Description
A new and audacious cuvee for Stephane who selects parcels of Chenin and ferments separately. Some in stainless steel and some in 400 litre barrels. The care in selection gives immense purity and a balance that counters the richness afforded by fermenting in oak. It's dry, yet rich and wonderfully complex and worth holding a bottle or two back for a year or three.
Producer Information: Domaine des Forges
I first visited Claude way back in the early nineties and we enjoyed the mighty 1989 and 1990 vintages. I still come across the odd bottle of the sweet wines and they remain full of life. Although Claude still potters around the cellar, the current success of this estate and the quality of the wines is down to son Stéphane and his wife Séverine. Their 50 hectares of vines include 30 hectares of Chenin Blanc – of which 7 are on the steep slopes in the great Chaume 1er Cru.
This is one of many farms to stall their conversion to biodynamics given that one vintage in five or six will throw something at them that they just can't control with natural products. Nevertheless this is still one of only a few important domaines offering these very fine and under valued sweet wines.