2016 Coteaux du Loir, Vieilles Vignes Éparses, Domaine de Bellivière, Loire
About this WINE
Domaine de Belliviere
The Domaine de Belliviere estate covers 13 hectares in Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir Appellations. The parcels located in 5 parishes (Lhomme, Ruillé sur Loir, Chahaignes, Marçon and Dissay sous Courcillon) offer different soils, notably clay, siliceous clay, flint & limestone (’tuffeau’) which constitute the richness and diversity of the different wines of the estate. Key grapes are Chenin Blanc, Pineau d’Aunis, Cabernet Franc & Gamay.
The vines, including old vines, are cultivated by ploughing, harrowing etc. Progressively, parcel by parcel, this fundamental work has enabled the producers to build a natural resistance that the growers are continually improving. We chose 2008 to be the year they converted the whole estate to Biodynamic agriculture. The harvest is entirely manual and yields resolutely very moderate.
The estate replants using scions from within their own vineyards, planting at a high density quite deliberately. This gives a better quality, and allows the growers to use this rare and valuable terroir to the best advantage.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is an important white grape variety planted in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley and the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa.
In the Loire it produces high quality dry wines in Savenniéres, and luscious sweet, dessert wines in Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. In Vouvray and Montlouis it can be dry, medium dry, or sweet, and still or sparkling. Whether dry or sweet, the best Loire Chenin Blancs possess marvellously concentrated rich, honeyed fruit together with refreshingly vibrant acidity. It is Chenin Blanc's high acidity that enable the wines to age so well.
In South Africa Chenin Blanc is easier to grow and is prized for its versatility. It is used as a cheap blending option with Chardonnay, Colombard, and Muscat but also bottled unblended. The best producers keep their yields low and produce impressive mouthfilling wines.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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