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Domaine de Bellivière
Travelling north from Tours in the direction of Le Mans, the roads climb quickly out of the valley. Very soon you leave behind the vine, and before long the fields either side of the road are dominated instead by sunflowers. Continue on the N133, however, and before long you will reach the little known appellations of Coteaux du Loir (not a misnomer or misspelling, as the Loir is a small tributary of its more feminine and rather grander counterpart to the south, the Loire) and Jasnières, two appellations delimited in 1938 and 1948 which have never developed the same sort of reputation as Vouvray and Montlouis further south. Indeed, here we are further north than any other appellation in the Loire Valley, and so viticulture is not an easy pastime, a process of relaxation as the sun's rays bring forth the ripening of the fruit. The weather can be cool, damp and miserable, and so one might expect to a search for vinous quality here to bear no (or at least rather unripe) fruit. This is not, however, the case. There are a small handful estates of interest here, and perhaps top of the list is Domaine de Bellivière, which is home to Eric Nicolas, his wife Christine and their family. Together they run a 12 hectare domaine which, from looking at its recent history, is still in a process of metamorphosis if not at least continued development, as Nicolas pushes the maximum out of his vines. Although the wines of these appellations may have once have been ignored as 'country wines' of no interest, I would suggest that with Nicolas' efforts this opinion will soon be - if it isn't already - very outdated.
Examine the work of Eric Nicolas and it is marked by quality, authenticity
and commitment. He has control over a number of parcels of vines in Lhomme and
Ruillé sur Loir, the two communes of Jasnières, and also in Chahaignes, Marçon
and Dissay-sous-Courcillon, all communes of the Coteaux du Loir appellation. The
vineyards are predominantly limestone and clay, but some are characterised by
areas of flint and sand (it is remarkable how sandy some soils can be in the
Loire, even a considerable distance from any nearby river), and are planted with local varieties, specifically
Chenin Blanc for the white wines, and Pineau d'Aunis for the red. There was
previously a little Gamay Noir and there is also some Grolleau, so it is clear
that Nicolas will not be swayed by the fashion for more familiar but less
locally appropriate varieties. Many of these vines have a considerable age, some
being into their second century, and when the vines finally need replacing this
is done by sélection massale to encourage genetic diversity in the
vineyard. When replanting larger areas, Nicolas has been experimenting with
density, so some vines are planted at 13000 vines/ha and even up to 40000
vines/ha in places, with the intention of leaving only one super-concentrated
bunch per vine. The rows between the vines are ploughed to lift weeds and to
encourage deep rather than superficial growth of the roots, and with the
purchase of a row-spanning tractor this can now be achieved in even the oldest
vineyards where the vines are otherwise planted too close together to achieve
this. Since 2005 the vineyards have been run on organic lines, an incredible
undertaking this far north; in such cool, damp climes rot is far more likely
than in the warm and breezy vineyards of the south, and this is an interminable
risk. If there is one single decision that illustrates Nicolas' commitment to
quality, it is this one.
All the fruit at Domaine de Bellivière is harvested by hand, before delivery to the cellars. The Chenin Blanc is fermented and matured on their lees in barrels which are up to three years old, with never more than a quarter of the oak new that vintage. Once this is complete, the wines are assembled from the barrels before bottling, sometimes without filtration. The rosé wines are produced from Pineau d'Aunis, sometimes with the addition of some Grolleau, often with some passerillage. The vinification is again carried out in barrel, in the cool Bellivière cellars. The red grapes are destemmed and pressed before fermentation, and then maturation in oak barrels again where the malolactic occurs. They are typically bottled without filtration. Although the range of wines will change from year to year, depending on ripeness of the grapes and the prevalence of botrytis which will influence greatly the style. Whatever the weather, though, the wines are never Chaptalised.
The majority of the wines are white, and beginning with the Coteaux du Loir there is L'Effraie, a young vines cuvée harvested at 35 hl/ha, followed by the Vieilles Vignes Éparses which is produced from vines aged between 50 to 80 years harvested at 25 hl/ha. From the lieu-dit Haut-Rasné comes the cuvée of the same name, notable for its tendency to botrytis, and in exceptional years which are blessed with significant amounts of Noble Rot the sweet wine Philosophale may make an appearance in the range. From the Jasnières appellation there is Les Rosiers, a young vines cuvée harvested at up to 35 hl/ha, Calligramme, which is made with the fruit of vines over 50 years of age harvested at 35 hl/ha, and then there is Discours de Tuf, a tender wine which is the result of selective harvesting. As with the Coteaux du Loir, there may in some favourable vintages be the opportunity to make more noticeably sweet wines, in this case named Elixir de Tuf. The red wines originate from the Coteaux du Loir, and include Le Rouge-Gorge (the French name for the red-breasted robin), a cuvée of Pineau d'Aunis harvested at less than 25hl/ha. Up until the 2003 vintage this also included a small quantity, just 3% of the final blend, of Gamay Noir, but from 2004 it has been pure Pineau. Then there is the Hommage à Louis Derré, an old vines cuvée, made from the fruit of vines aged between 80 and 100 years harvested at 25 hl/ha, which was added to the range in 2000. The rosé, meanwhile, is a true curiosity. Made from Pineau d'Aunis, it may be a very tender wine bottled as La Salamandre, such as in the 2001 and 2004 vintages, or it may be sweeter, such as in 1999 and 2001 again, when it was bottled as Aurore d'Automne. Nicolas has also experimented with vin de paille, but naturally only because his research suggests that this method of production has been used traditionally in the Loire in years gone by.
Overall having tasted a handful of these wines I would tentatively suggest there is greatness here. The story of the man and the domaine sets the scene, I feel, for unparalleled success in the appellation. It may well be that working in these circumstances that there will also be, from time to time, perhaps when nature is not so kind, failure despite all efforts. But such a possibility should only highlight the great wines that there are to be found here. They demonstrate vibrancy, freshness and definition in the same style as a top-flight Muscadet (this is not an unkind comparison - Muscadet is a hugely under-rated appellation), but perhaps without the weight of a good Vouvray. These are superb wines which I am sure to revisit again in the future. (3/1/08)
Contacts details:
Address: Domaine de Bellivière, 72340 Lhomme
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 43 44 59 97
Fax : +33 (0) 2 43 79 18 33
Internet:
www.belliviere.com
Domaine de Bellivière - Tasting Notes
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Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Rouge-Gorge 2005: Quite a dark hue in the glass, although not overly deep or
opaque. The nose is certainly full of interesting aromas, staring of with a
little beetroot, perhaps strawberry and some black pepper. Later, though, it
shows a stronger green component which is the dominant feature, very reminiscent
of cut leek and freshly simmering vegetable stock. It is an aroma that carries
through onto the palate and which I think would prevent many from enjoying this
wine. The palate has a beautiful composition, not oak influenced at all but with
a broad character, lightly textured but nevertheless well polished and complete,
showing just a little extract which is appealing. A little tannin and grip on
the finish is attractive, but the greenness is a little too strong for even my
palate. A wine of merit, yes. But there are obvious points of criticism here.
15.5/20 (January 2008)
Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Vieilles Vignes Éparses 2004: This
cuvée has a fairly pale hue, but it has an attractive very pale gold character.
The first hint of real pleasure comes with the nose, which offers an array of
enticing aromas, perhaps as the wine warms up in the glass. There are little
notes notes of honey, followed by crystalline fruits and perhaps a little white
pepper. Then a little weedy note, and maybe a little note of pastry. It is
difficult to pin down, but perhaps I can best describe it by saying at has a
vinous quality. The palate confirms this; the wine has a broad presence, with a
very complete, almost resinous concentration. It is dry, slightly peppery, with
bright and fresh acidity, but with an almost creamy substance that must bely the
age of the vines, and the low yields. A fabulous style that keeps me coming back
for more. 17.5+/20 (January 2008)
Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Calligramme 2002: A lovely golden hue
in the glass, not overly deep, but quite intense. The nose is simply enticing -
it is characterised by notes of candied pineapple, but where the sweetness has
been removed, leaving a deliciously sour note, rich in rocky minerals, with
nuances of white pepper. Fresh, quite broad, with a firmly defined texture just
bursting out of a beautiful framework of acidity. There are flavours of green
apples, spice and more of those rocky minerals, all with a firm sprinkling of
pepper at the finish, and a fine, savoury, sour-sappy finish. Absolutely
delicious, fresh and well defined wine, zippy but with substance. Excellent. 18+/20
(January 2008)
Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Haut Rasné 2002: A rich, golden hue. The nose displays a smoky,
botrytis richness, with notes of baked apples swirled in cream and something
that resembles honey spread on brown bread. Fleshy rather than sweet on the
palate, but not over-the-top. It has a very broad character, a decisive and deep
flavour, and a fine, tingling acidity. A sparky, white pepper nuance provides a
defining focus, surrounded by elements more typical of Chenin, such as
notes of straw or hay. There is an appealing sourness to it all, with a
mouth-watering backbone of acidity and a harmonious composition, and a
really good length too. There is plenty to interest any drinker of Loire wines here, and
I suspect it would give more with a few years in the cellar. Very good indeed. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week write-up. 17.5+/20 (December 2007)
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