QUARTS DE CHAUME
2022 Château de Pierre Bise
Grapes | Chenin Blanc |
Origin | France, Loire |
Other | Certified Organic |
Sub-district | Anjou |
Village | Quarts de Chaume |
ABV | 11% |
The concentration seen in the Coteaux du Layon harvest in this vintage is carried through to René Papin’s Quarts de Chaume, which begins with layers of richly dried and toasted orchard fruits on the nose. While immediately seductive the aromatic profile does seem to be hiding its light under a bushel for the moment, because the palate explodes with an immediately convincing array of with a rich, sinewy and tightly compacted concentration, intertwining ribbons of dried fruits with richer notes of caramel, praline, toasted peach and white pepper. Tense, dense and harmonious, with beautifully fresh acidity, this impressive wine is a true Quarts de Chaume in the liquoreux style. Magnificent. The residual sugar is 170 g/l and the alcohol on the label is 12%. Rating: 96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Aug 2024)
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*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
The 2022 Quarts de Chaume is a sweet, rich and full-bodied style reminiscent of toffee, plum and dried fruit flavors. It has structure, which provides a balancing act to the sweetness from 164g/l of residual sugar. Long in length and fragrant, it is perhaps a little lacking in complexity. Drinking range: 2024 - 2039 Rating: 90 Rebecca Gibb MW - Vinous.com (Jul 2024)
Château de Pierre Bise
René Papin is the third generation of this organically-farmed estate, having taken over from his father Claude. The estate now includes the Roche aux Moines, Clos Le Grand Beaupréau and Clos de Coulaine in Savennieres, as well as sites in Coteaux de Layon and Quarts de Chaume
The family describe their farming methods, which go beyond simple organics, as 'conservation agriculture' - the vineyards are grassed over and worked as little as possible to preserve and encourage microbial life. The estate's Japanese agronomist, Masanobu Fukuoka, also believes straw is good for the soil structure.
The valley of the Layon brings mists in the late autumn which favour the development of botrytis for the famous Chenin Blanc sweet wines. The Papins like to focus on getting the ripest and most botrytised grapes possible by harvesting non-stop for two months for the sweet wines, only taking the rot-affected grapes on each of several passes down each row of vines. For the dry wines they are looking for fully mature polyphenols and thin mature skins to add complexity and a pure intensity. The labour intensive processes continue in the winery, in prolonging the fermentations for as long as possible to achieve the greatest polymerisation of the polyphenols and greatest purity and freshness of expression in the wines. René has added larger foudres as well as some amphorae to futher refine the ageing process.
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