Vincent Roussely Orange
Pairs with: Spicy Indian dishes like vegetable korma or chicken tikka masala, aromatic Thai green curries, roast pork belly with an apricot glaze, pan-seared sea bass with a ginger-soy reduction, or a savory cheese board featuring aged Gouda and sharp Cheddar.
Good for: Serving as the ultimate, highly approachable "handshake" introduction for someone curious about the skin-contact universe; rescuing a takeout night with a bottle that can effortlessly handle complex, fiery spices; or completely resetting the expectations of a friend who thinks Sauvignon Blanc only comes in one hyper-grassy style.
Grape: Primarily Sauvignon Blanc (often masterfully woven with a small percentage of native Pineau d’Aunis and Chenin Blanc, depending on the vintage).
I am from: Vin de France, Touraine, Loire Valley, France (Sourced from a historic estate nestled in the heart of the village of Chenonceaux on the banks of the Cher River).
The Story: Vincent Roussely represents the passionate fourth generation of his family to tend the vines at Clos Roussely, a beautiful estate whose winemaking heritage runs deep into the limestone soils of Touraine. When Vincent took the reins in 2001, he immediately set out to honor the land by shifting toward total environmental purity, quickly converting the entire 8-hectare property to certified organic farming. To minimize soil compaction and foster thriving biodiversity, he completely cast aside heavy tractors in 2007, choosing to cultivate his oldest plots—some of which are over 80 years old—entirely by hand, lightweight machine, and horse.
The heart of the operation is an architectural marvel: an ancient subterranean cellar dug directly into a network of tuffeau (limestone) tunnels running right beneath the vineyards. This spectacular underground labyrinth has been used to ferment and age wine for over 250 years, providing a perfectly stable, naturally cold environment. To craft this unique, low-intervention Orange cuvée, Vincent throws out the traditional white winemaking playbook. Instead of immediately pressing the grapes and discarding the skins, he allows the fruit to undergo a patient, spontaneous three-week skin maceration with wild native yeasts inside his carved-out stone recesses. Aged for six months in neutral tanks and bottled completely unfiltered, this skin-contact technique allows him to coax an entirely unexpected, wonderfully structured persona out of the classic Loire terroir.
Why You'll Love Me: It is bright, texturally fascinating, and brilliantly refreshing—an orange wine that avoids the extreme, funky volatility of the natural wine wild-west in favor of pure, clean fruit intensity and absolute drinkability. In the glass, it pours a beautiful, vibrant amber-gold color with a light, natural haze. The nose is exceptionally playful and aromatic, instantly greeting you with a fragrant bouquet of fresh orange zest, dried apricots, and ripe yellow peaches, seamlessly layered with complex undertones of chamomile tea, quince paste, and a sweet whisper of wildflower honey. On the palate, it delivers a gorgeous structural surprise; because the juice spent weeks resting on the grape skins, it hits with a light, velvety framework of soft tannins that give the wine a pleasant, tea-like grip and a satisfying chewiness. Yet, it remains spectacularly light on its feet—the natural, crisp acidity of the cool-climate fruit cuts effortlessly through the weight, carrying flavors of citrus pith and ginger into a long, bone-dry finish defined by a mouthwatering limestone mineral snap.
