Alburostre White 2023

Alburostre White 2023

De Vini

Alburostre is an organic, biodynamic, and natural white wine made by Christophe Bosque (De Vini) in the Nantes region from the Folle Blanche grape variety. It comes from vines grown in Gorges (Loire-Atlantique), on the winemaker's estate, in gabbro soils. Classified as Vin de France. Folle Blanche, also known as Gros Plant, is a grape variety typical of the Nantes region, where it has been known since the 16th century and thrives in gabbro soils. Highly suitable for distillation, it is also a grape variety used in Armagnac and Cognac. It typically produces wines with low alcohol content and a pale color: Alburostre embodies all of these qualities.

Winemaking

The organic Folle Blanche grapes harvested for Alburostre are pressed directly, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then the wine is aged for nine months on its lees in stoneware jars. No fining, sulfiting, or filtration.

Tasting

Alburostre means "greenhorn" in Old French. Despite its pale color—typical of Folle Blanche—it's anything but an inexperienced novice. It's a very fine, easy-drinking white wine (10% alcohol), supple, pleasant, precise, and pure. A lovely yeasty, fermentary note rises above its simple description, enveloping the palate and further accentuating the wine's length. A truly indulgent wine: reserve it for the finest smoked salmon, seafood, and even caviar. The winemaker recommends salmon tartare with coriander, pollack fillet with beurre blanc sauce, or steamed goose barnacles.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini

De Vini, along with the Vinilibre wine trading business, is the multifaceted venture of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. Wine has always been his passion. We are particularly interested in his local creations, made from grapes grown on his two-hectare vineyard and fermented in a traditional Nantes-style underground vat—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in a natural style.

Gabbro melt

After years working as a wine merchant, importer, and then winemaker, this former cameraman, who holds a vocational diploma in oenology and viticulture, acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in 2017 in Gorges, Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson. The soils there consist of gabbro on a granite subsoil, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet, but better

Christophe's wines may be made from grapes sourced from the finest French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his own vines, which he tends with passion and a deep respect for the terroir. His labels and appellations reveal a touch of humor and a flair for the pun, but inside the bottle, it's serious business: wines off the beaten path, just the way he likes them.