Wines Touraine Lionel Gosseaume - Les Sauterelles - 2024

Lionel Gosseaume's Cuvée Les Sauterelles 2024 from the Touraine AOC is a delightful Loire Valley white wine, crafted with a keen attention to both tradition and terroir. Though Lionel Gosseaume is best known for his expressive work with Sauvignon Blanc, which forms the backbone of much of the region’s white wine, the exact blend for this cuvée is typically dominated by this varietal, resulting in a vibrant, aromatic profile. The 2024 vintage, marked by a relatively mild spring followed by a warm and consistent growing season, has yielded wines of freshness and precision. The soils of Touraine—a mosaic of clay, flint (silex) and limestone—play a significant role, imparting a mineral tension and elegance to the resulting wine. The winemaking approach focuses on preserving the natural fruit intensity and finesse, with gentle pressing and cool fermentation to enhance aromatic purity.

Touraine sits at the heart of the Loire Valley, a region celebrated for its remarkable biodiversity and temperate microclimate, owing to the moderating influence of the Loire River. The area is historically known as the "Garden of France", with vines thriving on gently sloping hillsides and benefitting from frequent morning mists and good drainage. The mineral-rich soils here do wonders for Sauvignon Blanc, yielding wines that marry crisp citrus flavours with streaks of minerality and herbaceous notes, all hallmarks of the region's style.

Pairing-wise, this type of lively Loire white shines superbly with goat’s cheese, especially the region's own Sainte-Maure de Touraine. The wine's brightness also flatters seafood such as oysters, scallops, or smoked trout, while its zesty character cuts through dishes with fresh herbs or a touch of spice, such as asparagus risotto or chicken with tarragon. For an entirely local experience, try it with rillettes de Tours or a fresh salad of regional produce.

For the best sensory experience, serve this Touraine Blanc well-chilled, ideally between 8-10°C. This allows its vivid aromatics and exhilarating acidity to shine, offering a taste of the Loire’s unique elegance and vibrancy.