Domaine Belargus - Rucheres 2021

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Even purer and more profound than Les Gaudrets is the 2021 Clos des Ruchères, a stunning wine at this address. Revealing a complex, deep bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, almonds and white pepper with a flinty and oaky character, it’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny with a deep core of fruit that remains cool and saline on the finish. This soil is among the best in Savennières, and Ivan Massonnat and his team enhance it."

DECANTER: "Dried honey aromas and a rich, mouthfilling texture with ripe, concentrated fruit reflecting the vintage and a long, vibrant, precise finish. Clos des Ruchères, just 0.4ha on clay over schist, adjoins the base of the La Roche aux Moines, just as the road from Savennières turns left to climb up to Epiré. In 2020 there were no spring frosts but plenty of rain followed by a hot, dry summer and a little rain before harvest. The clos was picked on 18 September yielding 25hl/ha. Vinified and aged for 26 months in demi-muids (600 litre) and barriques (228 litre), with full malolactic fermentation and bottled in early June 2021."