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Domaine de Bablut

The Daviau family of Domaine de Bablut have a long history of viticulture and more general agriculture in the region, their presence here stretching back as far as 1546. At this time the landscape was dominated by the fields of cereals and the associated watermills in the valley, and higher up the slopes were the vines and the windmills, suitably positioned to catch the breeze. The Daviau family were growing both cereals and vines, and the modern-day name of their estate comes from bablut, an old French word for two windmills - I am told!

Although polyculture is alive and well in the Loire (and it would seem a very respectable occupation - just ask Marc Angeli) the Daviau domaine went over to pure viticulture in the late 19th century. The vineyards that were established were handed down from one generation to the next, eventually coming to the current incumbent Christophe Daviau (pictured right) who, having completed his study of oenology in Bordeaux followed up by gaining some experience in Australia, returned to the family property in 1990 to take up where his elders left off. Today he continues to tend his vines near Brissac, having converted the 50-or-so hectares of vineyards to organic viticulture by 1996, and more recently moving them into biodynamics.

This being Anjou there is a wide range of styles produced here, making good use of the typical Loire varieties, these being Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and the varying terroirs, principally the chalky limestone or tuffeau of the bassin parisien to the east ("white" Anjou, which encircles Saumur) and the schistous soils of the massif armoricain ("black" Anjou) to the west. Throw in a little bit of botrytis, or occasionally some bubbles, and we have the typical Anjou portfolio of....anything goes.

The Wines of Domaine de Bablut

Concentrating on the still wines first of all, there are two white cuvées, both sourced from identifiable lieux-dits but handled in much the same fashion; it is the terroir (not to mention the fermentation vessels) that distinguish the two. Both are picked by hand, are 100% Chenin Blanc, with yields in the order of 30 hl/ha. From a lieu-dit characterised by schist and quartz is Petit Princé, from the eastern part of the Princé Plateau. The fruit here is pressed and then allowed to clarify before fermentation en cuve. The wine is bottled the following spring, after 5-6 months en cuve with bâtonnage. The Ordovicien, meanwhile, is from armoricain slopes characterised by schist again; as I have already alluded, the main difference in the cellar here is that this cuvée is fermented in oak barriques, Thereafter it has 18 months, also with bâtonnage, before being bottled.

The red cuvées are three in number, starting with the red domaine Anjou-Villages Brissac cuvée, a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, the former from clay-limestone soils and the latter from sandy schist. Harvested at 40-45 hl/ha, fermented en cuve, the wine then goes into oak for 18 months. Thereafter there are two special cuvées, both with the same appellation. The first is Petra Alba, a 100% Cabernet Franc cuvée; this wine expresses the terroir of the aforementioned "white" Anjou, sourced from vines planted on clay-limestone soils rich in fossilised shellfish, harvested at 40-45 hl/ha. Meanwhile "Black" Anjou has its place in the shape of Rocca Nigra, a cuvée made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the vines planted on a rocky mix of sandstone and slate. Like the entry-level Brissac wine, both of these superior cuvées see an 18-month élevage.

There are a number of other cuvées of note, including a vin de pays Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and a sparkling Saumur, but I think the other major feature of the Daviau portfolio that simply can not be overlooked are the sweet wines. These are all Coteaux de l'Aubance, starting with the entry-level Sélection de Bablut and then the Grandpierre de Bablut, before reaching the Noble and Unique cuvées. I've not tasted a broad range here, either in dry or sweet, but what I have tasted has held promise and given pleasure; the two white cuvées certainly have appeal, the Petit Princé showcasing floral and citrusy fruits, whereas the Ordovicien has more structure and happily not the presence of oak that the vinification might suggest. The red wines were concentrated and dark, the Rocca Nigra especially so, although this undoutbtedly reflects the vintage, to some extent at least. I would like to taste more from Bablut though, especially the sweet wines, and I will certainly return to do so. (10/8/10)

Contact details:
Address: 49320 Brissac
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 91 22 59
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 91 24 77
Internet: www.vignobles-daviau.fr

Domaine de Bablut - Tasting Notes

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Domaine de Bablut Anjou Blanc Petit Princé 2008: This is a 100% Chenin Blanc cuvée, the vines planted on a terroir characterised by schist and quartz, the wine aged twelve months en cuve, with bâtonnage. A chalky minerality on the nose, fresh and aromatic, crunchy with floral white fruits. The same freshness comes through on the palate, which is rounded, full of peachy tangerine fruit. Good substance; dry and structured, but accessible. Fleshy but well framed, overall really nice. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Bablut Anjou Blanc Ordovicien 2005: This is 100% Chenin Blanc from a slope of sandstone and schist, with twelve months en barrique before bottling. A rich style on the nose, lightly honeyed citrus fruits and peaches, touched with white flower petals. Not at all oaky, although there is a gentle background tinge. Well defined, with lots of structure, well framed and with a little more honeyed oak here. Good grip to the finish. Overall, good. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Bablut Anjou-Villages Brissac 2005: This cuvée is 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. A hugely bright and aromatic nose here, a blend of hot stones and crushed, smoky black fruits. The palate is lovely, smoky fruit like the nose, textured like light cream but also elegant and structured. There are firm and ripe tannins, and pretty notes of tobacco relating to very early maturity. A lovely, grippy, stony finish. Very fine, with years ahead of it. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Bablut Anjou-Villages Brissac Rocca Nigra 2005: This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark and glossy on inspection, with hot and smoky fruit on the nose, intense and nuanced with rosemary. The palate has a lovely ripe and sweet style, more creamy than the straight Brissac in this vintage, around a ripe core of tannin. Lots of good acidity, all the same very showy, crunchy black fruits touched with tar and minerals, and a flourish of tannin on the finish. Lovely. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Bablut Coteaux de l'Aubance Grandpierre 2005: This sweet wine sits more or less in the middle of Christophe Daviau's range. A cuvée of partly botrytised fruit, the nose is fresh and floral, with honey and beeswax. Honeyed sweetness on the palate, quite restrained though, with very gentle acidity. Soft, rounded, quite polished. Overall a good style of wine. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Bablut Coteaux de l'Aubance 1986: This wine has a fine golden hue, with some depth to it although it is not richly coloured. The nose is subtle, showing notes of orange zest and Demerara sugar, rather reminiscent of the 1990 Bellerive Quarts de Chaume although with a less intense character. This is all rather quieter, soft and mellifluous, giving an attractive although hardly intense experience. Onto the palate, and this has a fine substance, showing an appealing flesh at the start and this holds up through the middle. And here there is some delightful high-toned complexity, with the sweetness carrying along notes of oatmeal, and plenty of fine mature-Chenin character, a blend of smoke and cheesy funk, dense crunchy-crystalline sugar-coated fruit, backed up by vibrant, tingling acidity and more than a touch of grip. This acid, which sits at the very core of the wine, has a notable, fine, needle-like presence, supporting some lovely, gently sugar-sweet fruit. And it is very long. This is certainly not the most prodigious of cuvées, and texture-hedonists will be better off elsewhere, but those seeking a mature character, dressed up with gently mellifluous fruit, will find this to be very good I think. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 16/20 (May 2011)