Cuvée des Loups 2020, Montlouis sur Loire La Taille aux Loups | Loire

Produced only when nature offers the ideal conditions for botrytis to develop, Cuvée des Loups de La Taille aux Loups embodies the finest expression of sweetness in Montlouis sur Loire. Produced from very old Chenin vines, some of which are almost 80 years old, this rare cuvée concentrates the emblematic energy of the clay-silica soils mixed with flint and limestone, on which the parcels of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups flourish. The early vintage enabled a particularly healthy and homogeneous development of noble rot from September onwards, and the successive selections in October enabled us to select perfectly botrytized berries. Hand-picked with extreme precision, these berries undergo gentle pressing before slow, spontaneous fermentation on indigenous yeasts. Ageing lasts a year on fine lees, in used barrels, to refine the wine's structure without adding too much oak. The legacy of Jacky Blot's work, now continued by his son Jean Philippe Blot, this Cuvée des Loups is in the tradition of the great Loire Valley sweet wines for laying down.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Cuvée des Loups de La Taille aux Loups reveals the magic of the great mellow wines of Montlouis sur Loire, the favored terroir of the famous botrytis cinerea fungus that gives this wine its remarkable concentration. The tension and natural freshness of the limestone structure are skilfully preserved by winemaking without malolactic fermentation, giving this cuvée an acid backbone that enhances its aromatic complexity tenfold. This balance is the signature of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, now taken over by Jean Philippe Blot. Impressive ageing potential awaits this cuvée, without sacrificing immediate emotion.

On the nose, the wine unfurls an intense palette of roasted exotic fruit, candied citrus and bergamot essence, mingled with complex, evolved scents of gingerbread, saffron and clove. Floral and mineral notes add freshness to this opulent ensemble, while a subtle touch of honey and milk recalls the nobility of botrytis.

On the palate, the unctuous texture caresses with flavors of roasted pineapple, candied apricot and mirabelle plum compote. The perfectly integrated sweetness is animated by the lively tension that energizes the spicy flavors of the midpalate and stretches them out over an impressive length. The milky finish with its delicately roasted accents leaves the taste buds vibrating for a long time with a sapid, spicy afterglow.