Julie & Toby Bainbridge - Cuvée La danseuse
In 2012, after a few years under the tutelage and employ of Rene Mosse, Toby and Julie went out on their own and started full-time production on their eponymous domaine. Toby's an ex-pat from the UK and Julie found him working on her parent's farm in Oklahoma. After a long courtship they settled in Anjou with their two young children. They focus on wines for drinking: fresh, bright and natural.
Tasting Notes: An almost lighter-than-air delight, this is a dry, sparkling take on Rosé d'Anjou that purls with life. Minerally, elegant, and lively: nearly-ripe strawberries meets acidity that, it cannot be avoided, dances.
Vinification: 100% Grolleau, from 85 year-old vines atop black schist soil. Hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts, unfined, unfiltered and disgorged to get the juice off of its lees. La Danseuse translates to "The Dancer" in French, but the labeling is a little more tawdry than that. La Danseuse can also refer to the barrel of wine that a vigneron would put aside for his mistress (in days past of course).