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.
