Producer >
Family run for 180 years, Xavier and Agnès Amirault are the latest generation to biodynamically farm 37 ha across 53 parcels in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil on the border of the Anjou and Touraine regions. The vineyards face south on gentle slopes and are made up of gravel, sand and clay over limestone. Cabernet Franc, locally known as ‘Breton’ is the dominant variety and in the winery Xavier adopts a pragmatic approach using both cement tanks and open top wooden casks for fermenting and both tanks and demi-muids for ageing. The emphasis here is firmly on elegance and finesse and in spite of their drinkability when young, they also age tremendously well.
Viticulture >
Can be paired with a wide range of dishes at the table bringing many flavours into balance. hors d`oeuvres, oysters, shellfish, cooked, grilled or sauced fish and veal
Winemaking >
Farming methods : it is important to avoid compacting clay and chalk soil and
to prevent erosion of the beautiful hillside terroir. Therefore we have opted to
let the natural green cover grow and avoid working the soil as much as possible.
At the start of winter, we cover the base of the stock to protect the vines from
winter frosts.
The aim is to maintain a natural balance to ensure the vine is not suddenly
subjected the vagaries of the weather (drought, heavy rain). We also add a
small quantity of our own compost which has been prepared from biodynamic
ingredients. In the spring, the green cover, which is rich in natural flora,
effectively controls the rate of growth of the vine to produce wines which are
very true to terroir. We use a mix of plants (meadowsweet, nettle, yarrow,
dandelion and horsetail) which we gather ourselves, infuse and spray. This
reduces the quantities of “Bordeaux mix” required.
We hand-harvest the grapes ourselves, carrying out an initial selection on the
vine to ensure only healthy grapes reach our cellars.
Vinification : Our aim is to harvest a perfectly healthy grape at optimal
maturity. The grapes harvested are stripped and sorted a second time before
being fermented using the “vinification intégrale” method (for 50% of the
berries harvested). This involves putting 50% of the berries directly into
demi-muids (500L oak barrels) and 50% are put in big fermenters. Only
natural yeasts found on the plot will start the fermentations
Cabernet Franc
13.5
FRANCE
6
Cork
Amirault Vignerons
Organic
Biodynamic
HVE
Vegan
Vegetarian 
Fact Sheet
