Winemaker Notes
"Les Quarts" is the original plot which gave its name to the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation. Domaine Belargus' plot covers nearly half of the 7 Ha of the area, exposed on the Southern slope of the rump. The soils rest on Precambrian schists, which provide finesse and length. A fine bitterness, signature of this terroir, brings complexity and length on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"'Les Quarts' is the original plot, facing south, which gave its name to the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation. As a matter of fact, until the French Revolution, the lords of Haute Guerche, tenants of the Chaume vineyards, used to pay the nuns of the Ronceray Abbey with 'the best quarters of the harvest'. Thus, the name 'Quarts-de- Chaume' was born," writes Ivan Massonnat. The soils are based on Precambrian schists, which, according to Massonnat, bring finesse and length to this cuvée. Sourced from a 3.08-hectare plot, the citrus-colored 2019 Anjou Sec Quarts opens with a deep and intense yet pure, refined and elegant, noble and aromatic bouquet of perfectly ripe and concentrated stone fruits, jelly fruits, lemons, grapefruits, salts and crystalline rocks. Crystalline and fresh on the elegant palate, this is a full-bodied, intense, dense and extract-sweet yet also refined and stimulating Chenin with noble citrus fruit bitters and fine tannins on the long, tight and intense finish. This is reduced power paired with finesse and elegance. Far too young to be served at this stage, this is a promising, very intense yet still restrained Quarts that is not as austere as the Rouères and not as rich and expansive as the Veau but possibly something in between. There are graphite notes on the aftertaste. This is another rather intellectual dry Chenin from the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation that can only be used for noble sweet wines.
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James Suckling
A magnificent chenin that’s broad, precise, dense and vibrant. The nose shows notes of oranges, grilled grapefruit, dried lemons, mild spices and linden. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Agile and lively, with tension at the center and an attractive texture on the palate. Plenty of vitality and focus, with a long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Expressive, zesty and vibrant, with green plum and crunchy apricot flavors wrapped in a generous robe of toasty oak. Floral high tones and a vein of flint add detail and saltiness. Smoke and roasted nut notes linger on the finish, which is sewn up with firm, grippy tannins. Best from 2025 through 2032. 300 cases made, 40 cases imported.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
Known for its delightful whites and sparkling Pétillant and Mousseux, made predominantly of Chenin blanc, Anjou has a temperate and dry maritime climate. The region's limited temperature variations are admiringly referred to locally as the “douceur angevine,” or “Anjou sweetness.” Fruit forward rosé and red wines from Cabernet Franc and Gamay merit Anjou its success within the Loire subregions.