Nicolas Joly, 2018 Update
As usual I have endeavoured to taste the latest releases from father-and-daughter team Nicolas and Virginie Joly of Château de la Roche aux Moines, surely best known for their tenure of the Clos de la Coulée de Serrant. The three wines tasted represented the entire 2016 portfolio. This was not an easy vintage chez Joly, the main difficulty being the persistent rain that dogged much of the Loire Valley (and Bordeaux, and probably other regions too) through the first half of the year. Rain during flowering caused problems with coulure, and later there was mildew, both of which can impact on potential yield. It was only at the end of June that the rain finally gave way to more desirable weather.
When the sun came out in July it was greeted with open arms by all of the region’s vignerons, and perhaps enjoying this warm welcome this better weather decided it would hang around a while. Indeed, the skies remained clear and sunny for the remainder of the growing season, right through to the picking which here began at the end of September. There was fine weather throughout the harvest, and despite the earlier difficulties with the vintage, the overall yield was 50 hl/ha (much better than it was in the subsequent vintage, when they were hit by frost, but more on that some other time).
The Wines
Regular readers will already be familiar with my feelings about these wines. While the viticulture is admirable in its ‘hands off’ nature, this philosophy is continued through into the cellars where juice is transformed into wine seemingly under the guidance nothing other than mystical forces. I will never forget the response I received from Virginie (pictured) when I asked of her, a few years ago now, who made the wine chez Joly. “Well, we don’t ‘make‘ anything”, she replied. The wines are influenced to some extent by the inclusion of a percentage of botrytised fruit which conspires with later picking to drive alcohol levels northwards. The wines undergo full malolactic fermentation, and they are rarely free of oxidative notes, especially as they age.
