Domaine de Noiré, 2019 Update
One of the Chinon appellation’s less well known domaines, Domaine de Noiré is home to Jean-Max Manceau and his wife Odile. Jean-Max has a rather interesting curriculum vitae, having been responsible for winemaking at Château de la Grille for 28 years before he finally handed in his notice in 2009 when this historic estate was acquired by Baudry-Dutour. With more time on his hands he was free to tend to his own vines, which came from his wife’s family. They looked after vineyards once associated with neighbouring Château Noiré, but for three generations they had been content to sell their grapes to a local co-operative. Jean-Max soon put that to an end, vinifying the fruit himself to create his own range of wines.
Jean-Max (pictured) has about 16 hectares of vines to keep him busy, all of which are tended using organic methods, and are certified as such. With the fruit he picks he produces a succinct portfolio of wines, two whites, a rosé, and a small selection of red wines, the crop divided up largely by terroir.
The Wines
I started with a couple of wines from the 2018 vintage, but as I have already reported on these in my Loire 2018 report I shall focus here solely on the older vintages. These began with two whites from the 2017 vintage, the cuvée Amphora and the domaine cuvée. The first of these, to my surprise, was the more convincing. The amphorae in question are terracotta, rather a porous material, which allows wine to seep out, and oxygen to diffuse in; I often find terracotta cuvées carry some oxidation, but that certainly wasn’t the case here. The 2017 Chinon Blanc Amphora had a more tension and precision than the rather broader, plumper 2017 Chinon Blanc.
