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LOIRE VALLEY<br />
MARKETS<br />
DOMAINE PHILIPPE RAIMBAULT:<br />
“SANCERRE’S TERROIR REMAINS<br />
UNIQUE”<br />
PERRINE AND PHILIPPE RAIMBAULT IN THEIR VINEYARDS<br />
Perrine Raimbault, who works in tandem with her<br />
father Philippe, encapsulates the promising future<br />
of this namesake family-owned winery perched<br />
amidst the rolling landscapes of the Centre-Loire<br />
region. From her forbears, she has inherited<br />
time-honoured skills and is proud and committed<br />
to be a custodian of the family heritage that has<br />
been passed down over several generations. The<br />
vineyards are divided between the prestigious<br />
appellations of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Coteaux<br />
du Giennois. Their soils boast unique geological<br />
diversity and offer each grape variety the opportunity<br />
to display unique traits.<br />
“From a very early age, I would help my<br />
grandparents”, recalls Perrine. The farm has undergone<br />
significant changes since her childhood,<br />
though, mainly with the purchase of vineyards<br />
in Pouilly and Coteaux du Giennois at the end of<br />
the 1980s. More recently, after Perrine joined her<br />
father, a winery was rebuilt which now means that<br />
terroir-driven labels can be crafted, “to produce<br />
wines with the ability to express their differences”,<br />
she explains.<br />
The vineyard blocks located on lovely ‘terres<br />
blanches’ soils in the Sancerre appellation area,<br />
which benefit from a unique microclimate promoting<br />
moderate fruit ripening, make this approach<br />
totally worthwhile. “Here, the ripening process<br />
is less advanced than in other areas so our wines<br />
remain naturally fresh. This also means that we<br />
don’t particularly suffer in hot vintages”, explains<br />
Perrine. She also adds, though, that the family is<br />
extremely mindful to protect the environment by<br />
maintaining hedges and trees.<br />
A dozen or so hectares are earmarked for production<br />
of Sancerre wines, 90% of them white with a<br />
balance of red and rosé. Export markets account for<br />
65% of the winery’s sales, with the USA and England<br />
spearheading the list of export destinations.<br />
Perrine aims to educate her customers about the<br />
added benefits of lengthy maturation for Sancerre<br />
wines, and has chosen not to add yeast to them.<br />
PERRINE AND PHILIPPE RAIMBAULT WORK HAND IN HAND<br />
IN THE FAMILY-RUN WINERY<br />
SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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