JULY'S HANDPICKED WINE
LES ROCHER DES VIOLETTES
2017 Pétillant Natural Originel
Montlouis-sur-Loire
A delightful organic Pétillant Naturel from exciting French winemaker, Xavier Weisskopf, one of the new generation of young producers who are buying into appellations that have fallen out of fashion and thus potentially offer affordable vineyard land, often with the added advantage of being planted with venerable vinestock.
Having studied viticulture and oenology at Beaune, Weisskopf worked as cellar-master at the great Chateau St-Cosme in southern Rhône, before buying his first parcel of 6.8 hectares of well established old vineyard at Montlouis in Touraine. Weisskopf's holdings now stretch to 13 ha of vines with 9 ha of vines in Montlouis and 4 ha of vines in the Touraine AOC.
Montlouis sits on the south bank of the Loire, opposite Vouvray, and is rapidly establishing itself as a hotbed of innovation. Here 100% Chenin Blanc is planted on similar tuffeau soils to Vouvray, though usually with a bit more sand. The Touraine appellation also produces Chenin Blanc, along with Grolleau for rosé and some very old Côt (Malbec) and Cabernet Franc plantings. Xavier’s deft touch in the winery is transforming this pre-WWII old-vine material into wines of freshness, vivacity and not least, great value!
Committed to organic viticulture, grapes are picked and sorted by hand, resulting in beautiful expressions of textured, individual dry wines with bags of personality and laser-like precision
TASTING NOTES:
100% Chenin Blanc, pale gold colour, a heady bouquet of fresh acacia, honeysuckle and lavender, ripe apples, sweet apple sauce, green grapes, lemon pulp and wet flint stone. The palate has a fine gentle mousse, mouth-wateringly high acidity and notes of juicy green pears, blush apples and lemon sherbet, all balanced beautifully by rich malolactic nuances of buttery croissant, shortbread, creme Anglaise, and toasted hazelnuts. The finish is long, leaving behind just a whisper of white pepper warmth.
£23.95 single bottle price or £22.50 as part of a case of six
https://www.lerocherdesviolettes.com/