Jerome Lenoir - Les Roches

The Cabernet Franc vine is 70 years old, planted on poor soil that offers the vine only 20 to 30 cm of earth, so that the roots must plunge into the chalk subsoil to draw their nutrients from it. This Turonian chalk subsoil is the famous tuffeau, and it has greatly contributed to the reputation of Chinon wines, whose red wines are the most renowned. The domaine des Roches has also owned, since the late 1950s, a small plot of 23 ares (0.57 acres) of white Chinon (Chenin). After expert assessment, it emerged that the vines predated 1900, and were therefore probably pre-phylloxera and own-rooted. Surrounded by woodland and land without vines, it is thought that this plot may have escaped the destructive insect. The singularity of the domaine des Roches lies in its winemaking methods, with manual harvesting from the outset and grapes destemmed even before returning to the cellar. Since the risk is oxidation of the first juices, the speed of transfers to the cellar then proves paramount. The Cabernet Franc, the king grape variety of Chinon wines, is then transferred into very old large wooden vats, where the grapes are subjected to punching down with a pestle. Fermentation takes place naturally with indigenous yeasts, and ageing lasts from 3 to 6 years in barrels, depending on the vintage. The sole red cuvée of the domaine des Roches undergoes no filtration, and only a very light addition of sulfur. The wine's natural vigour is thus gently tamed, and what the domaine des Roches offers is a civilised, fresh Chinon with superb balance and a transparency of flavours achieved through its long ageing. In his approach in the cellar, Jérôme Lenoir produces wines that cannot fail to evoke the expression of Emmanuel Reynaud's wines at Château Rayas (the mythical Châteauneuf-du-Pape). While Cabernet Franc cannot of course be compared to Grenache Noir, the approach to winemaking and the imprint on the wines remain similar. The domaine des Roches produces approximately 9,000 to 10,000 bottles per year, and given the length of the ageing, vintages are released on a staggered basis. Jérôme Lenoir occasionally releases old vintages, and it is highly recommended to seize the opportunity to taste an aged Chinon, such as the fabulous 1989 vintage, whose mellow flavours and aromas of strawberry, blood orange, undergrowth and leather are sure to captivate great lovers of aged wines.

Discover other estates from the Loire Valley such as the domaines Didier Dagueneau, Alphonse Mellot and Francois Cotat at Vins & Millésimes, where you can buy online the finest white, red and rosé wines and grands crus from the Loire region. All our young and old vintages are in stock and available for fast delivery! Discover the bottles and magnums from the domaine des Roches available to purchase!