Loire 2021 Releases

This sparkling pink made from 100% Gamay in the Loire has been the surprise find of this year’s rosé search. The ‘Zéro’ indicates zero chaptalisation, zero liqueur de tirage, and zero dosage. It is as dry as they come, and made much like a Pet-Nat (pétillant naturel), though the lees are disgorged at the end, meaning the wine is crystal clear and bright in colour. It has a beautiful pithy, pink grapefruit character, a light, scintillating line of freshness through it, and a gentle, creamy mousse.

This sparkling Chenin Blanc has fast become one of our go-to fizzes. Just like the rosé, this has zero chaptalisation, zero liqueur de tirage, and zero dosage, and is as dry as they come. This ancestral methode is the same as that used to make Pet-Nats (pétillant naturel) where the fermentation is finished in bottle. But unlike a Pet Nat, this sees the lees disgorged at the end, meaning the finished wine is crystal clear. The crisp orchard fruit aromas combined with a complex biscuity character on the nose are followed by taut precision and depth of flavour on the palate, thanks to the electrifying quality of the 2019 vintage. The texture of the bubbles is spot on: creamy and persistent.

Like La Bretonnière, this vineyard is also within Vouvray, but cannot use the AOC name since it is vinified in Montlouis. It comes from a south-facing slope, and Jacky and Jean-Philippe are careful to get the picking date right here. Too early and it loses its drama, too late and it feels overweight. In 2019 it is poised and vibrant, with a saline tension running through, and smoky, floral complexity.

All the fruit for this blend comes from two parcels found at the bottom part of the slope. Some vines here are as old as 80 years, so although the attack of this wine is juicy, upfront, and invitingly drinkable, the finish is sustained and persistent with that old vine concentration taking this above a simple easy-drinking wine. This 2019 has a leafy, sour cherry note, with lightly smoky, vegetal notes so typical of Cabernet Franc. It really opens up in the glass, promising it should age well.

Clos Mosny is a monopole vineyard, and 2019 is a brilliant year for this wine. The nose is a little more restrained than the Hauts de Husseau, with white flowers, apricots, and a gently leesy, cream note. The palate is bright and zappy, with a fresh lemon zing, and just a hint of new oak. This opens up well in the glass and should age fantastically.

This is the sweet spot of Domaine de la Butte - from right in the middle of the slope - and as such, produces the most complex and ageworthy of this triptych. Jacky and Jean-Philippe hold the wine back for an extra six months in the cellar before release as they know: this wine needs time. Its huge concentration and tannic stature are matched to slightly more new oak than the other wines. The density of fruit is more than a match.

In what was an extremely compelling line-up in 2019, this stole the show. Some of the vines here are over 100 years old, and in 2019 they dug deep. The fruit is perfectly peachy, with a cool and silken texture on the palate that is supported by the supremely well-integrated oak. It is so fresh and vibrant, with a complex evolution ahead of it.

This is as good an introduction to Montlouis as you’ll find. The fruit profile is centred on apple and blossom, and the palate has the tart cooking-apple acidity of great Chenin Blanc, along with a lovely lightly phenolic grip. Rémus might be Jacky’s entry level white but its quality is not to be underestimated. It’s simply made in a style that Jacky thinks will drink well from youth, so don’t hesitate to pull the cork.

This vineyard is actually within Vouvray, but cannot use the AOC name since it is vinified in Montlouis. It’s another of Jacky’s monopole vineyards, and it has made a driven, energetic wine in 2019, with great lift on the nose: citrus and blossom. The palate has a saline dryness to it and zingy acidity, making it one of the most thirst quenching of the vintage.

As the name suggests, this fruit comes from the top of the slope. The fruit feels darker than that of the Pied de la Butte, and the tannins are more present. There’s a graphite, savoury complexity to the dark fruit. The texture on the palate is great, quite structured and tight now, but with the potential to carry this wine for many years.