Damien Laureau - L'Alliance 2023
The Domaine Damien Laureau is today among the most inspiring names of Savennières, on the right bank of the Loire, where Chenin finds one of its most distinguished terroirs. Established in Sainte Gemmes sur Loire at the end of the 1990s, Damien Laureau has gradually narrowed his vineyard to focus almost exclusively on the appellation, with the eye of a true craftsman. The vineyard is managed organically, without synthetic products, accompanied by meticulous soil work and strict yield control, in order to prioritize the natural balance of the grapes. The estate extends over a mosaic of micro-terroirs of sands, schists, and rhyolites that give the wines a marked mineral tension and great aromatic purity. Each cuvée is conceived as a precise reading of these plots, with slow and minimally interventionist vinifications to let the terroir express itself. L’Alliance holds a unique place in the range, a true gateway to the universe of the great Savennières of Damien Laureau, while offering immediate pleasure and great accessibility.
L’Alliance 2023 is a dry Savennières made exclusively from Chenin Blanc, born from the blend of juices from all the estate’s parcels, with a significant proportion of young vines. This cuvée brings together the different micro-terroirs of sands and sandstone schists, offering a panoramic vision of the Laureau style, between energy, uprightness, and gourmandise. The grapes, hand-harvested at perfect maturity, are gently pressed before a light settling that preserves the body and aromatic depth. Fermentation takes place slowly in stainless steel tanks, with only indigenous yeasts, to maintain the precision of the fruit and the clarity of the terroir. Aging on fine lees then continues for about ten months in tank, without wood, which brings volume, a slightly chalky texture, and an added complexity without masking the Chenin. Bottling at the estate, after this lees aging, locks in a particularly harmonious balance for the 2023 vintage, both bright, straight, and delicately saline.
On the palate, L’Alliance 2023 reveals a shiny pale gold color with green reflections that announces freshness and precision. The nose opens with notes of white flowers, hawthorn, and linden, accompanied by aromas of crisp pear, fresh apple, and ripe lemon, with a subtle hint of gunflint typical of great Savennières. On the palate, the attack is straight and lively, carried by a fine acidity that stretches the wine without hardening it, then the body gains breadth to offer a fleshy, salivating mid-palate with an almost chalky touch. Flavors of white fruits, citrus, and youthful quince blend with a slight noble bitterness that structures the finish. The latter lingers long on a saline and mineral register, of great purity, which immediately invites you to return. At the table, L’Alliance 2023 pairs ideally with sea bream ceviche, grilled fish, seared scallops, herb-roasted poultry, or asparagus risotto, and it also wonderfully accompanies Loire goat cheeses and lightly aged pressed cheeses.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
