Owner and winemaker Jacky Blot is a revolutionary legend in the Loire Valley. He has almost single-handedly elevated Montluis to a position that rivals, or even exceeds, that of neighboring Vouvray. Perhaps it is because he has never looked across the river for inspiration, but to Burgundy. He is fanatical, then, about producing dry whites. He believes sugar obscures the best of Chenin Blanc. “He ferments all his whites in barrels. And rather than a cold, quick fermentation meant to highlight aromas, he borrows from Burgundy’s elite cadre, winemakers like Jean-François Coche (of Coche-Dury) and Jean-Marc Roulot (of Domaine Roulot): he exposes the grape must to oxygen before a long, slow fermentation and leaves the finished wine in steel tanks for months before bottling, which firms up the texture.” Jon Bonne

It should come as no surprise that he is also an iconoclast in producing sparkling Chenin. His Brut Tradition certainly looks to Champagne for inspiration. Treating Chenin Blanc like Chardonnay results in a fabulously rich sparkler that, quite honestly, puts must $50 Champagne to shame. But his more iconic wine is his Triple Zero bottling. Long before the somm geeks made “pet-nat” a thing, Jacky was producing (first in 1993) a sparkler using the methode ancestral / petillant naturel process. Fermentation is started in barriques before being transferred to bottles while there is still some residual sugar. Fermentation then completes in bottle, with the wine absorbing the carbon dioxide to create fine bubbles.

Both delicious. Both a steal. We’ve been waiting 5 years to get our hands on these wines… and all we managed to secure was 5 cases of each! Have at em…

Dom de la Taille Aux Loups Brut Tradition NV

Sale $29.99

Mix Six Pay $26.99

93 pts Decanter / 91 pts Vinous

“From old-vine Chenin Blanc, this is quite a different style to the Triple Zero. With 5g/l of residual sugar it displays a bit more heft and richness. It's aged in barrels previously containing the domaine's dry Chenins, and has a touch of perfumed apple and stone fruit followed by a saline, steely character. Great balance.” Decanter

“Aromas of pineapple, lemon meringue, and chalk. Super zesty throughout, lime peel, lemon curd, candied lime, with an underlying steely minerality, and a creamy finish. A Méthode Traditionnelle made from 40-year-old Chenin vines.” VM

Dom de la Taille Aux Loups Triple Zero NV

Sale $36.99

Mix Six Pay $32.99

 94 pts Vinous / 92 pts Decanter

“A pétillant naturel from 40 to 80-year-old vines with zero chaptalization, zero liqueur de tirage, and zero dosage. Aged 24 months on the lees. This is one of the better pet-nats I’ve tasted. Lemon and pineapple on the nose, with an underlying herbal character, and a long creamy finish.” VM

“This methode ancestral sparkling wine is sourced from old Chenin Blanc vines from Jacky Blot's Montlouis vineyards. The 'Triple Zero' title comes from the three points in the process at which no sugar is added (in contrast to Champagne production… and the wine is aged on its lees for 24 months before disgorgement. It has saline notes on the nose along with citrus scents. In the mouth it is steely and dry, with citrus and apple given dimension by the slightly spiky texture and with a long, clean and subtle finish with a lick of lime juice. Jean-Philippe recommends pairing this with oysters or sea urchin.” Dec


Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Thursday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.