Five Wines from Domaine de Cray, 2020
My recent discovery of the wines of Château de Pintray reminded me that Montlouis-sur-Loire is an appellation I have explored less extensively than I have Vouvray, on the opposite bank of the Loire. While I am very familiar with the wines of François Chidaine and Jacky Blot, and a number of the young newcomers that have ridden the wave of the appellation’s regeneration, I am sure there must be other domaines of note here, still waiting for their moment of discovery.
One domaine in Montlouis-sur-Loire I did not expect to find myself reporting on is Domaine de Cray. This large domaine is found in Lussault-sur-Loire, in the eastern part of the Montlouis-sur-Loire appellation, just down the slope from the aforementioned Château de Pintray. I have long been aware of the domaine’s existence, as its sparkling wines have a strong presence on the shelves of the region’s supermarkets, but as with Château de Pintray until recently I have never tasted its wines. That changed earlier this year when I was presented with the chance to check out some older wines from their cellars, taking in some of the region’s very best vintages.
Please log in to continue reading: