# Point du Jour Cheverny Rouge (2023)

- **Producer:** Domaine Philippe Tessier
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir, Gamay
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €17
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, violet, cinnamon, almond

## About this wine

Domaine Philippe Tessier was founded in 1961 by Roger Tessier in the Cheverny appellation of France's Loire Valley. His son Philippe took over in 1981 and converted the domaine to certified organic farming in 1998. Today, the estate is managed by Simon Tessier and his wife Marie, maintaining the family's commitment to low-intervention organic viticulture. Located between the Loire River and surrounding forest massifs, the vineyards benefit from a cool microclimate and mixed soils of siliceous clay and limestone.

## Interesting facts

- Domaine Tessier was founded in 1961 by Roger Tessier, who originally grew vines alongside his asparagus fields in Sologne.
- 'Le Point du Jour' translates to 'Break of Day', referencing the early morning sun on the estate's oldest vineyard plots.
- The estate has been certified organic since 1998, long before organic viticulture gained widespread popularity in Cheverny.

## Food pairing

The bright acidity and fine-grained, delicate tannins of this red Cheverny make it incredibly versatile with lighter red meats, poultry, and Earthy elements. High acidity cuts through duck fat and pork richness, while the floral and red fruit profile harmonizes naturally with goat cheese and wild mushrooms.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested from the estate's oldest Pinot Noir and Gamay vines (20 to 40 years old). The grapes undergo 70% whole-cluster semi-carbonic maceration for two weeks, followed by spontaneous fermentation driven entirely by indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged briefly in a combination of neutral oak barrels and wooden or concrete vats to allow gentle aeration without oak flavor influence. Bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal sulfur additions (~20 mg/L total).