2004 Bellivière Coteaux du Loir "Vieilles Vignes Eparses" Loire Valley France. 13% alcohol. Chambers Street, $27.99. Imported by Louis/Dressner, New York.
Pale yellow color, clear hue, lovely aroma of minerals, nuts, a bit of fruit, a bit of spice, a grassy note, some white fruit notes, just lovely, very good fruit and white spice tastes, firm acidity, very smooth mouth feel, great balance between the acidity and the fruit, long finish, great match with a complex vegetable and fruit salad.
Somehow I got in my head that it's not possible to match wine and salads, but this wine worked well with a complex salad with only a bit of good olive oil for dressing. This evening: Romaine lettuce, broccoli sprouts, baby spinach, New Jersey blueberries, a very fresh boiled egg, a somewhat over the hill Delicious apple, kernels from an ear of fresh New Jersey sweet corn, a few left over Chick Peas, a couple of mystery ingredients and the wine -- but altogether a triumph. I have to learn more about this wine. 5*.
Notes:
http://www.louisdressner.com/Nicolas/?178 By Kevin McKenna:
No, it’s not spelled wrong. There is a river le Loir, the masculine version of la Loire, further north of the Touraine. It is a tributary that almost runs parallel to la Loire and eventually runs into it north of Angers. But in a certain area the south-facing slopes on the north bank of the river produce exceptional wines from the same grapes as found 30 km south in the Touraine.
The appellations of Coteaux-du-Loir and Jasnières have longed held a place of esteem in the wine history of France. Henry IV was known to have preferred these wines at the court table. The region is mentioned in Rabelais’ Pantagruel. And Ronsard wrote poetry describing Bacchus’ visit to the area wherein he creates the vineyards and the destiny of the region.
Before the end of World War II, the area had 400 hectares in vine with over 300 winemakers. The area languished during the 1950’s with the rise of industry in the region until the severe frost of 1956 which destroyed a good portion of the vineyards. Many were never replanted. Today, there are 120 hectares and just a handful of vignerons.
Eric and Christine Nicolas are not native to the region. Eric studied enology in Montpellier and worked for some years with Domaine Pibarnon in Bandol. Through fellow winemakers whose work he admired, he found a passion for the wines of the Loire Valley. In 1995 Eric and Christine bought an old estate near Lhomme in AOC Jasnières with remarkable parcels of old vines in disrepair, and began work at rehabilitating them. He also pieced together other parcels scattered over 6 villages in the Coteaux-du-Loir. -- It would take him a total of 7 hours to drive to each of his parcels in one continuous route. Since their first release, Eric and Christine’s wines have elevated the estate to the highest level of the two appellations.
His estate is comprised entirely of Chenin Blanc grapes for white wines and the almost-forgotten Pineau d’Aunis for reds. ...
Vinifications for whites are done entirely in barrique of 228 liters, mostly of one to three years of age. Parcels are vinified separately by terroir and age of vines. They are aged for 11 months with several rackings and, only if necessary for clarification, lightly filtered. ...
The cuvees for the whites are:
Coteaux-du-Loir Cuvée l’Effraie (the owl, a wild mascot of the winery): assembled from cellar selection of wines made from younger vines.
Coteaux-du-Loir Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Eparses (scattered old vines, in reference to the various scattered parcels): all from Chenin Blanc of 50 to 80 year-old vines.
Coteaux-du-Loir Cuvée Philosophale (only in exceptional vintages): old-vine grapes selected during several passes in the vineyards and of more than 18 degrees potential alcohol.
Jasnières les Rosiers (the roses that adorn the ends of the vine rows): a dry style from younger vines on steep hillsides of tufa limestone
Jasnières Discours de Tuf and Elixir de Tuf: respectively, moelleux and liqueureux wines in exceptional vintages.
....
Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve:
“Established in the mid-nineties, this estate revives the legend of the wines of the Sarthe region. The wines demonstrate all the potential of a forgotten terroir. The reason for their success is the same as for others in France: an uncompromising viticulture that affords the best material and a simple, but scrupulous vinification. The Vieilles Vignes Eparses is a wine of refined and remarkable aromatics and the Jasnières readily exhibits all the characteristics of the terroir. The unique reds, fine and delicate, do not follow the same perfect path of subtlety as the whites which are destined for true lovers of Chenin Blanc….consistently impressing with their precision, the 2001s, tasted after bottling, are excellent, especially the Rosiers with its subtle balance between mellow and dry.
Coteaux-du-Loir l’Effraie 2001……………………..8
Coteaux-du-Loir Vieilles Vignes Eparses 2001…..8.5
Coteaux-du-Loir Vigne Centenaires 2000………..8.5 (Hommage à Louis Derré)
Jasnières Rosiers 2001………………………………9”
Lyle Fass: Belliviere is a superstar in France and one of the top Chenin producers to come along in a long time. 2004 is a classic vintage in the Coteaux de Loir (yes, no e!) and these wines are as transparent as Chenin becomes. Amazing high-toned mineral, hay and nutty notes on the nose accented with some pear skin and green apple flesh. Palate has bracing '04 acidity, wonderful purity and exceptional concentration. From an off the beaten track appellation comes an absolutely profound Chenin and one of the best examples of the vintage. This also has the structure to age for years.