Jean-Christophe Mandard’s Touraine Gamay is a beautifully fresh, medium bodied red with ripe strawberry and soft red berry fruit flavours. The palate is wonderfully balanced and easy going with delicate spice notes and generous yet not overpowering fruit flavours. It works really well with cold meats, cheese and grilled meats along with general everyday consumption.

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.