When it comes to high-quality sparkling wine, there is no shortage of producers, not even in Champagne—but what if you want to spend under $30? Now we’re limited to Cavas, elite Crémants or Proseccos, and out-of-left-field sparklers from *insert any esoteric region here.* And then you have a wine like today’s, which first had me stunned, then had me researching, then had me securing every bottle that was humanly possible. Bottom line: If you’re seeking out an excruciatingly limited and energy-filled sparkling wine, your eyes must be trained on Xavier Weisskopf of Le Rocher des Violettes.
As it turns out, this is far more than your standard pétillant, and “originel” isn’t some filler word: this legally certified designation in Montlouis-sur-Loire is a rare, all-natural (organic farming, low yields, no added yeasts or sugar) sparkling wine that is currently limited to just five growers. Five. So, if you haven’t heard of Pétillant Originel, let alone Le Rocher des Violettes, don’t beat yourself up, instead, be proactive by committing it to memory and snatching up every available bottle. What’s more, this has age, both in the vineyard and bottle: Many of Xavier’s vines were planted well before the Second World War (with some reaching 120 years!) and this bottling comes entirely from the blockbuster 2015 vintage, so it’s now spent over four years in bottle! You can search all you want, but this is already gunning for the top value sparkler of 2020. Do not let it pass you by!
The Loire Valley is a massive longitudinal wine region that holds a wide range of soils, grapes, and climates, and while one can easily get lost learning all of the unique appellations from within, there are several that demand your attention. I would posit that Montlouis-sur-Loire deserves to be in that club, even if it’s just because of today’s gently sparkling gem from Le Rocher des Violettes. But, in reality, there’s far more substance than a single bottle of wine: Montlouis is only separated from Vouvray by the Loire River, so there’s rich soils to be had here, plus a long-established history of winegrowing. Take owner/enologist/farmer Xavier Weisskopf’s property, Le Rocher des Violettes: Although established in 2005, his limestone-carved cellar is well over 500 years old, his wine press over 300 years old, and some of his vines over 100.
Xavier doesn’t own much acreage, but what he little he does have in his possession are gnarled, ancient vines radiating with wisdom. With this extraordinary raw material, he occasionally creates a Pétillant Originel, but only when the acidity and ripeness levels are optimal. Again, this is different than a standard pétillant or méthode ancestrale. For starters, this codified designation is only represented by five growers. Secondly, each of these must adhere to the strictest of practices if they plan on slapping “originel” onto their label. Vines must be farmed naturally and low, hand-harvested yields are required. The fermentation must also be natural, and no sugars can be added during the entire process—from fermentation to dosage.
Today’s “Pétillant Originel” is 100% Chenin Blanc entirely from the 2015 vintage—essentially a perfect growing season throughout all of France—and was fermented in a combination of old wooden vats and stainless steel tanks in Xavier’s constant 50-something-degree limestone cellar. Towards the end of the natural alcoholic fermentation, when the native yeasts were still converting the grape sugars, the incomplete wine was then transferred into bottle with a crown cap as its seal. From here, fermentation continued, but in this trapped, pressurized environment, a gentle carbonation was born. After approximately 30 months of lees aging, the wine was disgorged and topped off with the exact same wine, without any dosage (i.e. no sugar added.)
I want to stress that this is not a fiercely carbonated wine like Champagne but a soft, sublime, delicately effervescent beauty (roughly half the atmospheric pressure of a fully-sparkling wine). It pours a deep, hazy yellow and slowly reveals notes of absolute purity in the glass. Serve this around 45-50 degrees, in an all-purpose stem, and savor it slowly because this reminds me of an expensive, vinous Brut Nature. Despite it being all Chenin Blanc, there are wild and dark-fruited aromatics to be had here. It’s the old vines, the all-natural process, the old barrels, the long aging; all of it merges together to combine a stunningly mellow yet invigorating drinking experience. Yellow and red apple skin, Mirabelle plum, chamomile, verbena, bruised white pear, rose water, raw hazelnuts, acacia, and crushed chalk all coexist seamlessly. It reveals breathtaking finesse on the palate, with the ripeness of 2015 subbing in for the lack of sugar. It’s not abrasive, nor is taut or linear, but an extremely generously, delicately soft joy of a wine. I cannot get enough of this. It’s just so refreshing and uplifting, and I believe it will continue to delight over the next 2-3 years, so there’s no need to deplete your small stash right away!
