Michel Chevré : Les Pentes du Clos de l'Ecotard 2015

Characteristics and tasting tips for Les Pentes du Clos de l'Écotard 2015 by Michel Chevré

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a bright straw-yellow hue, enhanced by subtle green highlights.

Nose

The nose is remarkably fresh, dominated by citrus and lemon notes that reflect the wine's youth and mineral character.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals roundness and substance, with a pronounced minerality that reflects its limestone terroir. The acidity, smooth yet crisp, brings liveliness without any harshness. The finish offers an elegant interplay between salinity and citrus notes, a hallmark of this limestone hillside terroir.

Food and wine pairings

This dry white wine pairs perfectly with oysters, sea bass ceviche or sushi. It also goes beautifully with grilled fish, freshwater fish, poultry in creamy sauce or Loire Valley goat cheeses.

Serving and storage

Les Pentes du Clos de l'Écotard 2015 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 50 and 54°F. Decanting for approximately one hour before serving allows its aromatic complexity to fully unfold. This wine can be cellared until around 2031.

A mineral and elegant Chenin Blanc from the Loire

The estate

Le Clos de l'Écotard was established in 2011 by Michel Chevré in the village of Courchamps, south of Saumur. A former vineyard manager at Domaine des Roches Neuves, where he helped lead the conversion to organic farming, Michel Chevré developed his own estate, which now spans fifteen hectares. Renowned for his expertise in biodynamics, he is gradually handing over the reins to his son Thibaud. The estate produces terroir-driven wines of great precision, acclaimed by critics, notably by La Revue du Vin de France, which ranks them among the finest whites of the Saumur area.

The vineyard

The Les Pentes cuvée comes from vines planted on limestone hillsides where the bedrock surfaces at ground level. This Saumur terroir, characterized by Senonian limestone soils, gives the wine its distinctive minerality and characteristic salinity. The vineyard is managed using organic and biodynamic farming practices, with rigorous methods including horse-drawn plowing and strict yield management.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage in the Loire marks the debut of this single-plot cuvée. The year was defined by contrasting conditions, with a freezing spring followed by a prolonged heatwave from mid-May to mid-August, characterized by exceptional sunshine and periods of drought. These conditions produced grapes of beautiful ripeness and remarkable balance.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Les Pentes du Clos de l'Écotard 2015 are hand-harvested with successive sorting passes to select only the finest fruit. Winemaking is carried out at low temperatures to preserve the grape's original character and aromas. Aging takes place in a combination of barrels and stoneware jars, allowing the wine to develop complexity while respecting its mineral expression.

Grape variety

100% Chenin Blanc