Description
This cuvée from Domaine Fief Noir embodies all the charm and elegance of the great sweet wines of the Loire Valley. From carefully selected plots on the schist slopes overlooking the Layon, La Cueillette des Oiseaux is a wine made from 100% Chenin Blanc, Anjou’s emblematic grape variety, here harvested overripe after the passage of botrytis cinerea (noble rot), which concentrates the sugars and heightens the aromas.
The vineyard is farmed organically, with particular attention paid to biodiversity and soil health. The grapes are harvested by hand in successive pickings, so that only the ripest, botrytised berries are picked, ensuring optimal natural richness and great aromatic finesse.
In the cellar, the bunches are pressed slowly and gently. The highly concentrated must is fermented in stainless steel vats or barrels, at low temperature, for several weeks. Fermentation stops naturally so as to keep a perfect balance between residual sugar and lively acidity, essential to the tension of the great sweet wines of the Loire. Ageing on fine lees lasts several months, giving the wine a smooth, complex texture.
On tasting, La Cueillette des Oiseaux reveals a bright golden colour with amber tints. The nose is intense, dominated by aromas of candied apricot, quince, honey and acacia blossom with a delicately spicy touch. On the palate, the attack is smooth, the sweetness rich yet perfectly balanced by a crystalline mineral acidity. The finish is long, airy and persistent, with notes of candied citrus and dried fruit.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
Terroir: Anjou Noir schist, well-exposed slopes of the Layon
Viticulture: organic
Winemaking: hand-harvested in successive pickings, partial fermentation in vats or barrels
Ageing: on fine lees for several months
Food and wine pairings: perfect with foie gras, a blue cheese, an apricot tart or simply at the end of a meal
Serving temperature: 8–10 °C
Cellaring: 10 to 15 years, or even longer depending on the vintage
A wine of patience and precision, wonderfully combining aromatic richness and purity.
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