Domaine Belargus : Gaudrets 2023

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for Gaudrets 2023 from Domaine Belargus

Tasting

Nose
The aromatic bouquet stands out for its freshness and typically floral profile. It exudes delicate notes of white flowers, harmoniously complemented by white fruit aromas such as apple and pear.

Palate
On the palate, this dry white wine offers an enveloping texture and lovely tension. Balance is provided by a fine acidity that brings plenty of freshness. The finish lingers elegantly, thanks to slightly savoury, very pleasant bitter notes. In its youth, it can sometimes reveal a generous reduction with toasty accents that will fade over time to reveal great mineral purity.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée pairs beautifully with iodized dishes such as crab cassolettes. It also pairs wonderfully with smoked cured meats such as andouille de Vire, as well as traditional dishes in white sauce, such as veal blanquette.

Serving and Cellaring
Gaudrets 2023 is a wine built for cellaring, capable of ageing for many years, even decades. In its youth, decanting is recommended to soften any toasty reduction notes and fully release its mineral purity.

The Classic, Floral Expression of a Great Dry Savennières

The Estate
Founded in 2018 by Ivan Massonnat, the current owner-manager, Domaine Belargus has quickly established itself as a must-know reference in the Loire Valley, in France. Located in the heart of Anjou Noir, the estate spans 24 hectares of vines exclusively dedicated to Chenin Blanc. Working with the utmost respect for the environment, with biodynamic certification, the estate strives to reveal the richness of its schist micro-terroirs through a meticulous plot-by-plot approach, producing high-flying wines intended for cellaring.

The Vineyard
The grapes come from the climat of Gaudrets, a group of plots located on the heights of the village of Savennières. This emblematic terroir of the appellation rests on a plateau made up of wind-blown sands covering black schist subsoils. The vineyard is farmed according to organic and biodynamic principles, fostering rich plant and animal biodiversity within the vines, with manual soil work and hand-picked harvests.

Winemaking and Ageing
For the Gaudrets 2023 cuvée, the estate's philosophy favours a plot-by-plot, low-intervention approach. Fermentation occurs spontaneously through indigenous yeasts. The wine then undergoes extended ageing on full lees, ranging from one to three years, in old foudres or oak demi-muids. No new oak is used, in order to preserve the authenticity of the terroir. All operations are carried out by gravity in a modern cellar, without racking or lees stirring.

Grape Variety
100% Chenin Blanc