Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, 2024 Update
In one of the final tasting reports of the year I turn to the wines of the Blot family once more. Having already reported on the most recent releases from their estate in Bourgueil, Domaine de la Butte, this time I turn my attention to their work in Montlouis-sur-Loire. While I rate their reds from Bourgueil highly, I think it is probably safe to say that the late Jacky Blot (1948 – 2023) was better known for his work with Chenin Blanc at Domaine de la Taille aux Loups.
His principal sparkling wine, Triple Zéro, has long been made with no added sugar in the form of chaptalisation (during the first formation), liqueur de tirage (the sugar and yeast combination used to kick start the second fermentation in bottle in the méthode traditionnelle) or dosage (the topping up with sugar after disgorgement) defined what sparkling wines could (and should?) be in this region, and it is not uncommon to find local vignerons now describing their work as the “‘triple zero method.’
His dry wines, whether based on vine age such as Les Hauts des Husseau (if the name seems wholly unfamiliar, this is the cuvée previously known as Rémus Plus), or his cuvées parcellaires such as his Clos Michet or Clos de Mosny, demonstrate that Montlouis-sur-Loire could produce wines of quality which aged on a timeline comparable to that for the best dry wines from Vouvray. And as for his sweet wines, these have proven their worth over many years, and I still have a few bottles from 1997, 2002 and 2003 tucked away.
This tasting occasion was a poignant one, as it was the first time I have tasted here since Jacky’s passing in 2023. I tasted the wines, a good range of sparkling, dry and sweeter wines, with Jean-Philippe Blot.
