Jerome Lenoir - Les Roches

Alain and Jerome Lenoir's wines from Domaine des Roches: great Cabernet Franc wines from Chinon, in the Loire

Wines from Domaine des Roches – Jerome Lenoir: buy at the best price

Domaine des Roches, run by Alain and Jérome Lenoir, is located in Beaumont-en-Veron in the Chinon appellation. Since 2001, Jérome Lenoir, assisted by his father Alain until 2014, has run the 3.5-hectare estate originally established by his great-grandfather. A little-known but cult Loire estate, father and son craft Chinon wines from another era: old vines grown without fertilizers or pesticides, natural winemaking, several years of aging in old barrels and late releases. 

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Alain et Jérôme Lenoir Chinon Les Roches 2018
2 in stock
127871
Red
75cl
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Loire | Vin de France

Alain et Jérôme Lenoir Les Roches 2018

€114.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€95.00 ex-VAT
The TOP winemakers of Loire

History of Domaine Jérôme Lenoir - Les Roches

The Lenoir family has deep roots in the Véron, the “good country” dear to Rabelais, nestled between the Loire and Vienne rivers. Domaine Les Roches began with the vines of Jérôme's great-grandfather, passed down through the generations. Guy and Alain Lenoir put their names on the first labels, before Alain continued the venture alongside his son Jérôme. Together, they maintained an artisanal, uncompromising approach faithful to the practices of earlier times.

Long outside conventional sales channels, the Lenoirs are now among the Loire's understated pioneers of natural wine. Their production, limited to around 9,000 to 10,000 bottles a year, is highly sought-after. Enthusiasts are drawn to the surprising longevity of their wines and the rare opportunity to taste time-mellowed Chinons straight from the estate's cellar.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Jérôme Lenoir - Les Roches

The vineyard extends over about 3.5 hectares in Beaumont-en-Véron, just behind the family home. Cabernet Franc, Chinon's signature grape, occupies almost all of the land, with vines averaging 60 to 70 years old. Their roots penetrate very poor soil—barely 20 to 30 centimeters of earth—directly over tuffeau, the Turonian chalk for which Chinon's wines are renowned. Forced to draw nutrients from the bedrock, the vines produce concentrated grapes with remarkable minerality and freshness.

The estate also owns a tiny, 23-are plot of Chenin, acquired in the late 1950s. Expert assessments have shown that these vines predate 1900 and are probably pre-phylloxera and ungrafted, making them a true viticultural treasure. The entire vineyard is farmed naturally, without chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides, with the utmost respect for the soil.

Winemaking at Domaine Jérôme Lenoir - Les Roches

At Domaine Les Roches, harvesting is done exclusively by hand. The grapes are destemmed in the vineyard, then quickly brought into the cellar to limit any risk of oxidation. Fermentation takes place in old wooden casks with native yeasts, and the cap is pushed down by hand with a pestle, following an ancestral method. The Lenoirs do not seek extraction or power: they favor finesse, length, and moderate alcohol levels.

Then comes the long wait. The wines are aged for three to six years, sometimes longer, in old barriques in a damp underground cellar where mold naturally covers the walls—an environment the family considers essential to the character of its wines. The wines are neither fined nor filtered and receive only a very light dose of sulfur when necessary. Vintages are therefore released much later, already fully developed, with a clarity of flavor and harmony that have built the estate's reputation.

The Wines of Domaine Jérôme Lenoir - Les Roches

Chinon rouge Les Roches: the estate's sole and signature red wine, from old Cabernet Franc vines rooted in tuffeau limestone. After long aging in barrels, this Chinon is fresh, delicate, and deep, with aromas of red fruit, cherry, undergrowth, and graphite, and a characteristic mineral backbone. Far from the rustic image sometimes associated with Cabernet Franc, it captivates with its finesse, silky texture, and remarkable aging potential. It pairs beautifully with roast poultry, game birds, or aged cheeses.

Chinon blanc Les Roches: produced in tiny quantities from century-old, ungrafted Chenin vines, this white is one of the Loire's rarest bottles. Naturally fermented and aged for a long time in old oak, it may be dry or slightly sweet, depending on the vintage. Its golden color heralds notes of quince, ripe pear, honey, and white flowers, carried by vibrant acidity and impressive length. A fine wine to savor thoughtfully, superb with pike-perch in beurre blanc, scallops, or aged Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.

Vin de France Les Roches: some vintages are released under the Vin de France designation rather than the Chinon appellation. Sourced from the same vines and made with the same uncompromising philosophy, these wines offer an equally authentic, lively expression of the Véron terroir, with vibrant fruit, freshness, and an appealing ease of drinking.

Older vintages from Domaine Les Roches: Jérôme Lenoir regularly releases older vintages held in the family cellar, such as the highly prized 1985 or 1989, considered one of Chinon's greatest years of the century. These fully mature wines reveal aromas of candied strawberry, blood orange, leather, tobacco, and undergrowth, while retaining surprising energy and freshness. A unique opportunity to discover the exceptional aging potential of great Loire Cabernet Franc.

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