2018 | Belargus | Anjou Les Rouères

Detailed Description

The intensely straw-yellow wine offers an intensely aromatic bouquet of ripe, stewed and concentrated fruits intertwined with delicate schistous notes. The Les Rouères is much more fruit intense than all the other Anjous from this exciting domaine. On the palate, this is a silky-textured, rich and elegant, dense yet well balanced, finessed and aromatic Chenin with an exceptionally long and, due to firm tannins, sustainably structured finish that fits easily into Markus Molitor’s infamous “physical drinking” category.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Located on the eastern side, Les Rouères is one of the three plots listed in the original decree creating the Quarts-de-Chaume Grand Cru appellation, says Ivan Massonnat. The shallow and warm soils rest on pudding sandstone (sand concretions and rolled gravel), which accumulate the heat of the day and restore it at night. This solar terroir gives birth to fruit-intense, complex and ample wines, and the Belarus 2018 Anjou Les Rouères is a great example. The intensely straw-yellow wine offers an intensely aromatic bouquet of ripe, stewed and concentrated fruits intertwined with delicate schistous notes. The Les Rouères is much more fruit intense than all the other Anjous from this exciting domaine. On the palate, this is a silky-textured, rich and elegant, dense yet well balanced, finessed and aromatic Chenin with an exceptionally long and, due to firm tannins, sustainably structured finish that fits easily into Markus Molitor’s infamous “physical drinking” category. It is a dense, rich and powerful, firmly structured and enormously fruity Rochefort (or better: dry Quarts-de-Chaume) from late-harvested Chenin Blanc grapes. You shouldn’t look for the purity and crushed stones and fresh fruits here. Although the wine has tension, finesse and purity, it is a rather baroque style made to enjoy in a decade and possibly for decades. 14% alcohol (according to the back label, possibly more). Tasted in June 2021.

Producer Information

In 1978, the bubbly and brawny Jo Pithon started his first winery, Domaine Pithon, in the Loire Valley appellation of Anjou. In 2008, he reimagined the family business to form Pithon-Paillé and now in 2019 Jo made the difficult decision to sell the estate to a new, but deeply dedicated owner: Ivan Massonnat. While no longer the formal head of the estate, Jo will remain heavily involved in decision-making, as well as the production of some of Pithon-Paillé’s most celebrated wines. Bringing aboard the young, but immensely talented Adrien Moreau was the final piece of the puzzle for Domaine Belargus, and the team is eager to get started, with the 2018 vintage representing the first for the nascent Domaine. Together, they have formed the brand new “Domaine Belargus”, a name referring to the rare, beautiful blue butterflies found in the region. Currently they farm 26 hectares of their own land, having recently purchased an additional 13 hectares in Quarts de Chaume and Savennieres AOCs. The monopole vineyard, “Le Coteau des Treilles” remains the gem of the estate, representing an unofficial Grand Cru in terms of dry Chenin Blanc production. All of their grapes are farmed organically. Masters of some of the region’s rare, single-vineyard Chenin Blancs and Cabernet Francs, they take their cues from Burgundy where each parcel is prized for its unique character—a concept that is still relatively new to the Loire. Their wines are made as naturally as possible using only one-third of the permitted doses of sulfur. Straight, layered, fresh, balanced and textured, their wines showcase the pedigree of the terroir, and the bright future of this estate.

Where to buy 2018 | Belargus | Anjou Les Rouères?