DOMAINE de la TAILLE aux LOUPS CUVÉE PARCELLAIRE MONOPOLE BRETONNIÈRE 2023

Once classified as Vouvray, “Clos de la Bretonnière” lost its right to the appellation due to an obscure local dispute. The conflict would have required Jacky Blot to vinify the wine in a cellar within Vouvray itself, rather than at his home in Montlouis, just across the river. François Chidaine, another iconic winemaker from Montlouis, faced a similar misadventure. It almost seemed as though certain figures within the Vouvray appellation were displeased that two of the most talented winemakers of their generation were so invested in exploring and elevating the terroirs of Vouvray. A regrettable situation, but ultimately inconsequential.

Now released as a Vin de France under the name “Bretonnière,” the wine continues to express the greatness of its terroir, which is what truly matters. The Clos de la Bretonnière, a four-hectare monopole owned by the Blot family, occupies a prime position on the First Côte, with a southeast-facing slope. The vineyard is geologically uniform, with a thin layer of rich clay soils that quickly give way to limestone bedrock, which occasionally surfaces. This combination provides an ideal foundation that gives the wine both density and tension.

As with all the wines from La Taille aux Loups, Bretonnière is aged on its lees in Burgundy barrels, using only around fifteen percent new oak. The ageing lasts just over a year, during which the wine develops harmony and depth while preserving its striking mineral tension.

From the very first aroma, the wine delivers a vivid impression of earth and chalk, clearly revealing the nature of its origin. You can sense both the depth and richness of the clay as well as a powdery lightness that comes from the soft tuffeau limestone. Behind this mineral core, delicate floral notes appear, recalling lime blossom, honeysuckle and verbena. Then come generous aromas of ripe pear and apple, as if infused with subtle spices and aromatic herbs, followed by hints of yellow peach, apricot jam and rhubarb tart. Additional notes of bergamot, English marmalade and even a touch of peppery arugula bring a lively and unexpected complexity to the bouquet.

On the palate, the wine bursts with juicy, vibrant fruit. Flavours of apple, Reine-Claude plum and Comice or Passe-Crassane pear intertwine beautifully. There are also bright notes reminiscent of juicy clementine or orange segments. Fine, invigorating bitterness carries the mid-palate, evoking kumquat, orange zest, green pepper and lovage leaf. The finish is long and intense, lifted by citrus and a vivid array of spices such as juniper berry and cardamom.