Heading for the top – Jérome Billard of Domaine de la Noblaie, Chinon

2nd June 2009

Jérome in the cellar

Domaine de la Noblaie is in the pretty little village of Ligré on the south side of the Vienne. It has been producing wine since the 15th century. In 1952 it was bought by Jacqueline and Pierre Manzagol, who were originally from Corrèze as were the founders of Couly-Dutheil as well as the Moueix family of Libourne (Bordeaux). When the Manzagols bought the estate the vines were abandoned – in 1953 they made just three barriques (675 litres) from five hectares of vines.

In 1968 Madelaine Manzagol, the daughter of Jacqueline and Pierre married François Billard, who became professor of oenology at the nearby Lycée Viticole de Montreuil-Bellay. Their son, Jérome, returned having worked for Pétrus, Dominus in the Napa Valley, California and in New Zealand. Some years ago, well prior to Jérome’s return, I had visited the domaine as their wines were regularly praised by the Guide Hachette.

I first met Jérome in June 2006 and was impressed then – clearly here was someone who was going to be a significant force. The visit last week more than confirmed my previous favourable impression. Jérome is taking Noblaie into the top group of Chinon producers.

Jérome in the vineyard on the plateau above Ligré

The visit started in the vineyard up on the plateau above Ligré. “We now have 19 hectares of vines,” explained Jérome, “and that is likely to increase as there are many vignerons giving up as they reach retirement. There are few young vignerons here.” At one kilometre this parcel is the furthest from the winery, otherwise the rest of the vines are all grouped together around the little valley called Le Vau Breton or the Valley of the Cabernet Franc. (Breton is the traditional Loire name for Cab Franc).

Looking across the Vau Breton (June 2006)

“We are now in conversion to organic viticulture,” continued Jérome. “Initially we started with two hectares but now all the vineyards are in conversion." We looked at some new plantings at the top end of Le Vau Breton, which have to be protected by an electric fence, as the deer enjoy eating the young plants.

The tasting started with the soft and quite rich 2008 Chinon Rosé that is made by pressing the grapes as soon as they arrive with no maceration (pressurage direct –fr). It spends five months on its lees and is closed with a screwcap. The vines are from the bottom of the slope of the Vau Breton, so less well exposed and the grapes don’t ripen as well as those from the middle and upper part. Jérome explains that he uses Christian Brault’s mobile facility for his bottling and bottles on four occasions during the year.

In general the best rosés tend to come from either pressurage direct or from a short maceration. Often a rosé de saignée (bleeding the juice of a red tank) will be less good as usually the main reason for bleeding the vat is to concentrate the red wine and the rosé is consequently a by-product.

Although most of Noblaie is planted with Cabernet Franc, there is also some Chenin including vines that are 50 years old.

Then onto the quince, apricot and mineral 2008 Cuvée Domaine Chinon Blanc, which has been through its malo. “We picked this in three tris (going through the vines three times),” Jérome explained. “In the first tri we pick any botrytised grapes, next time through we selected the well ripe, golden grapes and last time through we pick the grapes that have been slow to ripen. It’s a dry wine with no sugar.”

The 2008 Domaine red is easy to drink – damson, plum and cherry flavours – with vibrant acidity in the finish. Next we tried a vat made from grapes that Jérome had bought – it was slightly green in comparison to the Domaine. Then various barrel samples including the Blanc Manteaux, which will be bottled in January/February 2010, and Pierre de Tuf. Jérome explained that in the past he’d used 600 litre barrels but now preferred 400/500 litres. He uses the new barrels for fermenting whites before using them to mature the reds.

We moved onto some bottled wines starting with the 2007 Les Chiens-Chiens that was bottled in April 2009. Jérome is another vigneron who uses Christian Brault to bottle his wines. The 2007 has an impressive concentration of black fruits, although it is currently quite austere with a firm tannic structure. It will go on sale from the beginning of October.

Pierre de Tuf is vinified in a small antique vat hewn out of the limestone. The 2007 has smoky, sweet fruit. It’s more delicate, fine and more feminine than Blanc Manteau and mineral in the long finish. “Fermenting in this old vat gives very special results,” Jérome explained. “Using the same fruit in an inox vat produces a different and less interesting wine."

The 2003 Blanc Manteaux, Jérome’s first vintage back here, was matured in new barriques and has the character of this very hot year, although the wine isn’t cloying. Instead it is rich, concentrated with wood spice, notes of torrefaction and a long finish. The quite animal and leathery 2003 Pierre de Tuf followed. Again this had more finesse and delicacy than Blanc Manteaux.

We finished with the 2007 Pas des Anges – the barrel fermented white Chinon, which spends 18 months in wood and goes through its malo. Golden coloured with rich, complex, honeyed, quince and apricot fruit and just a touch oxidative – a most attractive wine.