Domaine Saint-Nicolas - Les Rives 2021
Loire
Red
Sold individually
Drink or Keep
92/100
Bettane & Desseauve
-
90/100
Robert Parker
"Fruity and typical!"
Les Rives has a lovely, soft ruby color and a bouquet of fine fruity and spicy notes. A red wine with a fine, crisp mouthfeel and a typical Loire elegance, freshness and typicity. A charming, bewitching cuvée! (Wine delivered without capsule).
Features
Estate
Domaine Saint-Nicolas
Cuvée
Les Rives
Vintage
2021
Designation
Vin de France
Region
Loire
Grape varieties
Pinot Noir et Négrette
Terroirs
Slight hillsides with south-west exposure, clay-schist and quartz soils
Viticulture
Certified organic and biodynamic
Harvest
Manual in crates
Winemaking
100% destemming, maceration in open truncated wooden vats for 2 to 4 weeks, fermentation with indigenous yeasts.
Breeding
10 months in lightning
Alcohol content
12.5%
Organic
Yes
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Attractive ruby with violet highlights
Nose
Fruity aromas of blackcurrant and cherry, light smoky notes
Mouth
Tonic and gourmet, with a fine balance of fruit and spices
Serve
Between 15 and 17°C
Open
1 hour before
Guard
7 years
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with country terrine with porcini mushrooms, Basque chicken, grilled red mullet, or as an aperitif with tapenade...
Domain Saint-Nicolas
Vin de France
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated wine (guide 2023) 92/100 (Vintage 2020)
Domain rated (guide 2024) 3*Stars (High-quality production that can serve as a benchmark in its sector)
About the domain :
Thierry Michon, ably assisted by his sons Antoine and Mickaël, is the leader of the Vendée vineyard. A pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in the region since 1993, he continues to make his 42 hectares of clay, schist and quartz, located on the Atlantic terroir of Brem, in the Pays des Olonnes, between marsh and forest, shine. The oceanic influence brings a unique saline freshness to the wines. This exemplary estate welcomes visitors with great kindness.
Guide des Vins Gault & Millau
Domain rated 4*Stars (top-quality production)
About the domain :
The Michon family has been growing vines on the Ile d'Olonne since 1960. The estate has grown steadily, and today covers almost forty hectares. Thierry is the orchestra conductor here, and with him there's no respite: biodynamic viticulture has been practiced since 1993, across a wide range of grape varieties (pinot noir, cabernet franc, négrette, chenin, chardonnay and grolleau...). It's as if the whole of French winegrowing had gathered on a small island...
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated 90/100 (Vintage 2020) (Wonderful wine)
Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Domaine rated (2024 guide) 1*Star (Stars in the making or quality winegrowers with a good level of production, you won't be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)
About the domain :
Thierry Michon, supported by his sons Antoine and Mickaël, runs the only estate of international stature in the Vendée. On the little-known Brem terroir, his vines are entirely biodynamically cultivated, although yields have unfortunately been low in recent years. Under the influence of the ocean, the vineyard produces chenin and chardonnay whites (yellow stone fruits and a saline finish), and long-aged pinot noir reds (Jacques, La Grande Pièce), as well as gamay, negrette and cabernet franc. We're enthusiastic about these saline, finely-crafted whites, but we have reservations about the reds, which are robustly structured by a high degree of ripeness and extraction. The wines are now classified as Vin de France, as the Fiefs Vendéens specifications prohibit single-vineyard and single-place cuvées. How sad to see this appellation fail to recognize its leader!
Customer reviews
Buy your Saint-Nicolas wines at the best price on private sale!
Free on your 1st order*.