Giles de Maré
wine selection
wine selection
Telephone: 01985 844695 E-mail: giles@demare.org.uk
WWW.demare.org.uk
Domaine de Noble. “Loupiac is situated on the right bank of the river Garonne, sandwiched between Cadillac and Ste Croix du Mont, about 40kms from Bordeaux. Its wines were first cited in the thirteenth century, when the region was much bigger than the 370ha covered by the modern-day appellation.
The best vineyards of the appellation lie on the less fertile clay-limestone slopes overlooking the Garonne, where they are well-situated to profit from the beneficial effects of noble rot, brought on by the morning Autumn mists which cover the hillsides. Sadly, with the ever-decreasing market for sweet wines being cornered by the more prestigious appellations of Sauternes and Barsac on the opposite side of the river, many growers either cannot afford or lack the impetus to wait and harvest at optimum maturity, preferring to take the easier (and less expensive) route of chaptalization.
Needless to say, Domaine du Noble does not figure amongst their number. This 17ha family-owned property has been run for the past 13 years by Patrick Dejean, whose great-grandfather bought the estate back in 1880. M. Dejean, described by Stephen Brook as “genially raffish” continues the family tradition of producing one of the best wines of the appellation. This quest for quality is greatly helped by the privileged position enjoyed by the vines: situated on top of the Loupiac coteau, where the poor soils contain a greater percentage of free-draining gravel, the vines suffer more and subsequently give of their best. Indeed Patrick Dejean believes that this is the real key to their success, modestly claiming that he simply tries not to mess up what nature gives him.
Such modesty is becoming but perhaps a tad misplaced. There is undoubtedly an element of human intervention in the quality of wines, starting with his yields, which are extremely low for the appellation at around 30hl / ha. It should also be noted that he decries the use of chaptalisation, preferring to wait for the optimum moment to pick, a philosophy which can see him making up to five successive tries in the vines. Such attention to detail is also evident in the cellar – each lot is judged on its own merits and treated individually. There is no recipe which dictates that at a certain alcohol or residual sugar level the fermentation must be blocked. Despite the regular rackings, the wines tend to be quite closed after the mise and will repay a few years bottle ageing.”
The best vineyards of the appellation lie on the less fertile clay-
Needless to say, Domaine du Noble does not figure amongst their number. This 17ha family-
Such modesty is becoming but perhaps a tad misplaced. There is undoubtedly an element of human intervention in the quality of wines, starting with his yields, which are extremely low for the appellation at around 30hl / ha. It should also be noted that he decries the use of chaptalisation, preferring to wait for the optimum moment to pick, a philosophy which can see him making up to five successive tries in the vines. Such attention to detail is also evident in the cellar – each lot is judged on its own merits and treated individually. There is no recipe which dictates that at a certain alcohol or residual sugar level the fermentation must be blocked. Despite the regular rackings, the wines tend to be quite closed after the mise and will repay a few years bottle ageing.”