2023 Domaine des Aubuisieres "Cuvee de Silex" Vouvray (Sec)

Staff Reviews

KM

Keith Mabry

Keith Mabry

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 05/2026

Vouvray remains one of the great sources for value-driven Chenin Blanc, and Domaine des Aubuisières continues to be one of the appellation’s rising stars. The “Cuvée de Silex” comes from clay and flint-rich soils, giving the wine the tension and crackling acidity that I love in this style of Chenin. Vibrant notes of lime zest, quince, and a touch of kiwi lend the wine a bright, energetic edge, while the palate stays dry—but not overly so—retaining just enough texture to make it incredibly food-friendly. This is the kind of white that feels equally at home on its own or at the dinner table.

Notes

Though Vouvray is one of France’s historic wine regions, Domaine des Aubuisières is a relatively modern estate, built largely through the hard work of Bernard Fouquet beginning in the early 1980s. Starting from a handful of family vineyard parcels, Bernard steadily expanded the domaine with prized holdings across the appellation, including sites rich in both Vouvray’s classic limestone and flinty silex soils. The wines are rooted in Chenin Blanc’s remarkable ability to transmit terroir, balancing vibrant fruit with the region’s signature mineral character. Today, under Charles Lesaffre — who took over the estate in 2021 — the domaine has continued its focus on precise, terroir-driven winemaking while placing a greater emphasis on organic and biodynamic farming. The result is a lineup of wines that captures both the texture and energy that make great Vouvray so compelling. The Cuvée de Silex comes from vineyards planted on clay and flint-rich soils. The grapes are fermented and aged entirely in tank before bottling, preserving the wine’s purity and precision. This is quintessential dry Vouvray, showcasing both the richness and complexity that Chenin Blanc is capable of delivering.