The view to Chinon from the southern side of the Vienne river is as impressive today as it must have been in the twelfth century, with the Royal fortress dominating and protecting a town rich in history. It was indeed one of the favourite residences of our Plantagenet King Henry during the association of England and Anjou. Chinon is a charming town to visit, and the central location of Hotel Diderot has been my choice since my first visit in 1984 and after my recent stay in January my views have no reason to change.

Chinon is also home to some of the most interesting red wines of the Loire Valley, where the Touraine region also offers examples from Saumur, Bourgueil and St. Nicolas de Bourgueil. The common factor is the reliance on the red Cabernet Franc grape, which needs careful nurturing to release the true potential at harvest time. Thirty years ago grapes were harvested without uniformity of ripeness leading to disappointment when the wines were finally bottled and tasted. Only in exceptional vintages did we find that the Cabernet Franc achieved natural ripeness, and sadly this only occurred on average twice in a decade.

Roll on to the new millennium and there is now a far better understanding of vineyard management which heralds an optimum ripeness at the time of the decision to harvest. A willingness from a new generation of vigneron and winemakers to apply a more scientific approach to enhance the practices of old is now delivering outstanding results.

One such young vigneron, whilst studying oenology at Dijon University, was lucky to land an eight month placement at Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux. Jerome Billard must have impressed the Moeuix family, for they then posted him to California to work on their Dominus Estate in the Napa Valley for a full year before he headed south to the Sacred Hill Estate in New Zealand.

With his father wishing to retire, Jerome returned to the family estate in 2003 to begin a programme of changes that has catapulted Domaine de la Noblaie into the premier league of Chinon estates. An impressive new winery was completed just in time for the 2012 vintage, and Jerome confirms that the 2014 vintage will be the first with full Organic Certification. He has certainly been busy since 2003!

So what about his wines?

Attention to detail in the vineyards has paid dividends – the vine rows are now grassed, the foliage height has been raised and the addition of five hectares of Chenin Blanc vines now creates an option for white wines.

We will be offering to you Jerome’s wonderful 2014 Chinon Blanc and Chinon Rose together with a brace of red wines from his excellent 2012 vintage, which we will ship for you at the beginning of April.

His 2014 red wines will not be released until the end of the year, but he has agreed that you can pledge your interest now, without obligation, and we can reserve stock for you. Please see the November pledge form below for details.

List Price: £11.95          ‘Pledge’ Price: £9.50

This is a region where most rosé wines are made by the ‘saignée’ method which can have detrimental effect on the red wines. Jerome prefers to make a ‘rosé de maceration’ using Cabernet Franc grapes from selected plots and from the ends of each row of vines. This allows him to keep his rosés pink and vibrant, (and to pick even riper reds!) and tasting the 2014 straight from the tank in the winery he has achieved a wonderfully elegant dry style. This will be delicious for the Spring and Summer months.

List Price: £14.75          ‘Pledge’ Price: £11.75

I first tasted Jerome’s wines in January 2014 and they left a lasting impression on me: note to myself – a Domaine to watch. Roll on one year and we have the chance to enjoy the success of his Chenin Blanc in the wonderful 2014 vintage. Grown on chalk soils, hand picked with three careful ‘passages’ through the vines to select the mature grapes and then vinified ‘en cuve’. The wine is currently gently lying on its lees prior to bottling in March. This is a wake up call for fine Chenin, with beautiful elegance and layered fruit leading to a dry finish. Chardonnay eat your heart out, as this is suddenly so much more interesting pound for pound.

List Price: £13.95          ‘Pledge’ Price: £10.95

In this part of the vineyard there is heavy clay soil which contributes to a more structured intensity of flavours than vines grown on pure limestone. The colour is impressive and truly forecasts the intensity of flavours on the palate – rich in red and black berry fruit with harmonious tannins providing the superstructure. A super glass of wine to enjoy now – and bottles can be cellared over the next five years.

List Price: £16.75          ‘Pledge’ Price: £13.25

The Cabernet Franc grapes are selected from different parcels of clay and limestone ‘tuf’ soils around the Domaine before being fermented in an open-top limestone vat. Deep in colour with a wonderful concentration of black fruit and layered tannins, signalling a style that is ready to enjoy now, but will cellar and happily develop for a number of years.

For the April shipment, offer closes 20th March 2015. For the November shipment, offer closes 18th September 2015. All prices are inclusive of VAT. The minimum order is six bottles (one case) of a Chinon. Join our pallet pledge and help us introduce these wonderful Chinons to your friends and family. By pledging a case you will become part of an exclusive group, and receive the same price for any future orders whilst stock remains available.
I will guarantee to take them back and offer a full refund if you do not like them!*

*Subject to you letting us know after opening the first bottle, with the remaining unopened bottles being returned safely to us.