Description

SOLD OUT!

The future of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc is in single vineyard, dry, terroir-driven whites that challenge the greats of Burgundy for precision, length, complexity and ageability. Pioneers like Jacky Blot are currently making the wines of a lifetime. This has been literally 25 plus years in the making, ever since Jacky first purchased eight hectares of 50 to 75 year old vines in Montlouis in the late 1980s. Transforming and building this organically certified property began in 1988. The level of grower commitment to natural farming practices and non-interventionist vinification is easily the highest percentage of any Chenin appellation in the Loire Valley. Every site is allowed to sing, without the sugar, without the battonage, no malo, using low levels of SO2, and minimal filtration. Jacky Blot is without question one of the inspirational leaders of this growing movement.

“This is expressive, showing hints of oak that amplify the flavors of mango chutney, piecrust, orange blossom and honeysuckle woven together through the quinine-fueled finish. Beautiful texture and nice density point to a promising future. Approachable now, and would pair nicely with food, but probably better to wait. Best from 2022 through 2033. 300 cases made, 75 cases imported. – 93 points, Wine Spectator (November 15, 2020)

“Jacky’Blot’s wines, including his not-anymore Vouvray, are the perfect example: They’re bone-dry, less fruity than complex and austere. He believes sugar blurs chenin’s ability to transparently reveal its best qualities, which is why his winemaking is almost fanatically Burgundian, although he prefers to describe it as “the school of Montlouis.” He ferments all his whites in barrels. And rather than a cold, quick fermentation meant to highlight aromas, he borrows from Burgundy’s elite cadre, winemakers like Jean-François Coche (of Coche-Dury) and Jean-Marc Roulot (of Domaine Roulot): he exposes the grape must to oxygen before a long, slow fermentation and leaves the finished wine in steel tanks for months before bottling, which firms up the texture.”– Jon Bonné

• Certified organic
• 100% Chenin Blanc
• 45 year old vines
• Southeastern exposure
• Very thin layer of clay sitting over pure limestone.
• Super low yield at 25hl/ha (about 1.5 tons per acre)
• Indigenous yeasts
• No malo
• Fermented and aged in barrel (20% new, 80% 1-4 year old barrels)