France · Other producers

Clos du Tue Boeuf

Family estate in Les Montils, Loire Valley, farming mainly AOC Cheverny vineyards with some AOC Touraine parcels, organic since 1996 and Demeter biodynamic certified.

The producer

Clos du Tue Boeuf is run by Thierry and Zoë Puzelat in Les Montils, Loir-et-Cher. The estate grows Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Romorantin, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt and Pineau d'Aunis across vineyards classified mainly as AOC Cheverny, with some AOC Touraine. Clay, flint and Blois chalk limestone bring a mineral edge to wines described through freshness, vitality and fine texture.

Fermentations start spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. No sulfur is used during fermentation or ageing, with a tiny dose added at bottling only when necessary. Romorantin 'Frileuse' is complex, fine and high in acidity, with citrus, pear and spice, while Le Buisson Pouilleux has a linear shape and stony finish. Together they show how grape, appellation and cellar method shape the bottle.

Known for

Fresh, mineral Loire wines from a broad mix of white and red grapes, shaped by clay, flint and limestone soils, spontaneous indigenous-yeast fermentation and minimal sulfur.

Notable facts

The story

When Cheverny changed the blend

When the Cheverny AOC was created in 1993, certain grape varieties became ineligible for blends. The Puzelat brothers then had to compare their wines with a new set of appellation rules, even though the estate's vineyards carried a broad Loire planting palette. A blend that fell outside the permitted formula could no longer keep the Cheverny name, so some wines were occasionally declassified. The change reached the label directly: a wine from the same family and vineyards could appear under a different appellation when its grape composition no longer fitted the rules. A new legal category had turned the work of blending into a decision about the name printed on the bottle.

From the atlas

Clos du Tue Boeuf

At A Glance

Clos du Tue Boeuf is a family estate in Les Montils, Loir-et-Cher, in France's Loire Valley. Most of its vineyards fall under AOC Cheverny, with some parcels classified as AOC Touraine. Thierry and Zoë Puzelat are the current proprietors. The estate grows a wide Loire palette, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Romorantin, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt and Pineau d'Aunis, with Romorantin 'Frileuse' and Le Buisson Pouilleux providing two named wines.

The Producer

The Puzelat family name appears in 15th-century documents, while the current cellar works with spontaneous fermentation, indigenous yeasts and little sulfur. That meeting of old family roots and deliberately hands-off cellar work defines Clos du Tue Boeuf more clearly than a single grape variety could.

Thierry and Zoë Puzelat now run the estate. Jean-Marie Puzelat retired after the 2018 vintage, following decades in which the domaine became closely associated with Loire natural wine. Its wines are built from varied plantings and different legal categories, so the name on the label tells part of the story, while the grape and cellar method complete it.

Place

Les Montils sits in the Loire Valley's Loir-et-Cher, where Clos du Tue Boeuf farms parcels mainly classified as AOC Cheverny. Some vineyards are labelled AOC Touraine. These appellation names set the legal frame for the bottles, but they do not describe one uniform blend across the estate.

The range therefore moves through different grapes and label categories. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Romorantin support the white-wine side, while Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt and Pineau d'Aunis bring red varieties into the estate's mix. A bottle's appellation, grape and cuvée name work together to indicate where it sits within that range.

Soil And Site

The vineyards contain clay, flint and Blois chalk limestone. Those materials recur in the estate's mineral vocabulary: the wines are described as fresh and lively, with a stony edge that becomes especially clear on the finish of Le Buisson Pouilleux.

The soil story stays physical in the glass. Mineral character sits beside bright acidity and fine texture, so the wines do not read as heavy or broad. The combination of clay, silex and chalk belongs to the vineyard, while the linear feel and clean finish are the qualities that remain apparent after the sip.

Story

The Puzelat name reaches back to 15th-century records, but the modern estate took a clear turn in 1996, when the family converted to organic farming. Demeter biodynamic certification followed as part of the estate's continuing vineyard practice. The change was agricultural first, yet it also shaped the kind of wine made in the cellar: spontaneous fermentations, native yeasts and minimal sulfur became part of the house's working language.

In the mid-1990s, Clos du Tue Boeuf was at the heart of the natural wine movement gathering in Paris alongside Marcel Richaud, Dard & Ribo and Yvon Métras. Jean-Marie's retirement after the 2018 vintage marks a later change in the family story, with Thierry and Zoë Puzelat now carrying the estate forward. The bottle still joins Loire grapes, local soils and a low-intervention cellar method.

Vineyards And Cellar

Organic farming began in 1996, and the estate is Demeter biodynamic certified. The vineyards bring together clay, flint and limestone, with a planting list that ranges from Sauvignon Blanc and Romorantin to Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt and Pineau d'Aunis. That spread supports both white and red wines, with different grapes carrying the site into different textures and fruit profiles.

In the cellar, fermentation starts spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. No sulfur is used during fermentation or ageing, and a tiny homeopathic dose may be added at bottling when absolutely necessary. The wines are consequently described through vitality, freshness and mineral dimension, with acidity and stony detail doing much of the work in the finish.

Wines

The estate's range is broad in grape and label category. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Menu Pineau and Romorantin form the white-grape palette, while Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt and Pineau d'Aunis bring red-fruited and darker-toned varieties into the picture. Most parcels are AOC Cheverny, with some AOC Touraine, so the appellation on the label sits alongside the grape and cuvée name.

Romorantin 'Frileuse' is a named white reference with complex mineral character, a fine feel and high acidity. Its fruit detail runs through citrus and pear, with a spicy edge. Le Buisson Pouilleux offers a different register: a linear shape, fine texture and a stony mineral edge on the finish. Across the range, freshness, acidity, mineral character, fruit detail and a clean finish are more useful guides than a complete list of cuvées.

In The Glass

The first impression is lively rather than heavy. Fresh fruit and mineral tones rise from the glass, then acidity carries the wine across the palate. In the white wines, citrus and pear can sit beside spice, while the Loire red varieties bring a more fruit-led, tactile shape without losing the estate's freshness.

The cellar method and the clay, flint and limestone soils sit behind that movement. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and little sulfur leave room for a direct, energetic feel, while the mineral character keeps the finish focused. The aftertaste is often stony and savoury, with the wine tapering into freshness instead of sweetness or oak flavour.

A Bottle To Understand It

Romorantin 'Frileuse' is the strongest first bottle for understanding Clos du Tue Boeuf. It places an uncommon Loire grape at the centre of the glass and carries the estate's main signatures together: fine texture, high acidity, mineral character and detailed fruit.

Look for citrus and pear beneath a spicy note, then a firm acid line that keeps the wine lifted through the finish. The bottle connects the estate's Loire setting, clay, flint and limestone soils, and spontaneous indigenous-yeast fermentation without requiring a complete tour of the range. Its combination of detail, freshness and mineral feel makes the Puzelat style legible from the first pour.

Anecdote

When the Cheverny AOC was created in 1993, certain grape varieties became ineligible for blends. The Puzelat brothers suddenly had to test their wines against a new set of appellation rules, even though the estate's vineyards already carried a broad Loire planting list. A blend that fell outside the permitted formula could no longer keep the Cheverny name, so some wines were occasionally declassified. The change appeared directly on the bottle: the same family, vineyards and harvest could lead to a different appellation on the label because the blend no longer fitted the new rules. Cheverny had turned a question of grape composition into a decision about what the wine would be called.

Final Word

Clos du Tue Boeuf brings together a long Puzelat family history, Loire soils, varied grapes and a cellar built around spontaneous fermentation and minimal sulfur. Cheverny and Touraine provide the legal frame, while the wines carry freshness, acidity and mineral detail into the glass. Romorantin 'Frileuse' is the natural place to begin.

Sources

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