2023 Clos du-Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Blanc Frileuse

Frileuse, meaning "little cold one," comes from a frost-prone 3.8-hectare site at the top of the Tue-Boeuf estate in Les Montils, Touraine. This blend combines equal thirds of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Fié Gris (Sauvignon Gris), a variant with dusty-rose-colored skins and softer profile. Jean-Marie and Thierry Puzelat, pioneers of the Loire's natural wine movement since the 1990s, farm their centuries-old family estate organically. Vines range from 15 to 55 years old, rooted in sticky clay and flint soils. The wine is hand-harvested, partly whole-cluster fermented with indigenous yeasts in large oak tanks, then aged 8-9 months in used demi-muids and Burgundy barrels, bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur.