Friday 15 December 2023

Vignoble de Touraine-Noble-Joué

We had to go to Chambray-les-Tours a couple of weeks ago for an appointment at the Pôle Santé Léonard de Vinci. When I checked on OrganicMaps for the best access, I noticed Vignoble Municipal Noble Joué. Municipal??

 

Map showing location of Noble Joué municipal vineyard, Indre et Loire, France.


Touraine-Noble-Joué Wine is a pale rosé wine, sometimes referred to as vin gris due to its silvery reflections, and is often drunk as an aperitif.

The roots of Touraine-Noble-Joué wine trace back to the Middle Ages, and it's reputed to have been a favorite of Louis XI. Its reputation waxed and waned, flourishing in the 18th century before facing challenges from the phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century. By the start of the 20th century it was regaining popularity, earning prestigious awards at the Universal Exhibition of 1900, but urbanisation meant that the vineyards gradually disappeared.

In 1975 a group of winemakers replanted vines, supported by the municipality of Joué-les-Tours. AOC status, which was originally applied for in 1939, was granted in 2001. The municipality maintains a vineyard, an idea so novel to us we had to investigate.

 

Noble Joué municipal vineyard, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

The vines are grown in clay-limestone soils at altitudes varying from 85m to 95m, in Chambray-lès-Tours, Esvres-sur Indre, Joué-lès-Tours, Larçay, and Saint-Avertin. Covering 28 hectares between the Cher and Loire rivers, Touraine-Noble-Joué relies predominantly on Pinot Meunier grapes, complemented by Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir varieties. About 210,000 bottles of wine are produced annually, by five producers.

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