Domaine Belargus is a young winery on the Loire, founded in 2018. It produces only Chenin Blanc at the highest level and the new vintage is now available. As a reference for Chenin Blanc, there is a Saumur Brézé from Domaine Guiberteau. Let's taste it.
The Domaine Guiberteau 2019 Saumur Blanc Brézé is the estate's top vineyard and a reference for us. The wine does not have quite as much power as the wines from Domaine Belargus, but it has enormous complexity and perfect drinking maturity. The wine has iodine, beeswax, blossoms, full body and is juicy, balanced, dense and long and clearly recognizable as Chenin Blanc. 18.8/20 points.
Unfortunately, the wines from Domaine Belargus are extremely closed, even if you can already sense the quality. The wines need at least 3, better 5 years in the cellar or they must be decanted in the Italian style: You take out a glass the evening before, stopper it and put the bottle back in the fridge. As we missed the Italian decanting and the wines do not open even after hours in the decanter, we try the wines again 3 days later, but the 6 different Chenin Blanc are still somewhat closed after 3 days. All wines are mineral and have a lot of potential. However, the wines were rated controversially:
The Domaine Belargus 2022 Anjou Blanc “Anjou Noir” is the simplest of the wines with little complexity, but medium to full body and balance. 15.5-16.5/20 points.
The Domaine Belargus 2022 Anjou Blanc Ronceray is spicy, balanced and has full body and more complexity. 16-17/20 points.
The Domaine Belargus 2021 Anjou Blanc Bonnes Blanches has strange aromatics, initially dominated by green apple and baked apple and with air the aromatics change partly to caramel, coconut and cake batter. The wine has a full body and is medium to long, creamy and somewhat broad. This wine polarized the most: 14-18.3/20 points.
The Domaine Belargus 2021 Anjou Blanc Les Roueres has initial peanut aromas that change to blossoms and iodine with air. The wine has full body and is spicy, balanced, dense, creamy and juicy. 17.5-18.5/20 points.
The Domaine Belargus 2021 Anjou Blanc Quarts has a complex nose with initially peanuts and with air then iodine, forest fire and blossoms. The wine has full body, beautiful structure and is very mineral, juicy, long and dense. 18-18.5/20 points.
The Domaine Belargus 2021 Savennieres Clos des Rucheres is the top wine and has floor wax, beeswax, blossoms, spicy notes, full body and is very mineral, spicy, long and dense. 18-19/20 points. It will be interesting to see how this wine tastes in 3-5 years.
