Domaine de Bellivière, 2010 Update
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)
