Domaine de Belliviere Coteaux du Loir Vieilles Vignes “Eparses” 2022 750ml

100% Chenin Blanc. Éparses is Bellivière’s oldest-vine cuvée, with ages ranging from 70 to 86 years old, across multiple parcels in the Coteaux du Loir: the name “éparses” is in fact in reference to the parcellation of the vineyards. These old vines on flinty clay soils, rich in tuffeau (soft limestone), yield a maximumof 25 hl/ha. They are farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand. The fruit is direct-pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeasts and minimal sulfur; the wine is aged in 1-to-3-year old barrels with a small proportion (1/4) of new oak for one year. Each parcel is vinified and aged separately and blended before bottling. Éparses tends to be the most dry, powerful and structured of the Bellivière line-up; it will inevitably have at least a little residual that will not always be perceptible.