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Lingering Over The Last Glass

Domaine de La Taille aux Loups (Jacky et J.P. Blot)
Brut Tradition
100% Chenin Blanc
Certified organic, indigenous yeasts, no sugar, hand harvested
Montlouis-sur-Loire, France
Jean-Phillipe Blot

Golden shine with fine bubbles. Sniff and up floats a little croissant or toasty pastry, a zesty bit of lime, lemon cream pie, as it grows there’s also an apple blossom or 2, apple/pear baked, and a scratch of tangelo zest. Sipping…it’s tickling & tingling on my tongue with all of the scents, a crisp & bright clean mineral/stainless elegance, lemon & lime keep dancing but more than just zest with a smidge of kumquat, and on the very back a bit of poached pear or actually maybe quince…yeah, it’s quince. It’s a glass of pure celebration.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Just don’t

Many years ago Jean-Phillipe joined his father in winemaking at the age of 16, and now he is at the helm after his father’s passing in 2023. I never had an opportunity to meet him but through this bottle I think I have a glimpse into his dream. Found out that earlier in his life he was a paratrooper, and thanks to his brother was turned on to wine which led to being a wine broker and then his curiosity and passion led him to become a winemaker. In the late 80s, he picked up 8 ha in Montlouis-sur-Loire (Domaine de La Taille aux Loups) and focused not on Vouvray but Chenin Blanc. There were ups and downs but his resilience and determination paid off. He became an acclaimed winemaker, one of the finest in Loire, and a champion of Chenin Blanc. As brilliant of a wine figure he was, there are so many words people use to describe him in tribute..he’s generous, friendly, welcoming, so very kind, wanting to share his knowledge & joy of tastings, and he was so loved by so many. I’m down to my last glass, savouring it and raising it as a salute to Jacky & also J.P. as he carries on the traditions. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #brut #sparklingwine #bubbly  #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #loirevalley #cheninblanc  #skurnikwines #domainedelatailleauxloups #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Imagine Better

Gérald Vallée
Mercies-Vallée
La Closerie Imaginaire 2023
Sauvignon Blanc
Touraine AOC
Organic (Ecocert certified now), hand picked
Touraine, Loire Valley, France
Gérald Vallée & family

Light shimmering gold. Scents start popping out of lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit, kumquat, Valencia oranges along with orange blossoms, mineral river rocks, and an old favorite of Orangina. Sipping and there’s a good squeeze of the scents including the rock, pineapple, little scrape of mango with green apples & pears, and a blade of grass.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Easy as pie

Gérald Vallée’s father Claude passed along the love and devotion for their vines (Domaine de la Cotelleraie) and when he took over in 1997, he realized to move forward with his wines, he had to focus more. They had for years cultivated their grapes along with other farming, but he would be the 1st generation to be “devoted itself solely to wine.” This led him toward heading to the organic side in 1999, growing not only in ha but also together in rhythms, setting up “rigorous work schedule of plowing, digging, hoeing and treatment with sulfur or copper from spring to avoid the use of chemical weedkillers, fertilizers and other pesticides”. Well, obviously it has paid off. He’s known & acclaimed for his cabernet francs, so was a bit of a delightful surprise to see this sauvignon blanc that even on the label calls for us to imagine something better for the world…to follow him to a better way of wine life through nature. Oops now I have that classic John Lennon song stuck in my head, so I’m passing this earwig on to you. 

“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #loirevalley #zevrovineselections #DomainedelaCotelleraie #MerciesVallée #docwinebar #docwineshop