Domaine de Belliviere Coteaux du Loir ‘L’effraie’ 2022 750ml

100% Chenin Blanc. Certified-biodynamic Bellivière owns and farms 60 parcels in 5 villages across the Jasnières and Coteaux-du-Loir appellations in this northernmost part of the Touraine. Annually they bottles a younger-vine and an older-vine Jasnières and a corresponding pair of Coteaux du Loir.Named for the owls frequenting the woods around the vineyards, “L’Effraie” is the younger-vine rendition of Coteaux du Loir. Note that “young vine” by Bellivière standards, anything under 50 years old is “young”, so these vines range from 10-50 years old, trained in gobelet mainly and planted on flinty, pebbly, sandy clay soils over tuffeau (soft limestone).

Harvest is by hand. The berried are destemmed, trodded by foot in tank and gently pressed into 350-liter barrels (mostly used). Fermentation takes place spontaneously with native yeasts and without sulfur; it always finishes with some residual sugar. The wine is aged in the same barrels on the fine lees for a year before being light, non-sterile filtration and with a minute dose of sulfur.