Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups >
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A new star has emerged in the heart of the Loire Valley: he is Jacky Blot of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, in Montlouis, located on the southern bank of the Loire not far from Tours. Blot, a Loire wine broker by profession, acquired about 8 hectares of 50-75 year old vines in 1989. These prized ancient parcels belonged to families that could no longer continue to cultivate the vines and so entrusted them to Blot and his team. Blot brings a passion and exacting determination to make wines of only the highest quality.
The estate now comprises 12 hectares in Montlouis, Vouvray and Bourgueil. The core of the estate lies in the Montlouis appellation, on a high plateau overlooking the Loire River. The soil is a mix of stony limestone and clay that allows for perfect ripening of the Chenin Blanc grapes. As the vine rows are now ploughed (instead of being treated chemically) the roots descend deeply into the limestone bedrock. This, combined with severe pruning and late season leaf-stripping, keeps yields low and enhances the concentration and complexity of the wines. Average yields are 35hl/ha, often much less in the botrytis-affected parcels. Harvest is carried out by hand, as late as possible, in successive passes through the vineyards, with a sorting table placed at the end of each row to eliminate unsuitable grapes. After pressing, the wines ferment in barrels that have been crafted for the domaine from Troncais oak, with regular batonnage and two rackings. |
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| Montlouis Petillant Triple Zero |
A non-dose sparkling, 100% Chenin Blanc.
One of Jacky Blot most striking creations is his TRIPLE ZERO. This wine is unique amongst sparkling wines as only fully ripe, healthy grapes are used. This allows master winemaker Jacky Blot to never add sugar during the winemaking process.
Triple Zero refers to the fact that no sugar is added during the three traditional times that sugar is usually added for sparkling winemaking: zero chaptalization, zero tirage, zero dosage.
This methode traditionelle wine Blot describes as “above all a natural wine, that happens to have some bubbles.” The story of how it is made is interesting in its own right, and also for how it illustrates Blot’s dedication to quality and originality. Exceptionally for a sparkling wine, the TRIPLE ZERO begins with fully ripe Chenin Blanc grapes from low-yielding, 50+ year old vines. The grapes are all harvested by hand. Any fruit insufficiently ripe (i.e., under 12 degrees natural sugar) or showing any sign of rot is eliminated. The grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press and the two-stage fermentation begins slowly in barriques with only native yeasts.
Blot bottles the wine after about 3 months, when the fermentation in barrel has proceeded to the point where the natural sugars have almost fully fermented and only about 14 grams per liter of sugar remain. It then finishes fermenting in bottle; the delicate bubbles develop in these bottles while resting on their sides, or sur latte. At this phase, Blot does not add liqueur de tirage, or sugar syrup, as is it commonly practiced in Champagne. Once the secondary fermentation is completed (after about 30 days) and the wine develops on its lees for about 15 months, the temporary capsules are removed (degorgé) from the bottles, and they are topped off with the wine itself. At this last stage before final bottling, Blot does not add liqueur d’expedition or dosage with sugar rich juice.
The result is a sparkling wine with unsurpassed elegance, purity and expression of fresh, soft citrus and pear flavors.
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| Montlouis Sec - Remus |
100% Chenin blanc.
The dry Montlouis Remus comes from non-botrytised grapes picked at the end of the harvest. The yield is about 25hl/ha. The Remus cuvee is aged in 50% new and 50% one year-old barrels and is bottled in the fall after the harvest. It is a very concentrated, dense wine that will age well in bottle for up to 10 years.
It is best served with rich fish dishes, white meats and goat cheeses. When young, it profits from decanting.
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| Montlouis Sec - Dix Arpents |
100% Chenin blanc.
The Montlouis Sec Les 10 Arpents comes from 50- year-old vines across several parcels on clay-limestone-siliceous soils. The vineyards are plowed and cultivated following the practice of lutte raisonnee. Blots prunes severely, with the goal of attaining a yield of about 20 hectolitre per hectare, which is tiny for the region. The grapes for the 10 Arpents are all harvested by hand in the first of three (or more) passes through the vineyard. They are then hand-selected on a sorting table. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation begins with the native yeasts and no chaptalization. The wine develops on its lees in neutral, 4-5 year old barrels until the spring, when it is bottled. Blot’s 10 Arpents is a full, pure, dry Chenin Blanc with great intensity of vivid citrus and pear flavor and a soft underlying minerality.
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| Montlouis Demi Sec |
100% Chenin blanc.
The Montlouis Demi Sec is made from vines averaging 50 years of age, harvested in late October. Blot describes the wine as “reasonably demi-sec,” meaning that he aims to balance the freshness and elegance with 15 grams of residual sugar. As such, the Demi-Sec is very food-friendly and can age for up to 20 years.
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| Montlouis Romulus 2003 |
100% Chenin Blanc.
Sweet wine.
2003 vintage: "One thing is clear to me (at the close of the harvest): this year and for once I have no regret. The strategy [to wait to pick] was the correct one to the end. We have produced bottles that are eternal. They will, I hope, be opened over many decades in moments of happiness. What pleasure!”
Jacky Blot, October 23, 2003
100% botrytised grapes picked from several parcels during the 1st week of October. Extraordinary maturity and conditions at harvest for the creation of a historic wine; virtually every berry was used. A feast of tropical fruit underpinned by a refreshing fruity acidity.
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| Montlouis Romulus Plus |
100% Chenin Blanc.
Sweet wine.
A tiny selection of the above left to ripen for one more week. Nectar.
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| Vouvray Sec - Les Caburoches |
100% Chenin Blanc.
Vouvray Les Caburoches used to be called Champs Rougets.
Analogous to the Dix Arpents, this accessible Vouvray is from the first passage (tri) through the vineyards.
Blot’s Vouvray Sec Les Caburoches originates in a 30-year-old, south-facing vineyard with limestone-clay soil on a pure limestone base. The vineyard is plowed and cultivated following the practice of lutte raisonnee. Blots prunes severely with the goal of attaining a yield of about 20 hectoliters per hectare, which is tiny for a Vouvray.
The grapes are all harvested by hand and then hand selected on a sorting table. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation begins with the native yeasts and no chaptalization. The wine develops on its lees in neutral, 4-5 year old barrels until the spring, when it is bottled. Blot’s Vouvray is a deeply textured, concentrated yet fresh and vivid Chenin Blanc.
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| Vouvray Clos de la Bretonniere |
100% Chenin Blanc.
The Clos de la Bretonniere is a south-east facing 4 hectare Clos located on the steep first slopes overlooking the Loire river. Blot is the sole owner of the entire Clos. The soil here is deep clay over a limestone subsoil and the vines average 40 years of age.
The grapes are hand picked on 2nd passage through the vineyards in mid-October. Blot’s challenge in 2009 was to pick at the moment of optimal ripeness without losing freshness, because the clay soil always gives a very generous, ripe and concentrated style of Vouvray. The grapes are sorted on sorting tables in the vineyard, transported to the winery is small plastic crates to ensure that the fruit arrives undamaged, and then sorted again at the winery. They are fermented fully dry using only native yeasts. Blot uses barriques that are 25% each new, one year, two year and three years old.
It was bottled in October 2010, after one year of aging on the lees with regular stirring.
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| Vouvray Coteaux Bretonniere |
100% Chenin Blanc.
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| Vouvray - Clos Venise |
Since 1998, Jacky Blot has produced about 350 cases of his “monopole” Vouvray Clos de Venise. It come from a sloping, one hectare walled parcel (a Clos) with 40 year old Chenin Blanc vines in the commune of Noizay. The Clos faces due south, directly overlooking the Loire, and is sheltered by woods to the North and East. This is the most minerally and intense of Blot’s Vouvray’s, with remarkable finesse, precision and clarity.
The grapes are hand picked on 2nd passage through the vineyards in mid-October. They are sorted on sorting tables in the vineyard, transported to the winery is small plastic crates to ensure that the fruit arrives undamaged, and then sorted again at the winery. The grapes are fermented fully dry using only native yeasts. Blot uses barriques that are 25% each new, one year, two year and three years old. The Clos Venise 09 was bottled in October 2010, after one year of aging on lees with regular stirring.
The Clos de Venise was recognized in the reader’s poll of France’s Bettane and Desseauve Guide as the wine of the year. Only 20 cases were imported to the USA.
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| Domaine de la Butte |
After founding Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in 1989 and bringing its wines to international acclaim, Loire master Jacky Blot acquired Domaine de la Butte in the appellation of Bourgueil in the summer of 2002. He seized upon the opportunity to make equally great reds by acquiring an ideal bloc of Cabernet Franc vines averaging 30 years of age entirely on one, south-facing slope bordered by protective forests in Bourgueil. The entire slope has a bed of limestone rock and different top-soils and microclimates. The variations give rise to the four cuvees that Blot crafts at his Bourgeuil domaine. He aims to produce dramatic, intensely flavored and original red wines.
Blot employs the same exacting “lutte raisonee” vineyard practices as for his white grapes in Montlouis and Vouvray. All the rows are plowed and no chemicals are used in order to encourage the roots to penetrate deep into the subsoil. Yields are kept low by removing buds at the beginning of the growing season and green harvesting in August. Leaves are removed in order to increase exposure to the sun, ensure aeration of the vines, and facilitate hand harvesting. All grapes are hand selected and picked at optimal maturity and then placed in small boxes for transport to the winery, where they are further sorted on a table de tri. The fruit is destemmed and descended by gravity into wooden and concrete fermentation tanks.
Le Pied de la Butte comes from a clay-limestone soil located at the bottom (foot, pied) of the slope. It is aged in a combination of tanks and large wooden foudres for eight months. The wine offers generous, savory black cherry and cranberry fruit with a soft texture. It is vinified to be enjoyed upon release.
The Mi-Pente bottling is the most concentrated cuvee, as it comes from the oldest vines: they are 50 years old. The wine is given a one-month long maceration period, and is then aged entirely in barriques, which are one-third each new, one year and two years old.
The Haut de la Butte cuvee comes from the perfectly exposed upper slope on a unique clay and silex top-soil over a bed of limestone. The fruit here is bright, pure and very expressive, offering deep and complex flavors of blackberry - cherry fruit and minerals. Aged in 2-3 year old barriques.
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