A father and son team, Fabrice and Jules Dudognon , are the most humble of wine makers and produce wines from the Chinon AOC appellation. Chinon, a UNESCO world heritage town, is located on the south side of the Loire river nestled in between the larger river and it’s tributary, the Vienne, upon which it sits.
The grape variety that typifies Chinon is Cabernet Franc and one cannot think of one without the other. It is due to the sandy gravel soils that Chinon is typically a well rounded but easy wine to drink. It is no surprise, then, that Dudognon offer us three versions of their Cabernet Franc. However, they also have their take on a Chenin Blanc which is the other dominant grape variety in Loire Valley.
Fabrice began with only 4 Hectares of land in 1991 before relocating to Beaumont en Véron in 1996. As the Domaine gradually got larger Fabrice began building a new bespoke winery whilst also deciding to limit the use of pesticides and thus embarking on a conversion to Organic methods of production in 2018.
They take a global approach to viticulture, whereby, the vine, the soil and the environment form part of a harmonious ecosystem. In this spirit the winery has been extended with a building made of 100% wood and have also ceased using plastic in order to protect their vines. Being friendlier to the environment is a core philosophy for Domaine Dudognon and one that we love at Neeche Wines.
