Description

95% Syrah, 5% Carignan. Clay-silty soil and clay limestone. Methode ancestrale vinification. All organic grapes with natural fermentation, kept 6 months in bottle before release. Production of 14,000 bottles a year. Following the frost in Spring of 2017 that greatly reduced the harvest at the domaine,Philippe and Nicolas decided to travel the regions of the Rhone and Southwest to discover beautiful parcels of organic grapes which they could use to make white and ros natural sparkling wines. These unique blends create a harmonious wine with fine bubbles; elegant in lightness and fruit. Followingthe successful first production in 2017, they decided to continue sourcing the same grapes each year so that the Philippe & Nicolas sparkling wines can be available anytime.In 2013, longtime friends Nicolas Grosbois and Philippe Mesnier purchased 12 hectares of vines in Azay-le-Rideau, an excellent, though relatively unknown terroir a few kilometers east of Chinon. They immediately began farming all the vines organically, and set about on an ambitious project to reintroduce the wines of Azay-le-Rideau. Traditionally, Azay le Rideau is famous for white wines made from Chenin Blanc, and ros wines made from Grolleau and Gamay.Most of the vineyards are located in Azay-le-Rideau on the lieu-dit “Hauts Baigneux”. The domaine also owns a two hectare plot in Sach, close to the former studio of Alexander Calder, the famous American artist. This great flint-heavy terroir produces the two top cuves of the domaine: Le Clos des Brancs and Blanc Chenin. In addition to resurrecting the tradition of great wines from these vineyards, the domaine produces excellent reds, and a small amount of white and ros Petillant Naturel.The wines of Domaine des Hauts Baigneux are all produced with natural yeast, and bottled with minimal intervention. The cuves Les Chenes and Les Pentes are delicious vins de soif that showcase the best of Loire Valley. The sparkling wines are fantastic bottles of everyday bubbles, and the single vineyard Chenin Blancs are a testament to the towering quality of this terroir.