Michel Autran's winery is an artisanal enterprise of just 3.5 hectares under vine in Vouvray, in the Loire Valley. A sensitive and talented vigneron, Autran is establishing himself as one of the most interesting producers in Vouvray, one of the less popular areas of the Loire Valley located near the more famous town of Tours, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and known for its castle.
After working as a doctor for almost twenty years, Michel decided to turn his life around by looking for a profession that would allow him to express himself more. "I have dreamed of becoming a paysan since childhood, simply because farming creates life, and that is an extraordinary feeling". Passionate about food processing, Michel would like to become a dairyman, but in the end he chooses to make wine because the vineyard is easier to manage than animals.
Precise and focused, after quitting his job in 2006 Michel did not improvise as a winegrower: he had all the secrets of Chenin Blanc taught to him by the best producers in Vouvray and Montlouis and carefully selected the vineyards to work on. In 2011, he was able to buy just under a hectare of vineyard in Noizay, which he slowly expanded to the current 3.5 hectares.
In 2013, his first official vintage was released. Michel Autran's production philosophy is firmly based on organic farming principles: the vineyards are worked by hand and sometimes with the help of a horse, partly because of the steep hillsides where they grow. The vineyards are all very old, between 50 and 70 years old. The quest for extreme fidelity to the expression of terroir in his wines has led Michel to leave the AOC Vouvray, so that he can make wine according to his own ideas, and not according to the rules imposed by the regulations.
Fermentation is carried out spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in steel tanks, while ageing takes place only partially in new barrels. The use of sulphur dioxide is kept to a minimum and when possible avoided altogether. The wines produced by Michel Autran are pure, elegant, fruity and balanced between structure, acidity and minerality. Autran is considered the master of Chenin, and his wines, produced in limited quantities, are in great demand!
