94 Points Wine Advocate: "Sourced from a tiny, south-east facing 0.35-hectare plot on a marriage of schists and pudding sandstones in the subsoil, the dark-golden colored 2018 Coteaux-du-Layon Chaume Premier Cru Écharderie opens with an intense and elegant, noble and refreshing bouquet of citrus fruits, such as limes, lemons and oranges, intertwined with honey and stone fruit as well as stony aromas, beautifully pure and precise. Playful and refined on the palate, this is an elegant, dense and stimulatingly salty and crystalline Chaume that offers remarkable drinkability and gastronomic talent due to its fine piquancy on the salty-grippy finish that doesn't take away the sweetness but lifts it, making the wine's lovely ripe fruit component a fine pairing with many dishes, not only from the Asian cuisines. Fine bitters on the aftertaste. Very stimulating indeed. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in September 2021."
Here is a set of gorgeous Chenin Blancs from the Layon's rising super star Domaine Belargus. They've been called "The Mount Everest of Chenin Blanc". Stephan Reinhardt of Wine Advocate listed them among his favorite wines of 2021, stating they are "A must investment for all fans of Chenin Blanc and generally the very great white wines of this world!"
The Backstory: Domaine Belgargus took over the estate of Jo Pithon from Pithon-Paillé. Pithon was a hero of the Loire known for crafting some of the most thoughtful Chenin Blancs in the region. As he retired, he sold the estate to Ivan Massonat, a French businessman with a love for Loire valley wines. He's had success in the wine world before, as he is a partner in PAI Partners, a private equity firm that owns Thibault Liger-Belair and Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy. Pithon stayed on and consults alongside Guy Bossard, arguably Muscadet's top biodynamic producer. Winemaking duties for the new estate, Domaine Belargus, are handled by Adrien Moreau, who has studied under Haut-Brion, Cheval Blanc, and Roederer. It's the most exciting new Loire project in some time, and it's seen investment that off-the-beaten-path Loire producers rarely have the opportunity to receive.
Stephan Reinhardt of Wine Advocate: "This is one of the most spectacular new entries in the history of The Wine Advocate, and it makes the Loire, especially its tributary, Layon, one of the most fascinating terroirs in the Anjou region. Domaine Belargus is the name that should soon populate the world’s finest wine lists, especially since the prices are—still?—affordable."
