Domaine Siret-Courtaud
châteaumeillant , france | 2021
In contrast to the other very well-known Loire domaine in this month’s wine club, this unique Loire red comes from the up-and-coming winemaker Vincent Siraut who is making waves with his Quincy wines from more niche appellations in central Loire Valley. Vincent’s father Jacques purchased 1.5 hectares of vineyards in the Quincy AOC in 1995 and thus began Vincent’s viticultural education. After obtaining degrees in agricultural engineering and oenology, Vincent decided to purchase 10 acres of land under his own domaine name alongside his brother. They now produce 3 stainless-steel fermented wines coming from old vines with focus on minimal intervention in the cellar.
Châteaumeillant is a relatively unknown sub-appellation within Qunicy lying just southwest of Sancerre consisting of a sparse 80 hectares of vines of which Vincent owns 3 hectares. It is known as the most central appellation in France made up of predominantly sandy and sandy-clay siliceous soils; apparently, I have a thing for sandy-soiled red wines (as my sales reps point out quite often) which generally tend to offer robust aromatics, well-integrated acidity, and milder tannins. Since Central Loire receives a large amount of rainfall throughout the year, sandy soils are imperative to maintain a well-drained growing environment, so the vines continue growing deep to seek water sources which translates to more complexity in the fruit.
Gamay and Pinot Noir are the two varietals used in Vincent’s Châteaumaillant bottling which goes through rigorous hand-sorting before fermentation to separate any undesirable clusters and stems. Blending these two varietals outside of the Loire is rare but they produce stunning wines when blended in the northern reaches of the Loire Valley. With these blends come all of the finesse of the Pinot grape with the meatiness of Gamay, and the confluence can be really wonderful whendo. This blend from Siret-Courtaud is a light-bodied Summer enchanter and is best served a bit chilled. It is jam-packed with ripe cherry and strawberry, peppered blackberry, and dried potpourri. If you like Beaujolais Villages wines, this is reminiscent of the style but a bit more savory with massive floral aromatics.
Bring this wine out for a warm-weather picnic and make sure to pair it with grilled salmon, goat cheese bruschetta, or a simple red sauced pizza if you don’t want to cook!