When Pierre Gauthier was a young boy growing up in the village of Benais, he used to walk by the three meter tall limestone walls of the historic Clos Nouveau everyday on his way to school. When he began his journey as a vigneron, the older vignerons in the village spoke of the great terroirs of Benais - Grand Mont, Clos Sénéchal, Beauvais… but they always said that the greatest of the great wines was made from the grape vines enclosed by those very walls. It was always Pierre’s dream to one day become the caretaker of this very special clos.
Located in the heart of commune of Benais, the viticultural history of Clos Nouveau can be traced back to the 13th century, when the vineyard was once part of the holdings of the Château de Benais. The walls of the clos were built in the 1600s by the du Bellay family, descendants of the famed French poet Joachim du Bellay, and was planted with a mix of vegetables, fruit trees and vines. Following the French Revolution, the vineyard was sold to a wealthy Parisian merchant, and later in the early 1900s to a vigneron from Benais who planted the clos entirely to vine. The vineyard was later passed down to the vigneron’s grandson in the 1970s, who some years later went bankrupt, and the vineyard was seized by the bank, and subsequently put up for sale by vente à bougie (candlelight auction) in 2005. After a long process of bidding, Pierre managed to successful purchase Clos Nouveau, making Domaine du Bel Air only the third owner of the vineyard since 1798.
While I was in the Loire for La Paulée, the Gauthier family hosted a small gathering and celebration to mark the official unveiling of a new plaque at the entrance of Clos Nouveau that reads “Domaine du Bel Air - Clos Nouveau - Monopole.” And to mark the occasion, the family presented for the first time a complete vertical of every vintage of Clos Nouveau produced at the domaine to date, vintages 2007 to 2020.
The 1.3 hectare clos is planted with 1.15ha of Cabernet Franc vines, which are on average about 40 years of age, and in keeping with the tradition of the vineyard and to enhance biodiversity of the site, 15are is planted with a variety of fruit trees that are espalier trained up the walls around the perimeter of the clos. In terms of soils at the clos, there is a shallow topsoil of about 30cm of a siliceous, sandy-clay over the Middle Turonian white tuffeau chalk bedrock.
The winemaking for this parcel has remained relatively unchanged since the first vintage in 2007. The fruit undergoes fermentation in stainless steel, with a total of 25 days on skins. The final cuvée is 95% free run wine and 5% press wine, which is aged for two years in 500L oak barrels, about 70% new. For the first few vintages, the wine was aged in barrel for three years, and they quickly saw that this was a bit too much and reduced the élevage to 2 years.
It was a real honour to share this special day with Pierre and his family and friends. While dodging raindrops, I did my best to compile notes on each of the vintages and I am thrilled to share these with you here. Across all vintages, there were a few through-lines that I did notice come through in the glass. In the earlier vintages, Cabernet Franc’s varietal character came forward a little more, which makes sense as there was likely a period of transition, viticulturally speaking, and it would’ve taken the family a few years to get the vines back into balance after some years of the site not being well maintained. In later vintages, Cabernet Franc’s herbaceousness comes through in nuanced and harmonious ways that beautifully honour the grape and place. With time in the bottle, there was a distinct floral undertone of lilacs and a chalky minerality that became more pronounced with age. Structurally, the wine is exudes verticality, finesse, gracefulness and balance, and even in the most powerful vintages, the wine displays a lovely tenderness that gives it approachability in its youth. Clos Nouveau is unquestionably an exceptional site for Cabernet Franc, and this is a wine that beautifully communicates the soul of the place and the vigneron with the capacity to age gracefully for decades.
(NB: All wines were tasted out of magnum, unless otherwise stated, and are presented below in the order I tasted them in.)
2007 (12.5% abv): First tasted from 750s, the 2007 presented with delicate aromas of dried red currant complemented by notes of rosemary, dried mint and desiccated purple flowers and earth. The acidity was fresh, the tannins fine and gauzy. Tasted later from magnum, the fruit had a bit more flesh and vibrancy than out of 750s. From a cooler year and the estate’s inaugural bottling, the wine has held up well over the years and is marked by a fine-boned, elegant structure, good balance and concentration.
2008 (13.0% abv): From a very classic ligérien vintage, the 2008 was initially a touch shy on the nose and palate, but with a bit of oxygen expressed notes of dark forest berries, woodsy herbs and a delicate spiciness akin to green peppercorns. On the palate, the wine had persistent, balancing acidity complemented by chalky, fine tannins, with a beautiful slightly dried, sweet-tart cherry fruit core. It exhibited exquisite varietal character on the nose and palate. Balanced, vertical, finesse-driven, with a saline finish. Drinking beautifully at the moment, and for those that love old school expressions of Cabernet Franc from the Loire
2009 (13.0% abv): From one of the great vintages of the last twenty years, the 2009 was absolutely singing. Very red fruit-driven on the nose with notes of dried cherry and raspberry, along with lifted sweet summer floral notes like purple lilacs. Delicately spiced with notes of star anise and nutmeg, the palate had vibrant acidity that mingled with gauzy, silky tannins that finished with a firm, chalky grip. The mark of the vintage was evident, with a little more solaire energy and plushness, but this was balanced by persistent acidity and oodles of finesse. Gourmand, accessible, open, impossible not to love. Drinking well now, but should continue to evolve well with time.
2010 (13.0% abv): From a vintage as exceptional as 2009 if not perhaps even more highly acclaimed, with a bit of oxygen the 2010 exhibited slightly brooding, plush red-fruited notes with a hint of wild black raspberries. Dense, spicy, with a delicate underlying woodsy (cedar leaves) and purple floral character. The acidity was remarkably buoyant, and the tannins still quite firm and taut that were a touch drying on the finish. The palate showed great complexity and integration of all elements, with some added notes of cinnamon stick and a touch of a torrefaction note reminiscent of fresh roasted coffee. Impressive, emphatic, generous, while still being supremely elegant. Patience will reward here. This still needs time.
2011 (13.0% abv): Opening similarly to the 2007 and 2008, the 2011 presented with more varietal character and spice on the nose with notes of wispy herbs, piquant green peppercorn, followed by bright, red raspberry flesh and seeds (think: the difference between fresh raspberry with seeds as opposed to a strained raspberry coulis). Energetic acidity, and a fine, linear structure, as well as a lovely sucrosity in the mid-palate, the 2011 at this stage of its life was marked by lots of floral notes on the palate and piquant spices as well. Very harmonious, sympa, fresh, ligérien. Classic, finesse-driven, drinking well at the moment, but showed no signs that it was ready to let off the gas pedal. I think the 2011 should hold in its current state of evolution for the foreseeable future.
2012 (13.0% abv): While all of the vintages of Clos Nouveau exhibited some degree of florality, the 2012 presented the most floral on the day of the tasting. I often get a wide range of florals with Cabernet Franc from pink (peony, rose), to white (jasmine) to purple (vilolet, lilac), Clos Nouveau seems to present very consistently with purple lilac notes, and they were on full display in the 2012. The fruit showed beautiful ripeness and freshness with a touch of cran-raspberry and red cherry. Less herbal than 2011, the wine was marked by vibrant acidity, gauzy, fine tannins, finishing with a touch of salinity and cinnamon stick spice. Balanced, complete, digeste, extremely enjoyable. Quite similar to the 2011 but with a touch more phenolic maturity overall.
2013 (12.5% abv): From a more challenging vintage, the 2013 presented much like the 2007 from magnum. Opening with clean, sweet-tart red fruits on the nose that mixed with soft, wispy herbs and piquant spices. A delicate wine, with a fine, lightweight, airy structure, and elevated acidity, but in balance with the other elements in the wine. It had a delightful juiciness with impressive weight and integrity in the middle palate. Silky tannins in the mouth, that finished with a touch of chalky minerality and the slightest hint of ground ginger. Ethereal, but very approachable. A sensitive wine, made with care. This is drinking well now should you have one in your cellar.
2014 (13.0% abv): A classic vintage marked by balanced acidities and maturities, the 2014 was very charming out of the gate. The nose opened with densely packed layers of red and dark sweet fruits, savoury herbs and foresty aromas, as well as those perennial purple florals. There was an underlying richness to the nose that suggested that the palate would be equally as rich, but the palate, while concentrated, showed remarkable clarity and levity with a forward propulsion that kept you engaged from start to finish. The persistent acidity was matched by fine, chalky tannins, and there was a delicate note of star anise on the finish. Medium-bodied, layered, linear, impeccably balanced. A reserved, elegant wine, that made you feel instantly transported to the place. This was my favourite wine of the vertical, and it has oodles of life left in it.
2015 (13.0% abv): From another ripe, solar year, the 2015 showed many similarities to the 2010, but with a lot more youth on its side. The nose opened with ripe, sweet, red fruits like plush Bing cherry, plump raspberries and a touch of kirsch, complemented by notes of rosemary, subtle florals, and punchy cinnamon and nutmeg spice. A less “varietal” wine than some other vintages, the fruits took centre stage and were beautifully supported by earthier undertones. Concentrated with persistent, lively acidity, and densely-packed, velvety tannins. The oak influence in this wine was seamless with the fruit, acid and tannins. Plush yet vertical. Harmonious. Still needs some time, but exhibited impressive drinkability and approachability compared to other 2015s I’ve had from similar terroirs in the Loire.
2016 (13.0% abv): Another cooler, more ligérien vintage. The nose opened with delicate, sweet-tart reds fruits and notes of purple florals. The palate showed more herbals (sage, thyme) and more spice (clove), but no single note dominated in the glass, which I quite appreciated. Sometimes the fruit comes forward, or spiciness, or earth, but in the 2016 all of the elements were present, working in tandem with each other, with nothing grabbing your attention or stealing the show. Lively acidity, with delicate yet firm, velvety tannins. Medium-bodied, linear, lean, and showed nice maturity of fruit and concentration. A very complete, understated wine. Drink or hold, depending on how mature you like your Loire Cabernet Franc.
2017 (13.0% abv): The first in a string of warmer, sunnier vintages, the 2017 was quite reserved at this stage of its evolution. Presenting with ripe sweet red and some darker fruits like cherry, Italian plum, with an underlying earthiness that comes a bit more forward than some other vintages with hints of rosemary and thyme. Deep, layered, complex, with a distinctive cured olive note that also crept into my tasting notes for this cuvée in more recent vintages. Persistent, energetic acidity, with densely-packed, silky tannins that had a firm grip on the finish. A stately wine, with great concentration and weight, but elegance as well. Compared to the other warmer vintages that followed, I think the 2017 is keeping its cards close its chest at the moment. Introverted and a little shy, hold this for a while yet so that it has a chance to blossom into the soulful, contemplative wine it aims to be.
2018 (13.5% abv): I did a tasting video on the 2018 Clos Nouveau about 8 months ago, so it was a delight to re-taste this wine alongside older and more recent vintages. From one of the warmest vintages on record in recent years (by the numbers, similar to 2003), the 2018 was much more open than I recall, exhibiting ripe, sweet fruits on the nose and palate, such as red cherry, plum and wild black raspberry, coupled with notes of fresh herbs (thyme, sage), and early summer florals (lilac). The oak presence was more pronounced compared to the older vintages, but it did not distract from the other elements in the wine. Refreshing acidity, silky tannins, concentrated and layered, superbly balanced, with warming notes of cinnamon and clove on the back of the mid-palate. This is a powerful wine that needs time, but so remarkably elegant and approachable at its current stage of evolution.
2019 (13.5% abv): From another warmer vintage marked by rather dry conditions in the fall leading up to harvest, the 2019 was still a little shy in the glass by the time I got around to tasting it (we were about halfway through the magnum at this point in the afternoon). Presenting with notes similar to the 2017 and 2018, with much more lifted florals (lilac again, with a bit of peony) than both of these vintages. The oak tannins were very well integrated with the fruit tannins, and finished with a persistent, driving mineral intensity with notes of chalk and graphite. Not quite as fleshy as the 2018 or 2020, but still a generous, structured wine that is a touch austere at the moment, but shows very good integration, balance, and elegance.
2020 (13.0% abv): The vertical concluded with the 2020 vintage - the current release from the domaine. It presented much like I would’ve imagined the 2009 would’ve shown in its youth. Opening with ripe fruits, and notes of oak spice and a touch of smoke, at first the wine was a little reserved and a bit one-dimensional in the glass. With a little patience, the layers beneath all of the fleshy, plush ripe red and dark fruits began to unfurl, with subtle herbal undertones, a mix of piquant and baking spices, with a touch of dark chocolate and the tiniest note of cured black olive. At the moment, there is a lot that is hiding here beneath the flesh and generosity of fruit. The acidity presents more gently than expected, but crescendos through the finish. Beneath the plush fruits, the linear, firm tannins give the wine impressive structure that keeps the palate experience engaging from start to finish and will no doubt help to carry this wine for decades to come. I would love to revisit this in five years time when it will have begun to shed some of its baby fat. Generous, graceful, sophisticated, harmonious. One for the ages.
From the Archives!
If after all of this, you want MORE Clos Nouveau or a little more detail on the commune of Benais in Bourgueil, the aforementioned video is on YouTube with time stamps for easy navigation.