Notify me
2018 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
ChampalouThis is the Champalous’ late-harvest wine, gently sweet yet retaining the mouthwatering acidity that Chenin from the great sites of the Loire can provide. Moelleux, or the feminine moelleuse, is a French word describing texture that canalso be used to describe food. “Smooth” and “tender” are both translations. Making a moelleux requires harvesting later, thus achieving higher natural sugar, which provides glycerin in the wine. The trick is to perfect the balance between the decadent textural component and a certain freshness, in order to leave the palate invigorated. The Champalous’ Moelleuse achieves just that and is one of the best ways I can think of to finish an evening at table.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 500mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Champalou |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Didier Champalou |
Vineyard: | 20 years average, 3.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 11.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
France | Loire
This wine in the Breton book is a pure old-vine Grolleau from soils of clay and silex.
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
France | Loire
Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit, myrtle, and notes of warm licorice.
2022 Vouvray
France | Loire
Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes.
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
France | Loire
This blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
France | Loire
Citrusy aromatics, bracing salinity, and a mineral backbone make it a mouthwatering match for tangy, fresh-herb-laden soups like tom kha gai or pho.
2019 Vouvray “Le Portail”
France | Loire
The most serious and age-worthy of Champalou’s dry wines, it has a depth and richness of flavor that allow it to shine alongside refined cuisine.
2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
France | Loire
The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead.
2022 Sancerre HALF BOTTLE
France | Loire
Reverdy’s trademark is a generous flavor of blossoming flowers channeled over the palate, culminating in a finely etched mineral finish.
Vouvray Brut
France | Loire
From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.
2020 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
France | Loire
This is the grandest bottling of Cabernet Franc from one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers.
About The Producer
Champalou
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Savennières
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Savennières
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171