2020 Les Vins de La Madone 'Rougeots du Clos Sans Soufre'

Region: Urfé IGP < Loire Valley <  FranceGrapes: Gamay de Chaudenay /Gamay de Bouze / GamaretVineyard/Cellar Stats: Demeter-certified biodynamic farming (since 2009); migmatite type of clay (volcanic origin) and granit soils; de-stemmed, indigenous yeast co-fermentation in stainless steel tank for 8-10 days with gentle daily punch-downs, then bottled unfined, with no added SO2; zero-zero; 12.5% ABVWinemaker: Gilles Bonnefoy The Massif Central, the highlands area of Southern France, used to be a much more important wine producing area until phylloxera struck, as it did everywhere.  Replanting has been very gradual, because the region is closed and mountainous, making it more suited to cows -- and cheese production.  Oh hey, Fourme d'Ambert!  The vines that have been replanted on the mineral-rich volcanic soils are mostly to the Gamay grape, and the viticulture influence comes more from the neighboring Ardèche (Rhône Valley) than the Loire, within which the Urfé technically sits.