There is the Loire, and then there is the Loir.
No, that is not a typo. The Loir is a smaller tributary north of the Loire—le Loir, incidentally, while the larger Loire is feminine: la Loire. Along its banks lie two of France’s smallest and most easily overlooked appellations, Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir. Go much farther north and wine country gives way to cider.
This has always been difficult territory for vines. In 1956, a catastrophic frost virtually wiped out wine production, and many vineyards were never replanted. By the time Eric and Christine Nicolas arrived in the 1990s, the region’s old parcels and local traditions were quietly disappearing. The couple came from outside the wine world, rented whatever vines they could find, and established Domaine de Bellivière. Their own first vineyards were hit by frost, but they persisted. Today Bellivière is the undisputed reference point for both appellations.
The whites are Chenin Blanc, but they have a distinctly northern personality. Prémices is the inviting introduction: orchard fruit, flowers, and brisk mineral freshness. Les Rosiers, from Jasnières, is deeper and more layered, with quince, honey, salt, and Chenin’s remarkable combination of richness and acidity. Bellivière allows each fermentation to find its own balance, rather than forcing the wine into a predetermined level of dryness, so the wines reflect the conditions of the year as much as the vineyard.
Rouge-Gorge is made from Pineau d’Aunis, the region’s great local red grape. It can look delicate in the glass, but its personality is unmistakable: wild strawberry, flowers, herbs, and a burst of cracked pepper. In warmer years it gains flesh and depth without losing its lift. We have bought Rouge-Gorge for years, and it remains one of the world’s definitive expressions of Pineau d’Aunis—a wine that is delicious slightly chilled today but can become hauntingly complex after five or ten years.
These are not famous vineyards rescued by wealthy outsiders. They are obscure vineyards that might easily have vanished altogether. Bellivière’s achievement has been to show that this cold, marginal corner of France possesses its own forms of greatness: luminous Chenin, peppery Pineau d’Aunis, and wines that could come from nowhere else.
Domaine de Belliviere (Eric Nicolas) Jasnieres Les Rosiers 2022 - $44.99
Domaine de Belliviere (Eric Nicolas) Coteaux du Loire Rouge-Gorge 2022 - $44.99
Domaine de Belliviere (Eric Nicolas) Jasnieres Coteaux du Loire Blanc Premices 2023 - $29.99
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