France > Loire > Domaine du Petit Metris

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Founded in 1742 by Francois Renou, the Domaine today is owned and managed by his great-great-great-grandsons Herve and Pascal.   Their vines lie just outside the village of Saint-Aubin de Luigne, in the heart of the Coteaux du Layon, and in the heart of central Loire Valley, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Their vineyards lay in some of the finest parcels in the region, including Savennieres (dry whites of Chenin Blanc), Chaume (the region's only Premier Cru, sweet Chenin-derived wines) and the famed Grand Cru, Quarts de Chaume (also sweet whites).  By the AOC regulations, both Chaume and Quarts de Chaume must be either passerille or else affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot).

The Renou family practices sustainable agriculture with minimal intervention in vineyard or cellar.  Grass is interplanted between the rows, herbicides are not used. Every effort is made to allow the purity of the fruit to show through, expressing the nuances of their superb terroirs, and to avoid manipulative processes.  The Domaine is a member of terravitis, dedicated to eco-friendly and sustainable vineyard management.  Vinification details vary from vintage to vintage, with great care to bring out the very best in that year's fruit.

The sweet wines

Chaume Premier Cru (aka Coteaux du Layon Chaume) From a south-facing vineyard with soils of schist and clay. Sweet, light, passerillage, vinified in a mix of inox and foudres.

Color: Golden yellow.

Nose: Enticing aromas of baked pear and apple with hints of cinnamon.

Palate: Rich tropical fruits with mango and pear, fresh and spicy with an unctuous texture.

Other: Great pairing with blue cheese, duck foie gras or fruit tarts.

Chaume Premier Cru “Les Tetueres” (aka…) Richer, some botrytis, from a superb single vineyard site located higher on the slope, vinified in foudres.

Color: Golden yellow.

Nose: Typical unique noble rot characteristics with honey, quince jelly, raisins, ripe apricot, supported with notes of forest floor and grilled almond.

Palate: Opulent and well structured, it is fresh and delightful, a flattering lingering finish with a firm acid spine. Fig, apricot and mango dominate the fruits with notes of ginger and orange blossom.

Other: This wine is extremely refined and should be decanted before serving, especially when it is under 5 years old. Best served well-chilled. Great aging potential, from 10 to many more years.
It is ideal with tarte tatin, brebis cheese or spicy dishes. RS 125-130 g/l.

Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru: from a lower-slope site close to the Layon River. Richer soils of sandy clay and pebbles. The wine is intensely sweet (RS around 200 g/l), and fully botrytized, vinified in foudres. 500ml 12pk)

Color: Gold with a gleam of copper.

Nose: The nose is invigorating with cinnamon, cumin and linden tea, mixed with apricot confit and hints of fresh mint.

Palate: Intense sweet and sour sensations,when the sweetness dominates, the acidity strongly awakens. Bold structure carrying subtlety & elegance. Tropical fruits including persimmon, pineapple and apricot with ginger and orange peel on a persistent finish.

Other: Quarts de Chaume has an exceptional aging potential and will refine over many decades. It will also keep for weeks open in a fridge. Quarts de Chaume goes particularly well with pan fried fresh foie gras cooked with apple, salty & blue cheeses, or with a tarte tatin.

The labelling of their Chaume wines is a bit confused. Chaume, in the western part of the Coteaux du Layon, was granted its own AOC in 2003 under Chaume Premier Cru des Coteaux du Layon. Some growers outside the designation objected, and the INAO annulled the decision in 2005, returning the wines to Coteaux du Layon. In 2007, the INAO re-created the AOC, now under the designation Chaume. Another lawsuit, and in 2009 the new AOC was annulled. Suffice to say, the terroir in the village of Chaume is better (ie “premier cru” level) than the terroir of the overall Coteaux (think “villages” level), and the terroir of the Quarts de Chaume vineyard is better still (think “grand cru” level.)

The dry Wines

Savennieres "Les Fougeraies" This vineyard’s harvest is vinified in all-stainless. Les Fougeraies is located on the top part of a hill with a south, south-east exposure on the right bank of the Loire river. Soils are a deep schist and clay, with windblown sand.

Normally there are 3 pickings per vineyard throughout
the harvest to ensure perfect physiological ripeness. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and the juice is cooled down to 8° c and then transferred from the press into stainless. Fermentation is done using indigenous yeast in order to capture a better sense of the terroir, the temperature is maintained between 16 and
18° c. Fermentation is done slowly over a couple of
months. The wine is then left to rest on the fine lees over 8 months, then lightly filtered and bottled.

Color: Light gold with a gleam of silver on the rim.

Nose: Fresh and engaging with lime, clementine and fennel,
floral character.

Palate: Textured, with a pleasant coating effect. It is dense
and supple with great minerality and some spice, will
become more opulent and improve with age.

Other: This wine has a very good ageing potential, it will
refine over time, it is best appreciated after 5 to 10
years of age. Will pair well with grilled lobster or
scallops, grilled or poached sea or river fish with a
light sauce. Will also go well with poultry and some
cheeses.

Savennieres "Clos de La Marche": This is the barrel-fermented cuvee. The vineyard is on the southeast slope of a ridge on the right bank of the Loire. Soils are a mix of schist, gravel and sand, a bit richer soils than the Fougeraies site. Harvest is done by hand and the grapes are first sorted in the vineyard, where only the best quality fruits and perfectly ripe grapes are picked. Normally there are 3 pickings per vineyard throughout the harvest. The grapes are handled with the best care possible; pressed bunches whole, the juice is cooled down to 8°c to protect from oxidation, after 24 hours the wine is then transferred into foudres where fermentation is done using indigenous yeast in order to capture the terroir characteristics into the wine, the temperature is maintained between 16 and 18° c. After fermentation 50% of the wine was racked into 2nd fill 400-liter oak foudres and the rest in stainless steel tanks, with regular batonnages on fine lees over 2 weeks. The wine is then left to rest on the fine lees over 8 months. After this the wine is lightly filtered and bottled one month after filtration.

Color: Pale golden yellow.

Nose: Rich and fruity aromas with some lemon confit, spice
and hints of ripe pear and quince.

Palate: It is unctuous with a supporting lively vivacity and a
mineral finish.

Other: To be served on its own or paired with a wide
variety of dishes such as grilled langoutines,
scallops, sea food cassolette, river or sea fish as
well as poultry and some goats cheeses. Clos de
la Marche will go well with slightly spicy dishes.
This wine will gain refinement with some bottle
aging, especially 5 to 10 years on.

Aquilon Anjou-Villages Cabernet Franc: This superb Cab Franc is hand harvested, then destemmed and fermented in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. A portion is then aged in oak on its lees before final blending and bottling. Rich and lush, with superb ripeness and no green notes. A truly great example of Cabernet Franc from its Loire Valley homeland.