Organic Wine

For complexity, depth of flavour, and interest, it’s hard to beat this ancestral method sparkling wine from Vincent Carême. SO vinous and lively, it’s delicious in youth, and fascinating with some age. It’s made by transferring the still sweet and fermenting grape juice into bottle, and then trapping the subsequent carbon dioxide as it continues to ferment to dryness in the bottle. No dosage is added, though the spent yeast cells are expelled, leaving a brilliant, crystalline sparkling wine behind. It has such a wonderful depth and complexity on the nose, with a vinous structure on the palate, and a salty zing. The creamy mousse wraps around crunchy apple fruit. Experience from tasting back vintages of this cuvée shows me this wine ages brilliantly, and will develop complex depth, and savoury precision with a few years in bottle.

Thibaud Chevré is a seriously exciting young talent in the Loire. His father spent a magnificent career working with Thierry Germain, and this wonderful vineyard - Clos de l'Ecotard - was the first parcel the father-and-son team bought. It's found right on the edge of the Saumur’s border with Anjou, and its highly active limestone and clay soil produces taut and nervous wines that reverberate with tension and energy, even in warmer years. They only use horses to plough it, but the extra hard work is worth it. The 2021 sees them realising the toil of the past decade, bringing to fruition a truly magnificent Chenin Blanc. It is so expressive, bursting with chalky, saline drive, and a flash of green pineapple freshness. A brilliant Chenin Blanc from a formidably good year for Loire whites. Exclusive to Lay & Wheeler in the UK.

85% Garganega and 15% Trebbiano di Soave, this white is full of citrus and white stone fruit aromas, combined with a subtle herbal nose. The palate displays attractive white floral elements as well as lemon verbena and a saline quality that is supported by the wine’s zesty acidity. This wine is beautiful in its youth but is also well worth ageing where it will develop more savoury elements.

This sparkling wine is made by transferring the still sweet and fermenting grape juice into bottle, and then trapping the subsequent carbon dioxide as it continues to ferment to dryness in the bottle. No dosage is added, though the spent yeast cells are expelled, leaving a brilliant, crystalline sparkling wine behind. It has such a wonderful depth and complexity on the nose, with a vinous structure on the palate, and a salty zing. The creamy mousse wraps around crunchy apple fruit. Experience from tasting back vintages of this cuvée shows me this wine ages brilliantly, and will develop complex depth, and savoury precision with a few years in bottle. It’s one of the most exciting wines on the list this year.

The Pieropan family were the first to bottle and release a single vineyard wine in the region, this was the Calvarino vineyard that is planted to 60 year old vines on very steep slopes. The basalt soils help to produce a wine that has great finesse and a saline core. Expect florals, red apple, ginger and honey notes as well as a zesty acidity with herbal hints and an attractive phenolic grip.

Marcel believes this is his best vineyard. It is a blend of older and younger vines on limestone marl soils and makes a wine with silky ripeness and plenty of freshness. It could easily come from its grander and more expensive neighbour, Pouilly-Fuissé. In 2021 it has an intensely concentrated and juicy stone fruit core which gives the wine delicious grip and bite and a long, lingering finish.

Stéphane Riffault grows in stature with every vintage, and is now unquestionably one of the most exciting producers in the appellation. His 2021s are thrilling wines. Chailloux is the local Sancerrois name for flint (more commonly known as silex), and this parcel is tucked up in the north-east of the appellation where this soil type predominates. It has a northwest aspect and is shaded by a large forest. Flinty sites are often a little warmer, but this one keeps cool, and produces profound acidity. The 2021 is extremely powerful, with exceptional acidity and length. Chapeau.

This impressive white comes from 50-year-old+ Marsanne vines, is whole-bunch pressed and is fermented half in 600l oak foudres, half in vats. The vineyards are south facing, and are always the first to be harvested. This is full-bodied, concentrated, powerful and intense on the palate with notes of fresh pear, honey and hazelnuts. Yet a lean, freshness prevails. Incredibly impressive.

Ermitage De l'Orée comes from 60-70 year-old Marsanne vines from lieu-dit “Les Murets” at the top of the hill. Perfumed with white flowers, stone fruit and quince, the palate is wonderfully textured, with zippy acidity and a chalky, mineral finish. Expertly-judged.

Tasted April 2023. Sweet citrus and some apricot fruit. Sweet on the palate but not overly so, retains some fresh fruit character. Nice seam of acidity throughout unlike other Sauternes this vintage. Not a lot of botrytis character but some savoury hints and marmalade.