here the Sauvignon Blanc grape offers much of the character of a Touraine, but with exceptional value compared with the grand Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume.

Grapes are harvested at maximum aromatic maturity and carefully pressed, protecting them as much as possible from oxygen. After settling the already very aromatic musts are fermented at low temperatures (14/16°C). At the end of fermentation, the wines are kept on their lees, which are stirred regularly to promote yeast autolysis in order to add more weight and complexity to the wine during the winter storage before bottling..