Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon St Lambert 2009

A Domaine Vincent Ogereau white wine

(SL0000010227)

Our price £13.25 (inc VAT)

Minimum order quantity is 6 bottles.

Orders placed before midday will normally be delivered within 3-4 days

Country	France
Region	Loire
Class	Anjou

Grape	Chenin Blanc
Volume	75cl
Style	Sweet

Vincent Ogereau is currently considered one of the outstanding producers from this dynamic region of the Loire Valley. This appellation, in the region around the medieval city of Angers, produces its high-quality white sweet wines from grapes grown along the Layon River. The climate, soils and grape type are ideal for producing some of the world's finest sweet wines. The early morning fog rising off the Layon River creates the high humidity necessary for developing Botrytis Cinerea, the famous 'Noble-Rot' which makes great sweet white wines such as Sauternes. The warm afternoon sun and long harvest season allows full ripening of the grapes, which shrivel and concentrate the sugars. At a top domaine like Ogereau, the harvest is conducted in a series of tries, or passes through the vineyard to select only the ripest grapes. Ogereau is considered one of the masters in this premier sweet-wine producing region. Chenin Blanc is king here, matching perfectly with the clay-schist soils of the region. The village indication 'Saint Lambert' on the label indicates a higher level of quality. The viticulture is completely organic chez Ogereau and only natural yeasts are used for the fermentation. The harvest, from October through the end of November, is performed manually in selected pickings called tri, to ensure gathering the grapes at their maximum maturity. The grapes for the moelleux wines go directly from harvest to press, where they undergo a long but gentle extraction for 12 hours. Fermentation takes place very slowly in 500 litre oak demi-muids for at least 6 months, up to a year for the top cuvées, which helps stabilize these sweet wines. Like all great winemakers, Ogereau works by taste, not analysis. The cornerstone elements of his sweet white wines are Acidity, Sugar and Alcohol. When all three are in balance, he stops the fermentation by racking, lightly sulphuring and filtering at bottling. In this way Ogereau gets the most out of those shrivelled berries without any of the bitter elements. Sweet or dry, red or white, all Ogereau's wines are made with the capacity for ageing. Seekers of heavenly pleasure will instantly be drawn to Ogereau's Coteaux du Layon, a nectar marvel of dried fruits, spices and honey, and yet another coup de coeur from this top grower. This is celestial, nepenthean Chenin with overtones of wild honey - the finish seems to go on forever, amen. Apparently Vincent Ogereau plays music to his wines whilst they are maturing in cask - on this evidence it would have to be the Ode To Joy.

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Buying this earns you 19 cork points per bottle