Domaine Thomas & Fils Saint Veran Maison Rouge 2020

Lucien Thomas’s Saint-Véran Maison Rouge is made from a block of Chardonnay vines that are 80 years old, superbly located at the top of the southeast facing amphitheater-contoured vineyard. The name of the lieu dit comes from the house of the lord of the village of Prissé in the 17th century, which was built with red stones. The site is presently under consideration by the INAO for future classification as Saint-Véran 1er Cru. 

Thomas vinifies these grapes separately because they are always riper and more concentrated. The soil is Jurassic limestone-clay with stones, that allows for good drainage. The Chardonnay vines are pruned by the single-Guyot method with only 8 buds. The soil is plowed and fertilized with organic material when needed. At harvest, the grapes are hand-picked and sorted before being quickly pressed and the must clarified (débourbage). Thomas selects the best press-juice for fermentation with native yeasts. 20% of the volume is fermented in neutral 500 litre barrels and the balance in small, 4000 litre tanks. The lees are stirred only twice to enhance complexity and preserve freshness. Thomas assembled the parts in August 2021 and bottled the 2020 Saint-Véran Maison Rouge on September 4th, after fining with bentonite clay and a light filtration.