Bertin-Delatte ‘Vingt Neuf’ Blanc 2019

Location: France, Loire, Rablay-Sur-Layon

Winemaker: Geneviève Delatte & Nicolas Bertin

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

Soil: Schist

Winemaking: Aged in new 500L barrel, then steel tank for 6 months. Fermentations are with native yeast, there is minimal use of SO2, and some oak is used, but only in small proportions to provide texture and balance the powerful acidity of Chenin grown in the schist soils of Rablay.

From us at M&L: ‘Vingt Neuf’ comes from vines planted in 1929. High-class Chenin from true purists. Headily aromatic white flowers, quince, white nectarine, fresh baked marzipan and flaky salt. Long and concentrated but absurdly pleasurable. Decant if drinking now, or cellar for 5-8 years.

From the Importer MFW: In the past decade or so, the town of Rablay-sur-Layon has become a small hub for dedicated, young winemakers in the Loire Valley. While the village was traditionally known for sweet wines made from Chenin Blanc, Geneviève Delatte and Nicolas Bertin of Bertin-Delatte have chosen a different path, expressing their terroir through precise, textured, and age-worthy dry wines. In 2008, Geneviève and Nicolas were able to purchase their own, small vineyard, a 3ha lieu-dit named "Echalier". Having worked with Mark Angeli and inspired by their neighbor, Richard Leroy, it was evident from the start that they would farm organically. In the cellar, the winemaking philosophy is very simple: intervene as little as possible and let nature take its course. The result is a set of distinctive and pure wines that are true to Geneviève and Nicolas' vision and terroir.