Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
First planted in 1130 by Cistercian monks, the Clos de la Coulée de Serrant has been in the Joly family since 1962. Nicolas Joly began converting the family domaine to biodynamics in 1981 and has been a leader in the movement to apply Rudolf Steiner’s agricultural philosophy to the vine. His daughter, Virginie, worked her first harvest in 2002, and has brought a pragmatic vision to her father’s holistic goals. The 17.2 acres of vines at the Clos are between 35 and 80 years old, growing on steep schist slopes. The wine ferments and ages in 500-liter barrels, with no more than five percent new oak in a vintage. Whether or not you appreciate the style and the sometimes-oxidative character, there are no other wines like it. Deep gold in color, dark in its earthy savor, this layers floral scents, ginger and ripe pineapple with earthy notes of schist. It has a kind of invisible freshness, open and racy, delicately detailed. Give this time in the cellar and plenty of air; it is used to oxygen and only gains freshness over the course of several days open.
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.