New wines from Melaric have just landed!
In Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame there's one couple who have surely had a bigger impact on the area than any other growers: Melanie Hunin and Aymeric Hillaire. Picking up where Philippe Gourdon left off- who retired in the mid 2000s and leased his biodynamic vineyards to the pair- they've since found a cluster of young growers to take on the remaining parcels.
With Melanie teaching winemaking nearby (counting David of La Folle Berthe and Beatriz of Clos Kixhaya among her recent students ) and Aymeric offering experience and assistance to budding winemakers in the region, they've worked tirelessly to support new projects in the area.
There's a genuine sense of community in Puy-Notre-Dame, with growers working together to support each other's projects. Pauline from L'Austral credits much of the energy to Aymeric and Melanie:
"Working with them was very special, it was fascinating. We're very happy here. There's no competition, everyone is here to help one another, sharing knowledge.
"If people drink the wines from Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame they'll discover how special a region it is. Aymeric is very passionate about that, he really pushes the movement for discovering our location."
"It's important to have new people here, it's vital for the community. It's a real movement from Aymeric. Phillipe (Gourdon) believed so much in the Puy-Notre-Dame terroir, he generated so much momentum at the beginning that it's all of our work now to keep that spirit going."
Working a surface of just under five hectares over Tuffeau and Silex, the wines of Domaine Melaric continue to be a profound demonstration of the possibilities available at this southern-tip of Saumur.
We have a handful of new arrivals from Melanie & Aymeric available now from their 2020 vintage:
SPARKLING
2020 - Myriade - Melaric - Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur - Chenin, Chardonnay
"Myriades is an ancestral method sparkling, Chenin 80%, 20% Chardonnay, aged on lees like a Champagne for almost two years (21 months). Zero sulphur."
WHITE
2020 - Billes de Roche - Melaric - Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur - Chenin
"From the top of the slope between the yellow and white chalks, with a silty-clay topsoil. Pressed slowly, fermentation in small barrels for 12 months, then settled in tank for 4 months. Unfiltered, a small addition of sulphur."
RED
2020 - Tandem - Melaric - Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur - Grolleau, Cabernet
"I love Grolleau, and wish we had a little more, so we purchase some each year from Anjou, on black schists. The Grolleau has a whole bunch maceration for 7 days, Cab Franc for 10 days. 6 months in tank before bottling."
2020 - Le Clos Rousseau - Melaric - Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur - Grolleau
"We're very proud of this wine, these are two parcels of vines about 7-8 years old, incredibly low yielding for their age. It's 100% Grolleau, with a 1-week whole-bunch maceration, and a year in barrel. It's very expressive, really reminds me of some of my favourite Crozes-Hermitage."
