2020 Michel Autran, Vouvray, Les Enfers Tranquilles

Michel Autran manages his estate in Noizay with a rigorous organic ethos, prioritizing soil health through no-till practices and indigenous yeast fermentations to produce Chenin Blanc of extreme transparency. This cuvée, *Les Enfers Tranquilles*, is sourced from south-facing parcels situated on *aubuis*—a shallow, calcareous clay topsoil over a deep base of tuffeau limestone. To preserve the site’s structural integrity, Autran employs a slow elevage in neutral 500L demi-muids, eschewing chaptalization and minimizing sulfur additions. The 2020 vintage, characterized by high solar intensity and early physiological ripeness, yields a wine with significant dry extract and weight, yet retains a sharp, vertical acidity due to the water-retentive properties of the tuffeau. This structural duality results in a Vouvray of profound energy, defined by a fine-grained phenolic texture and a long, saline-driven finish.