Yannick Amirault
Yannick Amirault is one of the most highly regarded producers in the appellations in which he operates, namely Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bougueil. He has 11 hectares in the first of these and 2 in the latter, planted with the red grape of the area, Cabernet Franc – many of the vines are between and 45 and 50 years old grown on a variety of soils and yields are kept to a minimum. His belief in the purity of the grape begins in the vineyard where there is as little chemical use as possible and continues in the winery where he does not filter his wines and tends to use less oak than his peers. The resulting wines show a depth and complexity, as well as a consistency, of which any wine-maker would be proud.