2021 Mosse 'Le Rouchefer' Chenin Blanc - Anjou, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE. 750ml
The Le Rouchefer is a pure Chenin Blanc that comes from a small parcel of gently sloping, southwest facing land that extends over 1.66 hectares with clay and gravel (studded with quartz) sitting on schist. The vines were planted initially in 1976, so they are now 47 years old. The yield from this vineyard is very low with 20 hectolitres per hectare being common.
The grapes are hand harvested and meticulously sorted before slow pressing and then being allowed to go through both alcoholic and spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
After pressing, the juice was placed in two 25 hectolitre foudres. One contained only juice. The other contained 10% destemmed grapes and 90% juice. After 6 months the juice from both foudres was assembled prior to subsequent bottling.
The Mosse family’s notes are “ample and generous, balanced by a vibrant minerality, the light maceration gives it structure”. They recommend aging it for up to 15 years, but it is drinking perfectly now.
This is a complex and elegant wine that matches beautifully to a range of foods including grilled fish, sweetbreads, chicken and mountain cheeses.
