Domaine Sylvain Boton
We were looking for a new great expression of Cabernet Franc to add in our portfolio, one that we can drink on any occasion with clear expression, and his wines stopped us in our tracks.
Sylvain Boton is a young vigneron originally from Tours who represents one of the most exciting new voices in the Loire Valley. After several years in Sancerre with Francois Crochet, then in Montlouis at Le Rocher des Violette and finally in Bourgueil at Domaine de la Chevalerie, it was the landscape, the terroirs, and the Cabernet Franc of Bourgueil that ultimately convinced him to put down roots there, establishing his domaine in 2022.
He took over 2.3 hectares of vines in AOC Bourgueil, nurturing the soils and restoring life between the rows; giving the vines the time they need to recover and regenerate. Today, the domaine spans 4 hectares of Cabernet Franc, farmed in accordance with organic and biodynamic principles, spread across the communes of Ingrandes-de-Touraine, Restigné, and Benais, a mosaic of plots managed from vine to cellar to best express the diversity of Bourgueil's terroirs
Two parcels stand out in particular: Les Haies, an argilo-calcaire plot of shallow soils with 80-year-old vines, where significant replanting work is underway using massal selection from the same parcel; and Les Bretèches, another argilo-calcaire site with fragments of tuffeau on the surface.
In the cellar, Sylvain works in a troglodyte cave, where empty bottles of Clos Rougeard and Clos Nouveau sit on a shelf, a telling glimpse into his ambitions and inspirations. His range reflects both precision and personality: the cuvée Racines focuses on terroir-driven complexity, while Printemps, created in 2023, is a fruit-forward, fine-tannin wine built for pure drinking pleasure.
The Wines
A wine that wears its name well.
Printemps arrives with the freshness of the season, a short (9days) fermentation in stainless steel. Conceived as a pure expression of fruit rather than structure, it drinks effortlessly young yet never feels simple, the antithesis of his more structured wine Racines or the single crus. It also bears the hallmarks of a very sunny and juicy vintage, making this wine very appealing. Bright ruby in the glass, lifting aromas of crushed raspberry, sour cherry and wild violet, with that characteristic whisper of graphite and cool earth that Bourgueil's tuffeau soils so reliably deliver.
On the palate it is light-footed and energetic, the tannins are soft, the acidity precise and mouthwatering.
We recommend to serve with a gentle chill.
Perfect by the glass alongside charcuterie, goat's cheese or anything off the grill.
An ideal introduction to a domaine that is fast becoming one of Bourgueil's most exciting young addresses.
What an introduction for a first vintage from a single vineyard, this is a remarkably assured and moving wine, a statement of intent from one of Bourgueil's most exciting young vignerons.
Les Haies is Cabernet Franc from vines planted in 1928, just two years shy of a century, rooted in pure white Tuffeau.
The approach in the cellar is one of quiet confidence: fully destemmed fruit, a gentle 18-day infusion, and 18 months in 500-litre old barrels.
The result is deeply compelling, beautiful, and moving expression of this unique vineyard. A wine of gorgeous deep purple colour, velvety texture, powdery tannins, and a concentration that feels earned rather than forced. There is real soul here, a tribute to the great Cabernet Francs of the Loire that line the walls of Boton's troglodyte cellar and have clearly shaped his vision.
Only 500 bottles produced. A new icon from Bourgueil, and one to seek out with some urgency.