Based in the hamlet of Le Haut Bagneux, just outside Mareuil-sur-Cher south of the Loire you will find the winery and hand-tended vineyards of Jean-Christophe Mandard.
This modest cellar produces an excellent range of local specialities, employing the ‘to be expected’ varieties of sauvignon blanc and gris, chenin blanc, gamay, cabernet franc and côt (malbec), as well as sparkling wines, but where there are also one or two surprises up their sleeve. A bottling of the ancient and obscure L'Orbois grape variety anyone?
We first bought the 2004 vintage Touraine Sauvignon here and have been consistently impressed by the range, now produced according to Terra Vitis sustainable viticultural methods. Modest it may be, but this is a property at which attention to detail and careful vineyard management are high on the agenda.