NIS0418WW
NIcolas Suteau
Arzur
2018
Loire
Organic Conversion
Biodynamic farming
Wild yeasts
Low Sulphur
The Loire, France's longest river, is home to many much celebrated and quintessential French grapes. From the once ubiquitous-in-the-UK Melon de Bourgogne by the Atlantic coast, to the home of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre, via some of the world's best Chenin and crunchy Cabernet Francs, Gamays and Pinots there is quality all around. Being at the northernly limit for winemaking, the wines are hallmarked by their crisp, fresh, crunchy fruit and high acidity, where reds may sometimes struggle to ripen and whites nearly overdeliver on acidity. The 69 appellations that make up the larger region are grouped into smaller sub-regions with predominantly single variety wines leading the way. As you move east the climate changes markedly from maritime to continental as the soils change from flint and limestone to the hard granite of central France.
It was in 2007 that Nicolas took over the generations-old family farm along with some 7hectares of vines and 60+ calves. Working the vines for 9 years just as his parents had, but it was in 2016 that he decided to make his first vintage without the addition of sulphur; and so the cuvées Arthur and Lancelot were born. In September 2017 he started on the long road to convert the vines to certified organic viticulture as well as eliminating sulphur during the winemaking process whatsoever. His vines are split between 5ha Melon de Bourgogne, 0.7 Folle Blanche, 0.5 Pinot Noir and 0.5ha od a local variety Egiodola on a variety of expressive Westerly Loire soils: Amphibolite, Leptynite and Gneiss and micashiste. The labels, which look like something out of Games of Thrones, pay homage to the Celtic heritage of Nantes.
Wine details
NIS0418WW
NIcolas Suteau
Arzur
2018
Loire
Organic Conversion
Biodynamic farming
Wild yeasts
Low Sulphur
The Loire, France's longest river, is home to many much celebrated and quintessential French grapes. From the once ubiquitous-in-the-UK Melon de Bourgogne by the Atlantic coast, to the home of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre, via some of the world's best Chenin and crunchy Cabernet Francs, Gamays and Pinots there is quality all around. Being at the northernly limit for winemaking, the wines are hallmarked by their crisp, fresh, crunchy fruit and high acidity, where reds may sometimes struggle to ripen and whites nearly overdeliver on acidity. The 69 appellations that make up the larger region are grouped into smaller sub-regions with predominantly single variety wines leading the way. As you move east the climate changes markedly from maritime to continental as the soils change from flint and limestone to the hard granite of central France.
It was in 2007 that Nicolas took over the generations-old family farm along with some 7hectares of vines and 60+ calves. Working the vines for 9 years just as his parents had, but it was in 2016 that he decided to make his first vintage without the addition of sulphur; and so the cuvées Arthur and Lancelot were born. In September 2017 he started on the long road to convert the vines to certified organic viticulture as well as eliminating sulphur during the winemaking process whatsoever. His vines are split between 5ha Melon de Bourgogne, 0.7 Folle Blanche, 0.5 Pinot Noir and 0.5ha od a local variety Egiodola on a variety of expressive Westerly Loire soils: Amphibolite, Leptynite and Gneiss and micashiste. The labels, which look like something out of Games of Thrones, pay homage to the Celtic heritage of Nantes.
