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KALesson learned. Usually when a producer asks me if I want to see their cellar, I go, but prepare to go into zombie mode as I blithely stroll past aisles of stainless tanks and / or cement tanks and barrels + the occasional amphora / glass globe, while I keep my fingers crossed for a barrel sample.
They do things a little differently at Domaine du Nozay, a biodynamic winery in Sancerre. (And just for the record, it was proprietor Cyril de Benoist’s father who did the hunting; he added the murals). It is unlike any cellar I’ve ever seen—and I will now dutifully proceed into my next cellar visit with an open mind.
Cyril and his right-hand woman Agnès des Places walked us through the gorgeous vineyards and the cellars, while explaining the philosophy of the Domaine and tasting us on the incredible wines that result from their hard work and rigorous attention to detail.
They have primarily Sauvignon Blanc planted of course, but they also have a small planting of Pinot Noir. Most of the vines date back to the early 1970s, when Cyril’s parents bought the abandoned 17th century castle and began farming the land.
When Cyril took over, he converted the vineyards first to organic, then biodynamic practices. He’s always looking for new ways to lower their carbon footprint, and improve wine quality. Two of the most fascinating innovations are playing classical music to the vines three times a day for five minutes through loudspeakers + during fermentation in the cellar, and finding a way to create wine labels affixed with completely organic glue + made from 30% grape seeds. The capsules, in the markets where they have not been eliminated completely, are biodegradable too.
And the wine, primarily made from single parcels chosen for their particular elevation and soil type, is magnificent. Full of energy, and tasting of many of the scents I caught walking around the vineyard—linden, jasmine, orchard fruit + limestone. I’ll be thinking about these soulful wines for a long time.
#sancerre #biowine #biodynamicwines #familywinery
@kathleenwillcox
