Blessed with a bounty of old-vine plantings (upwards of 80 years in some plots) and the mentorship of Nady Foucault (Clos Rougeard), the burly, dark and meaty wines of the Loire's past are well in the rearview mirror. Guiberteau's precision is a definite hallmark - following his mentor's guidance, Romain sought intense quality over quantity, meaning these wines are never easy to find, but well worth the search!

Domaine Guiberteau

Loire Valley wines might be all the rage, but for many, you come to the Loire wines later in your education. So it was that the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and even the Rhone got more acclaim, and only recently have we realized that in the region of Saumur lies one of the most pristine, glorious vineyards in the world - Brézé. Romain Guiberteau's grandfather started the family estate in the early 20th century, and his son-in-law Robert expanded it with the purchase of a large portion of the hill of Brézé, including the legendary Clos des Carmes.

Come 1976, Robert retired and, in a time where artisan winemaking was a losing cause, none of his children wanted to take over the estate; for two decades it was leased out, until Romain surrendered his fledgling law career to seize his family's land back when the leases came to an end. Seeking help from his neighbor, Nady Foucault, Romain eked out a small harvest which showed the immense potential of the old vines. Throwing caution (and the financial benefit of mass-production) to the wind, Romain dedicated himself to the vines and today garners high acclaim for his individualistic wines from some of the best terroirs in all the Loire.

While we all enjoy the secretive aspect of knowing a region is remarkably better than its reputation, or lack thereof, it's about time that the wines of Fixin, and more importantly those of Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet are given their due. Amelie Berthaut is the newest and brightest generation to run the house that is the marriage of former Domaines Denis Berthaut and François Gerbet, where the family roots dig back several centuries within the village.

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

A fresh, charming face in the wine world, the mid-30s Amelie took over at just 25; she burst onto the scene just as she had burst back into the family estate after her schooling, offering brilliant insight and passion right away, encouraging her father to hand her the reins. 

As her time in charge lengthens, the now fully-organic domaine has captivated all that have tasted the wines; there is a definite signature to Amelie's wines, and I wouldn't venture to say that it is one of any particular taste or aroma, but one of feel - they are stylish, elegant, airy even, in the best way possible. Fixin lies somewhere between Gevrey and Chambolle for me in terms of its style - red fruit, yes, but this floral, pink-fruited component that is unmistakable. Yet that finesse, that feel is felt throughout her wines from the Vosne and elsewhere. 

In the winery, Amelie will ferment in concrete before moving the wines into oak barrels that generally are between 0-25% new; the retaining of whole clusters will be up to 60%, and though rare, sometime none at all. There is no rubric to making the wine, but in her deep, cold cellar they mature incredibly slowly which helps to account for, what was it? Oh, that feel. 

Some fifteen years ago we celebrated the rise of Priorat, where several Bordeaux-trained winemakers were making bold, rich wines in the vein of what was popularized at that point - look to a few critics for their heavy-handed influence there! Today, the region has come almost full circle, epitomized in the Nin-Ortiz collaboration which honors the teachings of Nicolas Joly, bringing biodynamics, precision and delicacy to a historically important region.

Nin-Ortiz

In every region there are traditionalists and radicals, but Ester Nin straddles both sides. A native of the Alt Penedes, she worked as a viticulturist in the Priorat following her studies in biology at the University of Barcelona, and earned her way to working for Daphne Glorian at Clos i Terrasses - you may know the Clos Erasmus well. Part of the Gratallops Project in Priorat, Daphne looked to Ester to convert the entire estate to biodynamic viticulture. Gaining a strong foothold in the region's geology and temperament, Ester purchased her own plots on the steep hillsides above Priorat in 2004. As luck would have it, there was another aspiring enologist not too far away, seemingly destined to collide course. 

Carles Ortiz and Ester today form Familia Nin-Ortiz, bringing together their 6.5 hectares and their combined know-how to coax incredible depth and precision from their wrought, old vines. The emphasis on biodynamics mean a strong eye to the health of the vines, which, tunneled into essentially dense rock rather than soil produce a more elegant, mineral-focused version of the region's grapes that we had long associated with broad, powerful wines. 

All processes in the vineyard are guided by hand, plowed by mule, and again tended to by hand in the winery to assure the greatest quality and preservation of the most delicate flavors and aromas.