Domaine de Belliviere Coteaux du Loir "L'Effraie" Blanc 2020, 750ml

"L'Effraie" is a 100% Chenin Blanc sourced from Bellivière's younger Coteaux du Loir vines, which span 11 parcels totaling 3.5 hectares. The gobelet-pruned vines, aged between 10 and 30 years, thrive on flinty, sandy clay soils above tuffeau (soft limestone). These vines are certified biodynamic and hand-harvested. 

The grapes are direct-pressed into a tank, where the juice settles overnight before being transferred by gravity into barrels for fermentation with native yeasts and minimal sulfur. The wine is aged for approximately 12 months in 350-liter barrels, primarily 1-3 years old, with a small percentage of new barrels each year.

Bellivière Chenins typically retain some residual sugar, as the family allows fermentation to finish naturally. 2020 vintage was bottled with 16g/l of residual sugar.

Tasting Note:

The wine delivers beautiful aromatics in its constellation of pineapple, tangerine, sweet quince, a touch of honeycomb, lovely, flinty soils and a top note of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and touch of sweetness and a long, focused and very nicely balanced finish.