Nicolas Joly - La Coulee de Serrant 2023 -AOC Coulee de Serrant
Nicolas Joly - La Coulee de Serrant 2023 -AOC Coulee de Serrant
Home to the Joly family for generations, the legendary 7-hectare clos has been alive with vines since 1130. Perched on the steep, sun-soaked schist-filled slopes, every square centimetre is farmed by hand and horse—machines simply can't handle the terrain. Beneath the surface, shallow soils of schist fuel the wine's intensity, all guided by the rhythms of biodynamics since 1984. Vines are aged between 40 and 80 years. The aspect is to the south.
2023 marks a return to a dry wine, displaying a brilliant sun-flecked hue, with a complex nose of ripe nashi pears, apricots, honey, almond, and driving minerality from schist soils. The palate is rich and deep, never-ending, marrying tension and texture.
Le Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is a vineyard responsible for making the world’s most formidable Chenin Blancs, fine and elusive in youth, deeply complex and powerful with age. First planted by Cistercian Monks in the year 1130, it is a 7 ha walled vineyard on a very steep schist slope above the Loire River near Angers. There is virtually no topsoil, the vines cling to the crumbly schist rocks. It is one of just 3 French Appellations to have a Monopole, that is, a single vineyard that has its own appellation and is owned by one estate (along with the likes of DRC & Château-Grillet).
The wines are made according to biodynamic practices (since 1980) by the world’s foremost thinker, philosopher and practitioner of biodynamic wine farming, Nicolas Joly. The reputation of the estate, the man and the wines is unquestionable and needs little introduction. These are perhaps the world’s most important wines philosophically when it comes to understanding biodynamic practices, and they are surely the most singular Chenin Blancs on the planet. Considering the significance and longevity of these wines, we think the pricing is nothing short of extraordinary.
