# Couly-Dutheil Saumur-Champigny Les Moulins de Turquant (2024)

- **Producer:** Domaine Couly-Dutheil
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Franc
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €14
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, liquorice, black pepper

## About this wine

Domaine Couly-Dutheil was founded in 1921 by Baptiste Dutheil and is currently managed by 4th-generation winemaker Arnaud Couly alongside Jacques Couly. Although historically based in Chinon, the domaine manages seven hectares of vineyards in Turquant within the Saumur-Champigny appellation. The name Les Moulins de Turquant pays tribute to the village's historic windmill cellars carved into soft tuffeau limestone. The vineyards benefit from a protective microclimate sheltered by the Fontevraud forest and nearby Loire and Thouet rivers, yielding porous limestone soils that regulate vine water access.

## Interesting facts

- Named after the historic windmill cellars ('moulins caviers') carved into tuffeau limestone in the village of Turquant.
- In 2005, the estate shifted viticultural practices to achieve fuller phenolic ripeness and reduce vegetal pyrazine notes.
- Turquant vineyards sit in a unique microclimate receiving only around 600 mm of annual rainfall.

## Food pairing

The supple tannins and bright acidity of Loire Cabernet Franc cut cleanly through savory fats and rich red meats. The wine's vibrant berry profile and herbal nuances complement roasted game, lamb, and classic charcuterie without dominating delicate food textures.

## Wine making process

Viticulture follows sustainable practices, employing grass cover cropping, canopy management, and green harvesting to ensure optimal phenolic maturity. Grapes are hand-sorted in the vineyard and fully de-stemmed before vinification. Alcoholic fermentation takes place with native yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks over 15 to 20 days. The wine ages in stainless steel tanks on fine lees until bottling in the summer following harvest, purposefully avoiding oak contact to preserve pure fruit intensity.