Wine Last Sold on: December 30, 2012
Pierre Chainier
Featured Wine:
Clos De Nouys Vouvray AOC
| Varietal: | Chenin Blanc |
| Region: | France: Loire Valley |
| Avg. Price: | $32.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $24.00 |
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2012 WINE INTRIGUE AWARDS WINNER:
Operatives’ Choice: Top French Wine of 2012
Welcome to day fourteen of the 6th Annual Wine Spies Wine Intrigue Awards. Every year, our Operatives and our Agents choose their favorite wines of the past year.
SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: Bubbles
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Send Agent Red to France, in search of a top-flight, budget-friendly alternative to traditional Champagne.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Pierre Chainier
Final Assessment
This delicious, inviting bubbly is Very Highly Recommended. This wonderful sparkling wine rivals some of the better French Champagnes (those made in the Champagne region of France, typically from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals) - at a much more wallet-friendly price!
Sweet and tart flavors dance in perfect harmony as the smooth, elegant mousse of this wine transports flavor to the far corners of the palate. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, this wine will appeal to those that may find sparkling wines to be too hard edged. This delicious treat is one wine that you won’t want to miss out on.
Tasting Profile
Pale golden yellow hues with a brilliant clear core. Initially energetic, the coarse bubbles turn fine. An upward cascade of needle-thin columns persists throughout the entire drinking experience.
Fresh, bright and vivacious on the nose, with aromas of fresh citrus, honeysuckle, white peach and limestone. As the wine warms, just slightly, additional aromas emerge, including dried white flowers, lime and a hint of orange peel.
This medium-bodied bubbly is both effervescent and very smooth. After taking a sip, a fine mousse plumes onto the tongue. Bright acidity is driven to the far corners of the mouth. A moment after the wine passes the palate, a medium crisp dryness seems to radiate from the center of the palate, outward.
Very fresh tasting, with a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Creamy citrus and white peach provide the initial rush of flavor. These are followed green apple, lemongrass, subtle tangerine, subtle toasty oak and a hint of white pepper.
Fresh and clean with a lingering minerality that supports the fresh orchard fruit, citrus and savory flavors. After the wine passes the palate, a very soft dryness spreads all around the palate.
What the Winery Says
Acknowledged for its quality by top professionals in the wine trade, the Clos de Nouys is a 25 acre estate within the Vouvray appellation of the Loire Valley, consisting of vines averaging 35 years old. This is one of the oldest winemaking estates in the AOC area: its wines were served on the Normandy transatlantic liner in 1936 and its parcels of vines were already listed amongst the best sites on the 1907 geological maps.
Clos de Nouys Brut is not just “a reasonable alternative” to Champagne but a fine expression of the Chenin Blanc grape, and a style of sparkling wine in itself, acclaimed and renown worldwide.
Tasting Notes
Pale yellow in colour. Delicate, lively bubbles. On the nose it provides a magnificent vinosity with a fruity presence of quinces. On the palate it is smooth and exquisite with aromas similar to those on the nose.
Grape Variety
100% Chenin Blanc
Alcohol
12.5%
TA
4.0-5.5 G/L
pH
2.95-3.2
Pairings
On its own, with appetizers or a whole meal. The perfect wine to complement any party or family event.
About the Winery
My site on the banks of the Loire is not very old. Indeed, it only dates back to the 1960s. However, my ancestors were already producing wine in the Bordeaux region back in the mid 18th Century and my wife’s family were wine growers and merchants in Cognac at the end of the 19th Century.
For me, the Loire was a case of love at first sight, with its vineyards and fresh, fruity wines: so easy to drink either young or venerably old: like the 1893 Vouvrays, still in perfect condition today. Today, the Maison Pierre Chainier is still a family business, based in Amboise, a royal town built on the banks of the River Loire. We are wine merchants, specialising in Touraine wines. Our average production is approximately 6 millions bottles (500,000 cases).
My wife Anne Chainier looks after the estates, the Château de Pocé and the Château de la Roche, in which she also raises thoroughbred French saddle horses, including Gloria de la Roche, a winner of major international competitions. My eldest son François is the managing director of the company. He also owns the prestigious Clos de Nouys and Clos du Gaimont vineyards in Vouvray. My two other sons, Louis and Philippe, are in charge of exports, particularly to the United States and Canada. I hope that in the future, they will take over from their mother in the running of the Touraine estates.
-Pierre Chainier
