Frederic Mabileau

Domaine Frederic Mabileau

Frederic Mabileau operates a 27 ha domaine with the majority of the vines concentrated in St Nicolas de Bourgueil. Frederic is of a winemaking family, his father, Jean-Paul, having been proprietor at Domaine du Bourg. Some of these old family vineyards have recently been brought back into the Mabileau family, as Frederic, with wife Nathalie, is determined to expand and improve his domaine. He manages his vineyard with a great consideration for the soil, the environment, and the quality of the fruit that results. The vines, predominantly Cabernet Franc, are largely Guyot trained, see leaf thinning as required, are interplanted with grass to encourage the vine roots deeper into the soil, and are hand-harvested.

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Vve Fourny & Fils Ratafia

Vve Fourny & Fils

If the Champagne is closely associated to the Champagne-Ardenne, there is another typically Champagne production which has to be discovered, it is Ratafia. This sweetened aperitif owes the origins of its name with all the drinks which is drunk during the ratification of a treaty. Ratafia is made with the rest of the grape of pinot recovered at the exit of the press, without any filtration, mixed with a marc brandy. Once prepared, the base is at least reserved two years out of barrels of oak, which will give him its superb brown color.

Just before the end of the process, the Ratafia is around 18° of alcohol. It must be served between 6 and 8°C to appreciate as well as possible its flavors of Marc, of candied fruits and citrus fruits bark. In general offered out of aperitif, Ratafia will be a must with a melon, a piece of foie gras or a blue cheese or with spotted paste. Test it with a chocolate cake and you will appreciate this quite unusual but so delicious mix.

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