Domaine Belargus

Savennières AOC Clos des Ruchères Monopole (Sec)

This is a truly magical vineyard, Jo Pithon's pride and joy, a petit 0.4 hectare plot located at the beginning of the Côte des Forges, at the base of La Roche-aux-Moines. The "Clos des Ruchères" is a monopole that rests on a hillside of purple schists which are rare in the appellation area. It is covered with a very thin layer of soil, only twenty centimetres deep. Slate schists, deeply fractured and very friable, degrade to form clays with a silky feel. The roots of the vines make their way to dive between the slates and draw their vital resources (water and mineral salts, notably).

This tiny, steep plot (worked like a garden with its own dedicated caretaker) gives birth to a tiny yield (25hl/ha) of divine Chenin Blanc, fitting entirely in three barrels. Fermented and aged therein for two years, the Clos de Ruchères yields a cuvée with a fiercely unique identity, a Chenin beyond measure, characterized by a profound mineral tension and layer after textured layer of nuance. Its lengthy and aromatic complexity leap from the glass. This is a wine with significant ageing potential and is best enjoyed 10 or more years after vintage.