2022 COTEAUX DU LAYON BEAULIEU Les Rouannières Château de Pierre Bise, Lea & Sandeman

COTEAUX DU LAYON BEAULIEU

2022 Les Rouannières Château de Pierre Bise

IN STOCK
Grapes Chenin Blanc
Origin France, Loire
Other Certified Organic
Sub-district Anjou
Village Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu
ABV 14%
Vineyard Les Rouannières

Les Rouannières is an area of Beaulieu-sur-Layon in the heart of Anjou. Rouannières is renowned for crumbling rocky outcrops, it is an arid and wild part of the region with a unique microclimate enhanced by a remarkable reserve of plant life; about sixty Mediterranean plants are found here, at their most northerly limit in Europe. The mountain cicada, a family of eagles and a few rare butterflies have also made their home here. It is known particularly for giving wines with a defined mineral personality, aromatic liveliness, from the weathered clay, which has great resistance to drought allowing wines of real finesse and the development of excellent botrytis thanks to the proximity of the Layon river. L&S (Mar 2024)

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In 2022 there was no problem achieving good botrytisation and concentration, and it shows in the aromatic profile, which compared to the fruit-led profile of the 2020 vintage presents a more polished and confident array of aromas, a tightly knit aromatic profile filled out with crème caramel, grilled peaches and vanilla cream. All very Pierre-Bise. The palate wraps all this up in a polished and seamless texture, with great substance and considerable weight, supported by pithy energy, a light phenolic bitterness, charming acidity and great length. A super composition, impressive and with potential for the cellar. The residual sugar is 155 g/l and the alcohol on the label is 11.5%. Rating: 94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Aug 2024)

Château de Pierre Bise

René Papin is the third generation of this organically-farmed estate, having taken over from his father Claude. The estate now includes the Roche aux Moines, Clos Le Grand Beaupréau and Clos de Coulaine in Savennieres, as well as sites in Coteaux de Layon and Quarts de Chaume

The family describe their farming methods, which go beyond simple organics, as 'conservation agriculture' - the vineyards are grassed over and worked as little as possible to preserve and encourage microbial life. The estate's Japanese agronomist, Masanobu Fukuoka, also believes straw is good for the soil structure.

The valley of the Layon brings mists in the late autumn which favour the development of botrytis for the famous Chenin Blanc sweet wines. The Papins like to focus on getting the ripest and most botrytised grapes possible by harvesting non-stop for two months for the sweet wines, only taking the rot-affected grapes on each of several passes down each row of vines. For the dry wines they are looking for fully mature polyphenols and thin mature skins to add complexity and a pure intensity. The labour intensive processes continue in the winery, in prolonging the fermentations for as long as possible to achieve the greatest polymerisation of the polyphenols and greatest purity and freshness of expression in the wines. René has added larger foudres as well as some amphorae to futher refine the ageing process.

2025 THE COMPLETE CHRISTMAS MIXED CASE

Let's be honest, pairing wine with the beautiful chaos of Christmas dinner is a bit of a nightmare. You’ve got the smoked salmon, then the turkey (or beef, or goose), the mountain of veg, the cheese board, and then the flaming pudding. It's a minefield of flavours.
This year, forget the stress. We’ve built The Complete Christmas Case, a 12-bottle 'job done' box with the perfect, curated wine for every single moment.
This is your Christmas dinner, sorted:
The Welcome: Get the party started with two brilliant grower Champagnes. Pop the charming Gonet-Médeville Tradition as guests arrive, and keep the Mathieu-Nicolas 'Cuvée 1629' (from the 12th-generation Moussé brothers) for Christmas morning.
The Starter (Smoked Salmon): You need energy. The Saint Véran 'La Fournaise' from Frantz Chagnoleau is electric, with wonderful bite and bounce, to cut right through the richness.
The Main (Turkey White): For the white wine lovers, the Chenin Blanc 'N' from rising star Vanessa Cherruau has a beautiful fleshy feel, that's a perfect match for the bird.
The Main (Turkey Red): The classic pairing. The Marsannay 'Champs Perdrix' is a gorgeous Pinot Noir from the stony field vineyards of the Derey brothers, with the perfect lift and berry fruit.
The Main (Beef or Goose): Serving something richer? We've got you. The Le Pessac-Léognan from Domaine de Chevalier is an elegant, classic claret with notes of blackcurrant, dark cherry, graphite, and cedar.
The Cheese Board: Time to explore. We've included the chalky and... refreshing Finca de Los Locos Rioja from the Artuke brothers and the Sangiovese 'Girapoggio', which has that wonderful Italian 'bite' of savoury freshness.
The Pudding: The grand finale. The Coteaux du Layon 'Les Rouannières' is a stunning sweet Chenin, with notes of crème caramel, and grilled peaches that will sing with the fruit and spice. See? Job done. This is your one-click solution to a perfectly-paired, utterly delicious Christmas.

  • For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
  • We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
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  • Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.

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