Noëlla Morantin: Vineyards
The domaine is located in La Tesnière on the southern bank of the Cher as it flows towards the Loire; the Cher Valley is a viticultural hotspot in the Loire, home not only to Noëlla Morantin and Clos Roche Blanche, but also Jacky Marteau and Joël Delaunay, among others. If you extend the search out northwards towards the Loire, and to Sologne to the north-east, you soon encounter other famous ‘natural’ wine names, including Claude Courtois, Thierry Puzelat, Christian Venier and Olivier Lemasson of Les Vins Contés among others.
The property consists of two long and narrow farm buildings that face each other across a courtyard, surrounded on all sides by vineyards, the vineyards in turn surrounded by woodland. The original Morantin vineyards which came from Clos Roche Blanche, now augmented by more recent acquisitions, are close to Pouillé, which lies to the north-west, only a kilometre-or-so away. There are two blocks here, both rented, one 6 hectares and one 2.5 hectares. The more recently acquired vineyards were added to the Morantin portfolio in late 2011, and these were purchased outright. These constitute an additional 3.8 hectares, including 3 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 0.8 hectares of Gamay. In yet another complicated twist to the story, these vines came not from Clos Roche Blanche but from Le Bois Lucas, the domaine run by Junko Arai, Noëlla’s onetime employer.
Please log in to continue reading: