Nicolas Barbou
Loire
Touraine
Nicolas Barbou started his wine making experience in Burgundy, working first for Boisson Vadot before moving to work for his mentor Jean-Yves Bizot, he then travelled to New Zealand and completed his formal studies in Dijon – before deciding to start his own domain in his home region of Touraine in the Loire Valley. And with the friendship between Nicolas’ father – Dominique (who own Domaine des Corbillièresand) and Jean Francois Coche, most of Nicolas’ barrels are coming from Domaine Coche Dury.
From Nicolas’ own wording about himself:
“You have here my philosophy about the world of wine. Art and wine are the superior joys of the free man. This quote from Aristotle, which sums up my ideology of the world of wine. Wine is an art. The correlation between them is the foundation of my philosophy. The second aspect is the free man. Only the free man is able to make his philosophy understood through a wine
After watching, learning, and understanding my various adventures, I wanted to make my own wine with common sense, thoughtfulness, emotion and passion. My vision consists of a few questions- what wines do I want to make? How can my bottles become a piece of art? How to free myself from the known?
It is in this spirit that I committed to the following, grassing between the rows, vinification in barrels and long aging. Nothing is given, I have appropriated this freedom so as not to be constrained and to be able to put my foundations in place.
That’s why, my project is to make emotional wine with different varieties (Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin, Gamay, Pinot noir). The first one is Sauvignon with old vines in Touraine. Utopie créative is my project but my really my mentality – dreamer, sensible passionate and creative.”
The name of Nicolas’ first cuvée, Utopie Créative, created the tone for the rest of the range, enthralling and daring.
