banner

DOMAINE DE LA TAILLE AUX LOUPS
MONTLOUIS

change font sizeincrease font 

sizedecrease font size
PROFILE:

A new star has emerged in the heart of the Loire Valley: he is Jacky Blot of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, in Montlouis. Montlouis is located on the southern bank of the Loire, not far from Tours.  Blot, a Loire wine broker by profession, acquired about 8 hectares of 50-75 year old vines in 1989. These prized, ancient parcels belonged to families that could no longer continue to cultivate the vines and so entrusted them to Blot and his team. Blot brings a passion and exacting determination to make wines of only the highest quality. The estate comprises 12 hectares in Montlouis, Vouvray and now 14 hectares in Bourgeuil at his Domaine de la Butte, which Blot acquired in 2002.  The core of estate lies in the Montlouis sur Loire appellation, on a high plateau overlooking the Loire River. The soil is a mix of stony limestone and clay that allows for perfect ripening of the Chenin Blanc grapes. As the vine rows are plowed (instead of being treated chemically) the roots descend deep into the limestone bedrock. Blot cultivates his vineyards sustainably with respect for the natural environment, following the guidelines of lutte raisonnee. This, combined with severe pruning and late season leaf-stripping, keeps yields low and enhances the concentration and complexity of the wines. Average yields are very low, and lower still in the botrytis-effected selections.  Harvest is carried out by hand, as late as possible, in successive passes through the vineyards, with a sorting table placed at the end of each row to eliminate unsuitable grapes. After pressing, the wines ferment in barrels that have been crafted for the domaine in Burgundy from Allier and Troncais oak, with regular batonage and two rackings. None ofcuvees undergo malolactic fermentation, thus preserving acidity and enhancing the wines’ freshness. 

Jacky Blot keeps his barrels, which have varying degrees of toast, for up to 10 years. When new, they are used for the long-aged wines such as Remus and Clos de la Bretonniere. After 3 years, they are used for the elevage of the Spring bottlings, the Montlouis 10 Arpents and the Vouvray Caburoches. And after 5-6 years, Blot uses them for the fermentation of the base wine for his Sparkling cuvees

 The Montlouis Sec Les 10 Arpents comes from 50-year-old vines across several parcels on clay-limestone-siliceous soils. Blot prunes severely with the goal of attaining a yield of about 20 hectolitre per hectare, which is tiny for the region. The grapes for the 10 Arpents are all harvested by hand in the first of three (or more) passes through the vineyard. They are then hand-selected on a sorting table. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation begins with the native yeasts and no chaptalization. The wine develops on its lees in neutral, 4-6 year old barrels until the Spring, when it is bottled. Blot’s 10 Arpents is a full, pure, dry Chenin Blanc with great intensity of vivid citrus and pear flavor and a soft underlying minerality.    

 Blot’s Vouvray Sec Les Caburoches originates in a 30- year-old, south facing vineyard with limestone-clay soil on a pure limestone base. The vineyard is plowed and cultivated following the practice of lutte raisonnee. Blots prunes severely with the goal of attaining a yield of about 20 hectolitre per hectare, which is tiny for a Vouvray. The grapes are all harvested by hand and then hand selected on a sorting table. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation begins with the native yeasts and no chaptalization. The wine develops on its lees in neutral, 4-6 year old barrels until the Spring, when it is bottled. Blot’s Vouvray is a deeply textured, concentrated yet fresh and vivid Chenin Blanc.

Clos de la Bretonniere, Jacky Blot’s signature Vouvray, comes from his 4 hectare monopole vineyard. This single, south-east facing block is on the first slopes overlooking the Loire. The soil is an ideal mix of deep clay over limestone subsoil and the vines average 40 years of age. Blot prunes severely to limit the number of bunches of grapes, thereby assuring that the Clos Bretonniere fruit has the concentration he is looking for, with a yield of only 20 hectolitres per hectare. The grapes are hand- harvested in the 2nd passage through the vineyard in mid-October and then selected on a sorting table. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation begins with only the native yeasts and no chaptalization.  Blot ferments the Clos Bretonniere for 6 months entirely in barriques, which are 25% each new and one to three years old. Fermentation proceeds very slowly, and Blot does not add yeasts to advance the process. The wine is aged on its lees for six more months in barrel, and is bottled in November. The Clos Bretonniere combines remarkable density and richness with precision deriving from the wine’s minerality and focused acidity. It can be enjoyed young for the accessible fruit typical of the 2009 vintage – especially if decanted – or aged for many years which will bring out the nuances of a great Chenin Blanc from a top site in Vouvray.

The dry Montlouis Remus comes from non-botrytised grapes picked at the end of the harvest. The yield is about 20ha/hl. The Remus cuvee is aged in 50% new and 50% one year-old barrels and is bottled in the Fall after the harvest. It is a hugely concentrated, dense wine that will age well in bottle for up to 10 years. When young, it profits from decanting. 

Blot makes a dry Remus Plus only in top years (such as the 2006 and 2008 vintages). The idea inspiring this wine is to extend the elevage for a small part of the Remus cuvee to craft a wine that is as rich and complex as is possible. It is made from selected Remus barrels with juice from 80-100 year old vines, the estate’s oldest. These ancient vines yield only 20 hl per hectare. Blot gives this bottling 18 months of aging on its fine lees, that is, 5 months longer than the normal Remus 2008. The barrels are 1/3 new, 1/3 one year and 1/3 two years of age. 

The Montlouis Demi Sec is made from vines averaging 50 years of age, harvested in late October. Blot describes the wine as “reasonably demi-sec,” meaning that he aims to balance the freshness and elegance with 15 grams of residual sugar. As such, the Demi-Sec is very food-friendly and can age  for up to 20 years. 

Jacky Blot’s exquisite Brut Tradition is derived from selected, hand-harvested grapes from 40-80 year-old Chenin Blanc vines in Montlouis. The vines are cultivated in the exact same manner as for the Taille aux Loups still wines: severe pruning to attain a yield of only 30 hectolitres per hectare. The rows are plowed and the vineyards are farmed naturally. At harvest, the grapes are hand picked, sorted in the vineyard, transported in small plastic crates to ensure the grapes remain intact, and sorted again at the winery. After a gentle pressing, fermentation occurs in older, neutral barriques with only native yeasts and no chaptalization. The wine is matured and bottled according to the methode champenoise, with aging in the Domaine’s cold underground cellars, cut into the limestone cliffs. After dégorgement, Jacky Blot uses only the smallest dosage needed (depending on the year) before the final bottling. The Taille aux Loups Brut Tradition’s fine texture and delicate and pure and fresh citrus and tropical fruit aromas and flavors make it a great pleasure to enjoy on any occasion.

 One of Jacky Blot most striking creations is his TRIPLE ZERO, a lightly sparkling wine that he describes as “above all a natural wine that happens to have some bubbles.” The story of how it made is interesting in its own right, and also for how it illustrates Blot’s dedication to quality and originality. Exceptionally for a sparkling wine, the TRIPLE ZERO begins with fully ripe Chenin Blanc grapes from low-yielding, 50+ year old vines in the Montlouis appellation. There is no chaptalization; this is the first of the three ZEROS. The grapes are all harvested by hand. Any fruit insufficiently ripe (i.e., under 12 degrees natural sugar) or showing any sign of rot is eliminated. The grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press and the two-stage fermentation begins slowly in barriques with only native yeasts. Blot bottles the wine after about 3 months, when the fermentation in barrel has proceeded to the  point where the natural sugars have almost fully fermented and only about 14 grams per litre of sugar remain.  It then finishes fermenting in bottle; the delicate bubbles develop in these bottles while resting on their sides, or sur latte. At this phase, Blot adds no liqueur de tirage, or sugar syrup, as is common practice in champagnisation; this is the second of the three ZEROS.      

Just as the Triple Zero is made in traditional method with two fermentations in bottle, it also clarified and finished in the traditional way before the final corking. This procedure is necessary to remove the yeast deposit that develops in the bottles as the wine rests on its lees after the second fermentation for about 15 months. The traditional procedure of gently shaking and tipping the bottles upside down (remuage) to move the yeast cells closer to the  cork is done mechanically, in large crates called gyropalettes, which were invented and are widely used in Champagne. After two to three weeks, when the sediment has collected entirely in the neck of bottle, the bottle cap is removed and the pressure blows out the sediment; this is called degorgement, or, literally, de-necking. At this moment, the Triple Zero is topped up with a small amount of the wine itself. And at this last stage before final bottling, Blot adds no liqueur d’expedition or dosage of sugar-rich juice, as is commonly done; this is the third of three ZEROS. The result is an unfiltered, naturally made sparkling wine with unsurpassed elegance, purity and expression of fresh, soft citrus and pear flavors. The Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Triple Zero is ideal on its own, as an aperitif and it accompanies a wide variety of foods and fruit-based desserts.  

LABELS: return to top
Label
Montlouis Sec "Les Dix Arpents" 
Label
 Vouvray Sec "Les Caburoches"  
Label
La Taille aux Loups
Brut Tradition  
Label
La Taille aux Loups
Triple Zero  
   
enlarge label enlarge label   enlarge label  enlarge label 
   
Label
Montlouis Sur Loire  Clos Michet
  Label
 Vouvray Sec "Clos de Venise"
 Label
Montlouis Sur Loire  Sec "Remus" 

 Label
Vouvray Sec "Clos de la Bretonniere"  
   
enlarge label enlarge label  enlarge label   enlarge label     
 







REVIEWS: return to top

2005s Review in Wine Spectator News
Review
Bettane & Desseauve  2009 Edition Reviews 
 Review
Bettane & Desseauve  2011 Edition Reviews
     
           
PHOTOGRAPHS: return to top

Winery Photos

       
           

return to top