About this WINE
Domaine Moly
Domaine Moly is located in Distré, five kilometres south of Saumur. Etienne Moly’s dream was to become a vigneron – he just needed the right place and vines. It was his acquaintance with Romain Guiberteau (of Domaine Guiberteau in Saumur) that pushed him, finally, in 2020 to settle in Distré with his family.
Etienne worked under Romain for a couple of years to learn all there is to know about Saumur’s terroir before officially launching his own project. Etienne’s wife, Aurelia, is also very involved in the project. They bought their first two and a half hectares in 2021, which soon became four hectares—two-thirds owned outright and one-third in fermage (tenanted).
With vines in some of the best Saumurois land, including Brézé, Etienne has four cuvées under his belt. His entry-level red Saumur is La Nomade, and his Saumur-Champigny labels are Les Sybarites and Alter Sybarites. Alter Sybarite undergoes 12 extra months of ageing compared to the straight Sybarites. All fermentations are with natural yeast, and wines are aged in large 400-litre barrels. There is very little to no new wood to retain fruit freshness and expression.
These are wines of great purity and fruit precision, making for a perfect Saumur representation. Etienne also produces a stunning Saumur Blanc, Le Bruit, which currently includes his Brézé plantings before they are to become their own cuvée.
Anjou-Saumur
Anjou-Saumur is a Mid-west Loire region most famous for the fine sweet Chenin Blanc wines of Bonnezeaux, Coteaux du Layon (including the exemplary - if tiny- Quarts de Chaume appellation) and Coteaux de l'Aubance.
The bulk of the wines produced in the Anjou region comprise the bland `Rosé d'Anjou' (made from the Grolleau grape) and marginally better Cabernet d'Anjou; Some smoky dry Anjou Chenin Blanc also produced.
The Saumur region's bread and butter is its Mousseux, while it also produces some dry Saumur Chenin (similar to Anjou's version) and some impressive Cabernet Franc, chalky dry thanks to the `tuffeau' soils.
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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Description
Le Bruit is Etienne’s white Saumur with vines from both the Varrains and Brézé sectors. This is aged in 400-litre barrels and the grapes from Brézé see a fraction of new wood. Lovely aromas of grapefruit, peach and some honeysuckle appear on the nose. The palate boasts fresh lemon peel and peach. Ther is some lovely density to the palate with good balance. A bit of age will bring a new complexity to this wine.
Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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