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Domaine de Bellivière Update, February 2010
Domaine de Bellivière
This update relates to wines tasted in February 2010.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Domaine de Bellivière profile.
Eric Nicolas specialises in two of the most northerly appellations of the Loire Valley, these being Jasnières and the Coteaux du Loir (the masculine Loir being a small tributary of the feminine Loire). The style of wines produced here, both red and white, certainly reflect their origins. The whites are pale-hued but vibrant, clean and with racy acidity. As such they are atypical examples of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc; although there are some traits that seem to run through both these wines and others that originate from the Touraine vineyards, there are many more differences. And they are a world away from what you might expect from an Anjou white. As for the reds, they too display their cool climate origins; coming from Pineau d'Aunis (there was also some Gamay up to the 2003 vintage) they are similarly pale and sometimes peppery, the latter a hallmark of Pineau.
Experiencing such unique wines for the first time a few years ago I must confess I had difficulty understanding the style. But each time I have returned to them since I find I enjoy them more and more. I don't attribute this to any major change in practises or style at the domaine, more to my own palate and my increased awareness of just where Nicolas and his wines are coming from. And to me, this tasting of the wines of Domaine de Bellivière, excepting the 2008 Éparses which showed an atypical note of oxidation, was the most compelling I have so far experienced. No wonder these bright, vigorous and yet refined wines are so popular with France's top sommeliers. (28/4/10)
Domaine de Bellivière, February 2010 - Tasting Notes
The wines below were tasted in Angers at the annual Renaissance tasting, just
before the
Salon des Vins de Loire in
February 2010. I have ordered my notes by appellation although the tasting order
of the whites (giving an indication of substance, lighter wines first) was
Prémices, L'Effraie, Rosiers, Éparses and lastly
Calligramme. All my tasting notes on the wines of Eric Nicolas, including those below, are collated under my
Domaine de Bellivière profile. Click
to locate stockists.
Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Prémices 2008: This has a really
appealing nose, floral and mineral at the same time, elegant, but you sense
there will be some flesh here as well. A very gentle start on the palate,
vibrant, full of life and vigorous, very nicely balanced too, with good
substance. Overall a lovely if rather soft style but with a nice, minerally
paradox and lots of vigour from its acidic core. 17+/20
Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Les Rosiers 2008: Stones and honey on
the nose here, elegant and fresh, again with an over-arching beautifully floral
style to the fruit. It has the gentle suggestion of a richer style than the
preceding wines, although it is difficult to describe, calling to mind butter on hot
toast (although I am not saying the aromas are either buttery or toasty!). A
very well defined palate, great vigour here, with a firm and vibrant core of
minerally fruit set against a brilliant acid backbone. A fine harmony and a
tingling finish. This is excellent. 18+/20
Domaine de Bellivière Jasnières Calligramme 2008: A full style on the
nose, with a dried-fruit character, polished and rounded. A touch of creamy
richness here. This certainly suggests more substance than the preceding wines.
Good fresh appeal on the palate though, very firm and minerally in style, still
with lots of vigour. A nice backbone of acidity keeps it fresh. A good wine.
17+/20
Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir L'Effraie 2008: A simply beautiful
nose here, lightly honeyed, also with a chalky minerality. The floral notes are
quite reminiscent of a spring meadow, and overall the nose is evocative, and yet
confined and elegant too. A dry start on the palate despite that seam of honey
found on the nose, with a harder shell than the Prémices. Underneath there is a layer
of nicely defined if gentle and floral fruit. It has a good backbone too. Not so
expressive as the nose suggested, but this is still a lovely wine. 17+/20
Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Vieilles Vignes Éparses 2008:
This wine has a rather more appley character than the preceding wines, apple
pudding poured with cream, although there are nuances suggestive of oxidation.
This is unusual and a real departure from the Nicolas style. Fairly fresh on the
palate, vigorous, lots of vibrant acid, nicely composed, although again with a
little trace of oxidation. I'm not convinced this is typical. Unfortunately with
such a busy schedule I didn't manage to return to taste again, hence no score.
Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Rouge Gorge 2009: A light but
vibrant hue here, with a rather sweet but paradoxically also leafy cherry
character to it. Smoky too. The palate has that classic, cool-climate,
sucking-a-stone mouthfeel to it, all structure at first. Then it shows a trace
more fruit, but only in the lean, cherry-stone end of the spectrum. A very
upright wine that refuses to flatter the palate. 15.5+/20
