Domaine de la Noblaie, Chinon: Jérôme and Élodie Billard – new profile

Touraine:
Domaine de la Noblaie, Chinon

Jérôme and Élodie Billard

Jérôme Billard – October 2015
Vintage time with a very young 2015 white
 

 Vines close to the family house

  
Domaine de la Noblaie is in Ligré on the south side of the Vienne – the river that runs through Chinon and joins the Loire at Candes-Saint-Martin. The domaine can trace its history back several centuries – it appears on a Cassini map of 1765. 

In 1952 it was bought by Jacqueline and Pierre Manzagol. They were originally from Corréze and ran a dairy in Poissy, one of the western suburbs of Paris. On a visit to Chinon they fell in love with La Noblaie and bought it on the spot. In 1953 the domaine produced just three barriques from five hectares of vines.

In 1968 Madeleine, their daughter, married François Billard from Bordeaux who was trained in wine, so brought with him his wine knowledge and his contacts in the wine trade. François became a professor of oenology at the Lycée Viticole of  Montreuil Bellay running the domaine in tandem. One of his pupils was Christophe Daviau of Domaine de Bablut.

By 2000 the domaine had 12 hectares of vines. In 2003 Jérôme, Madeleine and François, returned from working at Pétrus and Dominus (California). The area under vines had now expanded to 18 hectares. Jérôme's wife Élodie joined in 2006. By 2012 the domaine had grown to 24 hectares and a new and spacious winery was built in 2012. Although not fully finished the winery was just operational in time for the vintage. 

Jérôme is now one of the best producers in Chinon.  

The wines 
Noblaie now produces four Chinon reds, two whites, a rosé and a Touraine Mousseux (sparkling).

The reds:  
Domaine de la Noblaie – the straight domaine Chinon emphasis on the fruit, aged in stainless steel for eight months.
Les Blanc Manteaux – single vineyard on a limestone ridge, aged for 12 months in 500-litre barrels. 
Les Chiens-Chiens – another single vineyard with a significant proportion of clay aged for 12 months in 400-litre barrels and then 8 months in stainless steel.
Pierre de Tuf: from vines planted before the 2nd World World on clay-flint. Vinified in a special stone vat hewn out of limestone dating from 15th Century. 12 months in 500-litre barrels and then eight months in stainless steel. 

The whites: 
Domaine de la Noblaie - the straight domaine Chinon emphasis on the fruit, aged in stainless steel for four months. 
La Part des Anges: made from very ripe fruit with some botrytised grapes. Aged in 500-litre barrels for 24 months. Capacity to age for many years. 

The rosé:
Gouette de Rosé: – fruit comes from the less well exposed slopes mainly at the bottom of the coteaux. Bottled early after four months in stainless steel, closed with a screwcap 

The Sparkling:  
MonAnge: fruit comes from the beginning of rows. Partial fermentation before bottling then at least 25 months sur latte.     

Jérôme about to test grapes             

 Jérôme in June 2006

François Billard 

The new winery in October 2012 

– not finished but functioning 


2014: Jérôme loading the Pierre de Tuf vat

2014: Grapes going into the Pierre de Tuf vat

Website: Domaine de la Noblaie 

This is the latest profile from RSJ News blog – our producers.

Domaine de la Noblaie: new chai for 2012 – cutting it very fine!

The entrance to new chai@Nobaie 

We dropped into Domaine de la Noblaie in Ligré (AC Chinon) on Monday 8th October to see whether they had started picking yet. We soon discovered that they couldn't pick even if the grapes were ready as there was nowhere to put the grapes – at least there wouldn't be for the next couple of days – minimum. The Billards were building a new chai. "Just four months from the plans to completion!" said Jérôme. "It's been a panic. The new chai will operate by gravity with the grapes arriving at the upper part of the building – a floor above the press and the vats for red wine, while those for whites will be in the cellar below with the juice descending straight from the press into the vat below." 

We only stayed briefly as there was clearly much still to be done before the Noblaie Chenin Blanc could be picked later in the week. Producers seem to love playing chicken with the harvest when building new wineries but Jérôme looked to be cutting things very fine here!    

 The whites will be vinified in the limestone cave under the new winery  

Bottom of photo: concrete bases for the presses 

Slightly fuzzy pic of François Billard – hurrying to get the job finished in time!

 Jérôme Billard in the white wine cellar 

Some vats in place on the ground level

 The winery from the side with the grape reception area – left hand part of the building

 Winery from the side 

Ripening Cabernet Franc waiting to be processed

Philippe Brisebarre: new président du Comité Régional de l’INAO

2nd June 2008: The amazing scene of devastation outside Philippe Brisebarre's domaine following the ferocious storm of 31st May 2008. There is no suggestion that this has anything to do with Philippe acceding to the presidency only that I can't find a picture of him. In any case he can say: "Avant moi le déluge....!"


Vouvray producer, Philippe Brisebarre, has been appointed as the new president of the Loire's regional committee of the INAO. The presidential term is five years.    

Press release:

'Le vigneron de Vouvray Philippe Brisebarre vient d’être nommé pour 5 ans à la présidence du Comité Régional de l’Inao où il succède au vigneron angevin Pierre Aguilas.

Pierre Aguilas

C’est un arrêté du ministre de l’agriculture, daté du 8 février et publié au Journal Officiel du 17 février, qui nomme Philippe Brisebarre à la tête du «comité régional des vins, eaux-de-vie et autres boissons alcoolisées pour la région Val de Loire de l'Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité». 

Jean-François Mabileau (Restigné) et François Billard (Ligré) ont également été nommés parmi les vignerons qui siègeront au CRINAO pour 5 ans.
 

François Billard@Domaine de la Noblaie

Instance consultative régionale de l’INAO, le Comité Régional étudie toutes les questions relatives aux AOC du Val de Loire, de l’Auvergne jusqu’à l’Atlantique, et émet des avis à l’attention du comité national de l’Inao.

Philippe Brisebarre est par ailleurs président du syndicat des vins de Vouvray, vice-président de la Fédération des Associations Viticoles de l’Indre-et-Loire et de la Sarthe.

Il est vice-président du Comité National de l’Inao et siège à l’Inao au sein du Conseil Agréments et Contrôles. A ce titre, il a joué depuis 2008 un rôle important dans la mise en place de la réforme de l’agrément qui a contribué à l’amélioration qualitative des vins d’AOC.'

Loire vignerons in the round: Jérôme and François Billard (Chinon)

Jérôme and François Billard (Domaine de la Noblaie, Ligré – AC Chinon)

My second visit on Monday afternoon was to the Domaine de la Noblaie now run by Jérôme who was taken over from his father, Francois who was the first professor of oenology at the Montreuil-Bellay wine school.

Details of wines tasted to be added.