Moulin Touchais

Surely one of the most singular producers in France. Their wine-retention policy is as comprehensive as an old school Riojana. To only slightly out-do Alan Partridge, at any one time they have over two million bottles of wine in their cellar. Youngest release date for any vintage is ten years after harvest. Their regime for winemaking and growing is unusual too. They harvest at least one quarter of the fruit in an underripe state, then the remainder after at least 120 days on the vine, but generally without botrytis. So the resulting wines are pure, with great acid balance and although they receive extra ageing in the Moulin Touchais cellars are capable of quasi-immortality if well stored. In their own cellars they still have 19th century bottles. (CW 03/09/18)