Sébastien Brunet

The vineyards of the former Domaine de la Roche Fleurie extend into the valley of the Brenne, a small tributary that runs perpendicular to the Loire. Here, the vines grow on both the first hill and the plateau behind it. The northernmost plots are in the village of Reugny and follow the Brenne down through Chançay, where the – beautiful – cellar is made of tuff.

At a young age
Sébastien Brunet, born and raised in Vouvray, is a man of few words. He knows the area, the people and his soil like no other. After studying viticulture in Amboise, he started with his father Michel, who in 1974 took over his father’s three hectares and expanded it to 15 hectares. After Michel’s untimely death in 2006, Sébastien took over Roche Fleurie. Since then, he has been associated with a new generation of Vouvray winemakers. They produce wine in a drier style, with more natural methods. That generation has given the area and Chenin Blanc products a much better reputation.

Pressing is prominent
Sébastien gave the domain his own name and almost immediately converted his father’s 15 hectares to organic viticulture. Everything is harvested by hand, in 15 kg crates, the whole process involves as little intervention as possible. According to Sébastien, the most important place during the harvest is not near the vines, but next to the press. That is where the quality of the vintage is won or lost; by the degree of pressure and the length of the extraction. “I use slow, gentle extraction in a pneumatic press, where each batch can deliver the best quality juice in 4 to 30 hours. Slowly and without enzymes. After 36 hours, the wines are allowed to start their fermentation with only indigenous yeasts.” As with all classic Vouvray, this is without malolactic fermentation. He keeps the yields low, on average around 40 hectoliters per hectare.

Still waters, deep grounds
It is wonderful to see such a quiet and introverted man as Sébastien making such incredibly expressive wines. They are revealing, both about him and his winemaking philosophy. We promise you a very pleasant introduction.