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ROCHEBLEUE1003
Domaine de la Roche Bleue ‘Guinguette’ 2018
ROCHEBLEUE1003
Domaine de la Roche Bleue ‘Guinguette’ 2018

Domaine de la Roche Bleue ‘Guinguette’ 2021

€25.07

Cornille’s least cerebral cuvée, but no simple vin de soif. Crunchy forest berries, black tea, and a good dusting of white pepper on the nose. On the palate, the 2018 is juicier than previous vintages but retains a refreshingly green and mineral side that’s augmented by the slight spritz of trapped CO2. A very invigorating and decidedly ‘northern’ red wine.
Vinification
70% Pineau d’Aunis, 20% Gamay, and 10% Cabernet Franc from 30+ year old, biodynamically farmed vines in the Coteaux du Loire. Clay over limestone yields 25 hl/ha. Manual harvest according to the lunar calendar. 20-day semi-carbonic maceration in the tank, parts destemmed and whole-cluster depending on the vintage. After pressing the Pineau d’aunts and Cab Franc are aged in old barrels and the Gamay in the tank. Bottled without fining, partial filtration, and a touch of added sulfites.
Due to vintage variation, more recent cuvées can differ in taste slightly from earlier years.
SKU: RB00421 Categories: ,
Description
Domaine de la Roche Bleue

Originally hailing from Sancerre, Sebastien Cornille started his domaine in 2008 with a couple of remote vineyards in Jasnières (itself an outskirt and the northernmost limit of Chenin-growing), which by now he has grown into a 6,5 ha operation with holdings in Jasnières and Coteaux-du-Loir. These sloped vineyards – mostly on argilo-silex over limestone soils – are all worked manually and solely by Sebastien himself (certified organic, biodynamic in practice).

Work in the cellar is carried out without additives except for minimal amounts of sulfur, with long natural fermentation and elevage (part tank/part old barrels) deep inside icy tuffeau caves.

Man was we impressed, during a wintry visit to the Loire, by Sebastien’s humble determination and his beautifully chiseled wines! Bracingly acidic, subtly kaleidoscopic Chenins refracting a thousand nuances of white flower, apple, honey, wax, butter, and chalk. Laser-focused, mega-crunchy old vine Pineau d’Aunis, sometimes blended with Gamay and Cabernet, full of momentum and restrained white-peppery funk. All delicious now but built for the long haul. 
These may not be the most charismatic looking bottles in town, but what’s inside them is some of the most promising wine on our shelves. Definitely not for everyone, but any acid-head with a taste for nuanced and contemplative wines that walks past them is missing out big time.
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