L'Orbois Domaine Jean Christophe Mandard 2020

L'Orbois from Domaine Jean-Christophe Mandard is made from the rare Orbois grape variety and displays tropical fruit, rich lemon and superb minerality. The wine has a lovely texture and rounded mouthfeel which would work well with chicken and meatier fishes. It is a uniquely brilliant wine.

Jean-Christophe Mandard took over the running of the Domaine in 1993 and is now assisted by his son, Jean-Baptiste, who returned in 2020 after working vintages in both Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. The Domaine is situated outside of Mareuil-sur-Cher, on the south side of the river Cher where the soils are made up of clay, limestone and silex. Altogether they farm 27 hectares, made up from nine different grape varieties of which Sauvignon Blanc remains the most important. It is here, on the deeper clay soils that Sauvignon Blanc displays a lightness, finesse and concentration of flavour that is often lacking from the Touraine Sauvignons of Oisly and Thesee on the north side of the river Cher which are planted on sandier soil. Mandard has some particularly old vines of Sauvignon along with a vineyard in Chenonceaux which is an area of immense potential and offers superb value in comparison to areas like Sancerre.

The Domaine also farms a rare indigenous grape called Orbois, which was quite a revelation due to its texture derived from lees aging rather than oak. Well worth trying.