I always jump at the opportunity to attend a vertical tasting (a lineup of vintages from the same producer), but I’d move mountains if Peter Hahn of Le Clos de la Meslerie ever conducted one. In any given year, this self-proclaimed “micro-domaine” handcrafts a single organic Vouvray that directly reflects the intricacies of each unique vintage. In other words, there is no manipulation—only Mother Nature and Father Time directly influence the final product.
Just look at the specs: a walled single vineyard of mature Chenin Blanc; organic compost; work by hand and horse; a hand-crank press; natural fermentation...this is among the world’s most pure and honest expressions of wine. And still, if you’re not a French wine publication or an in-the-know European restaurant, I’m wagering you’ve never set eyes on Le Clos de la Meslerie. I’ve only experienced a couple of vintages myself, but each one has been so dramatically yet deliciously different than the other. In 2014, a richly textured, laser-focused Vouvray with the slightest kiss of sweetness emerged. It’s a soul-stirring wine that emphasizes the incredible tension and chameleonic structure of Chenin Blanc, and at six years old it’s nothing short of sensational. Barely 400 cases (which also represents his entire production) were crafted and the few that remained after Hahn distributed it amongst his “friend and family” accounts quietly snuck into America. I have to assume this is a bonafide passion project because producing such a small amount of wine at a mercifully low price just doesn’t make practical business sense. But as long as they’re available for purchase, I will happily snap them up for you all to enjoy.
Vines at this gorgeous farmstead have thrived around the estate since the 1600s, but the most historically important moment didn’t occur until the mid-2000s when Peter Hahn took over. He had a single vision: to transform this decrepit property into a one-with-nature, biodiverse, small-production winery. He immediately went to work reviving four hectares of Chenin Blanc that were enclosed by an old stone wall (hence the “clos”) and converting the entire property to Certified Organic with biodynamic principles. His first vintage—a stunning one at that—came in 2008.
Every year, these four hectares are painstakingly farmed with natural compost and zero “-cides.” You’ll only find a few hard workers and a plow horse between these rows and come harvest, each cluster of Chenin Blanc is studied and sorted. Only the best of the best make their way to the winery—any imperfect clusters are left to fertilize the earth. Within 60 minutes of picking, only the first-run juice is slowly and delicately extracted from a decades-old, firetruck-red, hand-crank press. The precious juice is gravity-fed into French barriques (mostly neutral, only a touch new) where it undergoes a natural fermentation with ambient yeasts. Following, it continues aging in these barrels for roughly one year with a steady lees-stirring regimen. It is then bottled unfined and matured for an additional six months in the cellar.
Depending on the vintage, these wines can be labeled sec to demi-sec, and today’s 2014 lies in between with a “sec-tendre” designation. This essentially translates into “off-dry” although one taste will show you there’s hardly any sweet components to this—it’s all in perfect harmony. Peter Hahn’s importer summarizes the ‘14 perfectly: “it indeed hits that tiny bullseye between perceptibly dry and perceptibly slightly sweet. There is just enough sweetness here—10 grams per liter of residual sugar—as to massage the underlying acid/flint austerity into something more pliant and supple, but without compromising the wine’s admirable rigor. In that sense, it is perhaps Peter’s most “classic” Vouvray in our current possession, and indeed its telltale notes of quince and apple have just that much more mouth-filling length.”
The wine pours a deep yellow in the glass with shimmers of gold and silver. It is powerful and exotically perfumed on the nose revealing stewed apricot, quince, yellow apple, crushed nuts, lees, damp wool, Mirabelle plum, river rock, salt-preserved lemon, apple cider, wild herbs, acacia honey, chamomile, and a touch of baking spice. The mineral-infused palate vibrates with a richly layered core of sweet orchard fruit that melds into an ultra-savory finish. At six years old, this is just beginning to come out of its shell—I envision absolute greatness over the next several years. When enjoying this limited beauty, serve around 50-55 degrees in Burgundy stems and watch your bottle evolve over 3-4 hours. Feel free to apply the cork at the end of the night and try your final glass the following day; you’ll be stunned with the results. Cheers!
