A Visit to Domaine de la Noblaie, 2016: Tasting Notes
I couldn’t pass though the entrance to the very oldest cellars, underneath the main house, without stopping to take a look at what is a feature surely unique to Domaine de la Noblaie. Here there is a fermentation vat hewn directly into the limestone, perhaps dating to the 15th century. The cellars themselves are probably older, dating to somewhere between the 12th and 15th centuries, and could I suppose once have been used by the Knights Templar. This religious order were very present in Chinon, many of them having been held prisoner in the Château de Chinon, where the Grand Master and his highest-ranked knights were interrogated by cardinals representing Pope Clément V (yes, he of Château Pape-Clément). Indeed, the vineyard I observed during my walk with Jérôme, Les Blancs Manteaux, is named for the white capes worn by these knights.
Jérôme and I gathered around a barrel deep in the cellars to taste. We kicked off with a sparkling rosé, the 2011 Monange, which Jérôme has been making since the 2008 vintage. He describes it as a process of “trial and error”, but as he is now more happy with the results he is increasing production. I enjoyed the 2015 Goutte de Rosé, although things really got interesting with Jérôme’s white wines. His 2013 La Part des Anges has an appealing richness, in part derived from barrel maturation and part-malolactic fermentation, but I preferred the 2015 Chinon Blanc, all vinified in stainless steel, and showing real charisma and definition.
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