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Gitton Père et Fils, Les Belles Dames (Single Vineyard)

Loire Valley, United States 2014 (750mL)
$28.00
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Gitton Père et Fils, Les Belles Dames (Single Vineyard)


Marcel Gitton started Gitton Père & Fils back in 1945 with roughly one acre. Today the estate includes 60 acres that encompass some of the finest parcels in the Central Vineyard’s villages of Ménétréol, Pouilly and of Sancerre. Currently, Marcel’s son, Pascal, and his wife, Denise, are at the helm of the business. They stay true to tradition and allow the inimitable Sancerre terroir speak for itself in the glass. Sancerre’s myriad soil types, sun exposures and variation of steep slopes are what allow the famous appellation to produce such complex Sauvignon Blanc. With so much variety of terroir, there are endless possibilities of aroma, texture and flavor to be found. Pascal Gitton is incredibly passionate about his vineyard sites; he focuses his production on single-vineyard wines and ferments separately to reflect each vineyard's unique terroir. This winemaking style was passed down by his father, Marcel Gitton, who was one of the first winemakers in Sancerre to produce single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. 

The quality of this particular wine is only enhanced by the high percentage of old vines nourished Belles Dames vineyard. Perched high above Gitton’s other famous old-vine site, “Les Herses,” the lieu-dit Belles Dames is cultivated with 35 to 55-year-old vines that are nurtured in distinct Silex and Sparnacian flint soils on south and southeast-facing slopes of up to 30 degrees. The older vines, planted in 1967 and 1968, are farmed as organically as possible (lutte raisonée) and harvested by hand. Crafted without artificial yeasts or enzymes, the fruit is fermented and aged for 9-10 months in 150-gallon oak casks. The result is a powerful, aromatic wine with gorgeous texture. If you were lucky enough to grab some of Gitton’s Les Herses Sancerre that we offered last year, you will be happy to know that this lieu-dit lies just above that regal site and the wines are in the same vein, only at an even lower price.  

The 2014 Gitton Sancerre, Belles Dames displays a light golden yellow core that moves to green and gold reflections on the rim. The aromas are powerful and complex with a combination of ripe fruit, fully open flowers and herbs that are difficult to pin down. With enough air, the wine will reveal aromas of grapefruit, gooseberries, dried yellow apple, lemon oil, exotic flowers, oyster shells, finely crushed white rocks and stirred lees. The palate is concentrated with a dense, slightly oily texture that is surprising you round and taut at the same time. This white packs an immense amount of flavor in every drop, with flavors that mirror the nose, along with additional flavors of green mango, lime leaf, dried parsley and white peach. The finish seems to go on forever and leaves you with mesmerizing flavors of oyster shell minerality that is reminiscent of great Chablis. Just like the best white Burgundy, this wine should not be served too cold. Ideally, serve around 55 degrees in a large Burgundy stem after a 30-minute decant. At the correct temperature with sufficient air, you will see the full spectrum of this wine’s personality come to life and its texture will be in full effect. A serious Sauvignon Blanc of this nature could easily be the highlight of a meal or a simple, pleasurable pairing with an aged local goat cheese from the Loire—like Crottin de Chavignol. For a serious main course pairing, find some wild salmon and prepare the following dish.
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Country
United States
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
United StatesSancerre
Soil
Silex
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Blend
Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Neutral French

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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