Xavier Weisskopf is one of the new generation of young producers buying into appellations in the Loire that are less developed and explored, enabling his purchase in 2005 of well-established old vineyards at Montlouis in Touraine.
Having studied viticulture and oenology at Beaune he worked as cellar-master at Chateau St Cosme in the southern Rhone before buying his first parcel of 6.8 hectares. He has gradually increasing his holdings to the current 13 ha of vines with 9 ha of vines in Montlouis (an appellation just south of the Loire from Vouvray being 100% chenin blanc on soils that are more sandy than Vouvray) and 4 ha of vines in Touraine AOC which produce some white chenin blanc as well as Grolleau for rose and very old vines of Côt (known more widely as Malbec) and Cabernet franc. Although these Touraine wines come from a very large and humble appellation these wines deserve discovery, offering a rare sense of freshness, minerality and intensity and detail not often found in this appellation, meaning these offer great value for savvy buyers.
The estate is farmed organically. With most of his vineyards being planted pre-1940 the yields are naturally low and all harvesting is done by hand. Xavier prefers wines that are fresh, mineral and long, rather than fat, so these are wines made with a light touch showing wonderfully pure and lifted aromatics with freshness and detail on the palate.
Xavier Weisskopf is clearly a star on the rise producing wonderfully pure wines of captivating depth and style that deserve to be better known.
