LANGLOIS-CHATEAU - Saumur Vielles Vignes, Chenin Blanc 2004 75cl
Bottle

Product Description

The Saumur Blanc Vieilles Vignes, from a particular gnarly old vineyard is an extraordinary wine & the definition of Chenin Blanc. Honeyed & floral with powerful fruit, well-judged oak & a herby hazelnut hint. The Saumur Blanc Vielles Vignes has a wonderful ability to accompany diverse fish dishes, especially white fish in cream sauces & where subsidiary flavours such as dill or almond become part of the dish. It would be equally at home accompanying one of northern Frances soft ripe cheeses & will also pair well with oysters, scallops & other seafood. The Vieilles Vignes cuvèe is produced from two low yielding 1 hectare plots of Chenin Blanc, both well in excess of 35 years old. The soil is the characteristic Saumur mixture of sand & limestone, with a high calcium content vital for the preservation of the acidity in the fruit & therefore allowing for a longer ripening period which concentrates & enhances the flavours. The Langlois-Chteau Chenin vineyards are around St Florent. The grapes are hand harvested with several tries
- or passes through the vineyards
- to ensure all fruit is of optimum ripeness. The fruit is gently pressed & fermented to dryness in barrel. The oak employed allows the Chenin flavours to shine, without being masked by excessive new oak character. Nevertheless barrel-fermentation allows for a gentler, longer & more extended flavour development. The wine rests on its lees for a further 10 months in barrel, which imparts a richness & nutty character to augment the fruit flavours. If further aged (for up to fifteen years) the wine will develop a deep honey colour & character with the richness & spicy nutty flavours complementing the deep, candied fruit characters of an aged wine.