Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes: a great new Loire find!

Last week, I reported on one of my finds of this year’s Loire Salon, Domaine Roux’s wines from Châteaumeillant, which region now has AOC status (see here).  This week, I’m focusing on another new discovery, the wines of Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes, which is located in Montlouis-sur-Loire.

Xavier Weisskopf (pictured) is precisely the kind of producer I had in mind when, last year, I said Montlouis is giving Vouvray a run for its money thanks to an influx of second career creative types and young blood (see my report here).

Born in Picardy in 1979, Weisskopf studied viticulture and oenology in Beaune and, after a three year spell in Gigondas in the Cotes du Rhone, settled in Montlouis in 2005 where he acquired 9ha.  He also has 4ha in Touraine in the commune of Saint-Martin le Beau which is planted to Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and some exceptionally old Côt (Malbec), the earliest vines of which date back to 1891.

He describes his vineyards, which he cultivates organically, as “very fragmented and heterogeneous, both at the age of the vines as the soils and grape varieties.”  Here are my notes on his wines, which share a wonderful lightness of touch:

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes Touche Mitaine Sec 2009, Montlouis-sur-Loire

This delicate, dry Chenin Blanc comes from a 4ha parcel of younger (30 year old) vines planted on a slope of sandy clay soil.  Aged for one year in 4-5 year old barrels it’s restrained, very fine, bony and mineral.  A lovely expression of grape and terroir.

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes La Négrette Sec 2009, Montlouis-sur-Loire

La Négrette hails from the oldest vines, planted in 1922 at high density (7,500 vines/ha) on a south-facing slope above Saint-Martin le Beau.  It’s correspondingly more powerful than Touche Mitaine and is aged for 18 to 20 months in barrel, mostly 2-4 years old but 30% new.  Nonetheless, the wine retains great purity and minerality.  Very good.

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes Les Borderies Demi-Sec 2010, Montlouis-sur-Loire

Commercial styles of off-dry Chenin can be horribly clumsy – one feels the sugar masks a multitude of sins (high yields, less than ripe or clean fruit).  This off-dry cuvee is a perfect example of the genre.  From low yielding 60-70 year old vines planted on sandy clay this Chenin is wonderfully “tendu,”  showing wonderful Riesling-like tension and focus, its sweetness more apparent on an enticing honey-nuanced nose than in the mouth.  (20g/l residual sugar).

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes Le Moelleux 2010, Montlouis-sur-Loire

The grapes were concentrated by dehydration (passerillage) not botrytis and, with 120g/l of residual sugar, it has lovely generosity to its subtly spiced poached pear fruit and lifted wild flowers.  Barrel-fermented and aged, like the drier styles, it’s also possessed of a lovely structure and focus.

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes Côt Vielles Vignes 2010, Touraine

Wow, the pedigree of this seriously old vineyard (65-119 years) really shines through.  After fermenting by carbonic maceration the wine is transferred to 2-3 year old oak barrels and aged for 8 months.  It’s quite beautiful with a floral nose and palate and beguiling silky texture thanks to melt-in-the-mouth tannins.  Intense and very fine – a world apart from most Loire Côt which tend to be more extracted.

Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes Cabernet Franc 2010, Touraine

Made from the fruit of mere (!) 30 year old vines, this doesn’t have the wow factor or the same intensity as the Côt but it shares its delicacy, freshness and finesse and has an attractive sucrosity to its tannin.  Well done.

Big thanks go Henri Chapon, Loire-based Master Sommelier (and fomer Director of Hotel du Vin), who pointed me in the direction of Weisskopf  just as I was heading out the door!

In the UK the wines are stocked by Aubert & Mascoli.  Click here for prices.