Savennieres Coulee de Serrant Nicolas Joly 2023

Savennieres Coulee de Serrant Nicolas Joly, Biodynamic wine, 100% Chenin Blanc, quite simply, one of the world’s most noble white wines. Although these wines age beautifully, in youth the acidity and fresh fruity character alongside the minerals and richness make for profound and delicious drinking. Coulee de Serrant needs no introduction. The vineyard is only 7 hectares, located on very stiff slopes and incredibly has been wine has been made at this vineyard for over 800 years, it was first planted by Cistercian monks in 1130! . On average the vines are between 35 and 40 years old but the oldest are more than 😯 years and these provide the wood to make new vines to continue the origins of the ‘Terroir’. Coulee de Serrant is a Mythical vineyard, biodynamic since the early 80s, cultivated by hand and horse and with an average yield of only 25 hectolitres per hectare. Nicolas Joly has introduced local breeds of sheep to the vineyard and his desire to prevent a mono culture, has created a natural balance that results in unique white wine. Coulee de Serrant often produces noble rot in the grapes and this adds an extra dimension of complexity and intensity in certain years. Every year the wine is deep, complex, rich, mineral, elegant, profound and very very moreish. The wines are becoming more and more fine and approachable in youth, showing the glistening acidity of the Chenin and minerality of the vineyard.  The NEW 2023 is dry again (the 2023 being sweeter in style) and is definitely a keeper.  It is still very quiet, a dormant wine which will start to shwo itself in 3 years or so and then develop from then on, this is white wine which will go 20 years confortably.  We have only very few bottles, we will be keeping one or two for ourselves.

The story of Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is unique.  Planted in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks, the domaine experienced successive owners and much renown until it was bought by the Joly family in 1962. Nicolas Joly only took over the estate in 1977 when he was drawn home by his innate desire to make wine after several years spent working for JP Morgan in New York and Canada. After studying at Bordeaux University and experimenting with conventional methods, he witnessed disappointing results, so began to rethink.

In 1981, he stumbled across a book by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner who in 1924 theorised about the holistic approach to agriculture which became known as 'Biodynamics'. Seduced by these ideas, Nicolas started applying the Biodynamic principles at the Coulee de Serrant and the results were very promising. The whole domaine was under biodynamic principles from 1984 and was fully certified in 1985. After years of perseverance and hard work, he finally got the recognition from the public and the experts.

Nowadays, Nicolas is the spearhead of biodynamic viticulture in France. With 7 hectares planted on steep slopes along the Loire river in the Savennières appellation, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is one of the greatest wine estates of the Loire valley. The domaine produces 3 wines: La Coulée de Serrant, Les Vieux Clos and Le Clos de la Bergerie. The soils are mainly made of schist and the vineyards of Chenin Blanc are separated by walls like in Burgundy (hence the names Clos). There are no chemical treatments in the vineyards and special care is given throughout the whole process of producing the grapes (like ploughing with a horse for example and using goats to graze the cover crop). In the most extreme vintages the grapes are prone to 'Botrytis' or 'Noble Rot' but Joly doesn't make sweet wines in such years as many others would do. In stead he believes dry wines made from rotted grapes show an incredible depth and express the minerality of the Terroir. The result is always gorgeous grapes that will genuinely express the identity of this unique vineyard through the wines and which are harvested in several sessions to ensure perfect ripeness.

Today, the domaine is managed by Nicolas Joly's daughter, Virginie. Under Nicolas' tutelage, the estate has become something of an icon although the style of the wines divides opinion, not least as Nicolas is never shy about expressing his views on what he terms as the terrible cancer which is conventional wine making. He is someone who has lived and worked by extremes and his wines are for those who are looking for the purest and most authentic expression of the grape. We love these wines, as they really are the purest expression of wine we have encountered - so they are an absolute must for wine lovers. For Nicolas Joly, "Before tasting good, a wine must be truly genuine" - and he's certainly hit the mark.