Domaine de Bellivière, 2024 Update
Not only the leading domaine in the Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir appellations, but to my mind one of the most significant domaines of the entire Loire Valley, I try not to let a year go past without some sort of check-in on the latest from Domaine de Bellivière. The wines of this domaine, established by Eric and Christine Nicolas during the 1990s, defines what is possible with Chenin Blanc in an ultra-cool climate. Eric was turning out wines of ethereal purity and crystalline definition in this far-flung corner of the region when some Anjou winemakers – now being praised (quite rightly) for producing something similar from their vineyards – were still at school.
Indeed, Eric Nicolas is now at the stage where he can take a back seat, as while I have been heaping praise on him, his wife Christine who runs the domaine with him, and their portfolio of wines for as long as I have known them, Eric’s thoughts have clearly turned towards retirement.
Ten years ago it became apparent to Eric and Christine that their son Clément Nicolas was interested in joining them in their work on the domaine, and the knowledge that they would in the fullness of time be handing over their domaine to the next generation provided the impetus to upgrade their winemaking facilities. This came in 2015, and by 2017 Clément was part of the team. These days, since perhaps 2021 (if memory serves correctly), it is Clément and his wife that I most commonly meet at tastings. Indeed, when I visited the domaine back in 2022, Eric was nowhere to be seen; I spent the day with Christine and Clément (pictured).
