Carole Kohler – Jardins de Fleury

On the historic 15th-century Fleury estate, the humble and spirited Carole Kohler crafts organic, and biodynamic, no-sulfite-added Chenin Blanc on schists of the Massif Armoricain and Cabernet Franc on Jurassic Tourcian limestone of the Paris Basin. A former chemist turned vigneronne, she and her husband, architect and hobby historian Brice Kohler, revived it properties historic connection to viticulture in Thouars, on the southern frontier of Anjou, where vineyards had nearly vanished after shifting appellation laws with the creation of the European Union. A self-contained world, Fleury is a haven of ancient forests where biodiversity thrives, untainted by neighboring agriculture. Carole’s light-handed approach yields wines that channel the voice of the land, rewriting the history of this once-forgotten terroir. And with wines like these, it’s only a matter of time before others follow.