Domaine Gouron

Domaine Gouron, a family-owned estate, holds outstanding terroirs around the village of Cravant-les-Coteaux in the heart of Chinon. Brothers Laurent and Stéphane Gouron carry on the work of their father and grandfather, René, who founded the estate in 1947 with only four hectares of vines and sold direct to Paris bistros.

Today, the estate consists of 28 hectares of vineyards which are evenly divided between the hillsides and the plateau. Yellow tuffeau (soft clay-limestone characteristic of the area), along with shelly debris, prevails on the slopes, while the plateau is mainly sandy clay with flint and gravel. These distinct soil types allow for the creation of different cuvées that highlight the expression of each terroir.

The brothers take a lute-raisonee (sustainable) approach in the vineyards. The vines are not treated systematically, and natural green cover crops are planted between rows to help manage the vine’s vigor and preserve organic matter. Stems and leaves remain on the soil and are shredded to enhance microbial life and benefit pest predators.

Laurent and Stephane handle all winemaking duties and do their best to allow the wines to reach their full potential. True to tradition, their wines are aged in tanks or barrels before the bottles are cellared and aged under ideal conditions in tuffeau cellars and bottled at the estate.