Pierre Bise Cremant De Loire 2023

Grape: Chenin Blanc 

Region: Loire Valley, France 

Farming: Organic

Pierre Papin bought Château Pierre-Bise, at the age of 50, in 1959. In 1974, his son Claude took on the original nine hectares in Pays de la Loire and gradually expanded the estate, particularly during the 1980s, with the purchase of vines from his winegrower father-in-law in Rochefort, Chaumeand Quarts-de-Chaume. In 1992, he also took over the Clos de Coulaine vineyard, adding the Savennières appellation to the estate’s range. Nestled on a high ridge overlooking the steep south-facing slopes of the Layon river, tributary of the Loire, Claude & Joelle Papin run 80 acres of land with their sons René and Christophe. The Layon in the Anjou region of the Loire is, with the Cirons in Sauternes, one of the only river in France that allow the development of Botrytis, the noble rot that turn the grape into liguid gold. Since 1959, the Papin family has been one of the most celebrated producers of Coteaux du Layon. As a true Terroirist René believes that blending different climate “even 1%” will prevent his wines from finding harmony. Since he took over the estate from his father in 2005, he conducted a deep analysis of his Terroir identifying 25 different “Climats” all vinified separately. Their knowledge of Terroir is unrivaled in the Anjou of the Loire and it is not surprising that their Chenin Blanc either dry or sweet give voice to every nuances that the grape is capable of. Not only Pierre Bise is the reference point in the Layon he is considered one of the leading producer in Savennières too.