I have mixed feelings about the nattiest of the Loire natural wine scene but wines like this are the reason why I remain interested in finding new producers of this ilk. Quite cool stuff, I think.
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2015 Thomas Batardière Vin de France Clos des Cocus - France, Vin de France (16.1.2020)
In France many small wine shops seem to have a habit of gifting a bottle of wine if one buys a couple of cases. This is one such bottle that was given to me as a freebie in a shop called La Balade des Terroirs in Grenoble as I was about to leave with 12 nice bottles in 2018. I was not familiar with Thomas Batardière but quick googling taught me that he is indeed a fairly young fella farming biodynamically in Anjou. Clos des Cocus Chenin Blanc comes from a 0.6ha parcel with vines planted in 1958. The vinification - and the maturation, I suppose - took place in used 500L barrels. This shows on the nose which has this combination of smoke and slight toastiness, along with bruised apple, beeswax and a slight herbal edge. The mouthfeel is fairly rich and substantial. It is a wine of considerable power and fairly high level of ripeness. The oak works really well here, giving the wine a beautiful, opulent texture. There is some bitterness to complement the abundant apple-driven fruit. Chenin’s trademark waxiness is here in spades. It’s a big wine indeed but sports a fine balance and a finish that is long and full of flavor. There is so much going on that the wine is almost at its best on its own but having said that it was excellent with the crispy, fatty skin of the chicken we had tonight. Overall, a mighty fine wine that I am happy to have learned about.
Posted from CellarTracker
