{"product_id":"domaine-du-bel-air-bourgueil-les-marsaules-2021","title":"Domaine du Bel Air Bourgueil Les Marsaules 2021","description":"\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertified Organic (Ecocert)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cabernet Franc\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry, Region:\u003c\/strong\u003e France, Loire Valley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAppellation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bourgeuil\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e100 % Cabernet Franc\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e from 60-year-old vines mid-slope. Fermented in open \u003ci\u003ecuves\u003c\/i\u003e for 24 days with some \u003ci\u003epigeage\u003c\/i\u003e to aid extraction. The \u003ci\u003eélevage\u003c\/i\u003e is three years in seasoned \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e600 litre \u003ci\u003edemi-muids\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Fabulous aromas of intoxicating red fruits, with lovely volume of generous fruit on the palate, finishing with very fine, silky tannins and refreshing acidity. Pure seduction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e‘The 2021s … express beautiful floral notes while possessing exceptional concentration ... Les Marsaules is elegant, full-bodied, and will age gracefully.’\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e93 points, La Revue du Vin de France, 2024.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview for the \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 0, 255);\"\u003e1996 Vintage\u003c\/span\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e‘Tasted in Gauthier's fantastic cellar, the 1996 Bourgueil Domaine du Bel Air les Marsaules opens with perfectly ripe, sweet and matured red and dried fruit as well as floral aromas and confit de fruit. The wine is generous, wide and juicy, textured like a Burgundy and stimulatingly salty and perfectly balanced, with very fine tannins. Very long. A totally fascinating wine that could be kept for at least another 20 years. Drink 2021-2040.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 points, \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eStephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate, \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 0, 255);\"\u003eAugust 2021.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0115\/8329\/1492\/files\/PG_logo-11_black.png?v=1749702053\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"153\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e‘Pierre and Rodolphe Gauthier's Domaine du Bel Air is one of the quality and style giants not just in Bourgueil but in the entire Loire Valley.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephane Reinhardt, Wine Advocate, August 2021.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eRun by father and son Pierre and Rodolphe Gauthier, this 20 ha estate is based in Benais which lies to the east of the town of Bourgueil. Here the village is situated on a limestone plateau as distinct from the gravel soils which Bourgueil mostly finds itself on. The limestone plateau sits a little higher than the sand and gravel soils which are located close to the Loire River. It is arguably the combination of clay and limestone which give wines of Benais, and other areas of Bourgueil, more structure and ageing potential. There is of course even more limestone below the sand and gravel of the Loire River, this is usually chalk of the Lower Turonian as distinct to the Upper or Middle Turonian limestone more typical of Benais.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eAt any rate the wines of Benais on the middle to upper slopes have great ageing potential, indeed some decades ago I imported the wines of J-P Druet whose wines are still showing beautifully even though his estate has since been sold and split up. Part of his holding in Grand Mont now makes up a small portion of the Gauthier family holding in this excellent vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003ePerhaps the most notable part of this estate is the work in the vineyards which has been certified organic since 2000. There are no plans to buy or expand the family vineyard holdings as Pierre feels the current 18 ha are ideal to enable them to work the vines themselves by hand. They plow the soil, maintain a cover crop between vineyard rows, use bud-pruning and green harvests to limit their yields to under 40 hl\/ha, and thin the canopy three weeks before harvesting. This level of attention to detail is part of the secret to their success. Pierre’s father was the last person in the village to still plow the vineyards by horse swapping the horse for tractor in 1985.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eAll the fruit is picked by hand, and after being transported to the cellars above Benais it is destemmed and sorted over a table de tri manned by four people led by Rodolphe. Thereafter the vinification and the style depends on the cuvée in question. All wines are vinified with natural yeast with elevage with NO SO2 (small amount added at bottling) and NO press wine added for any of the wines. These wines are utterly distinctive with remarkable purity and texture showing ample fruit without any heaviness making these wines seem weightless in the mouth making them incredibly moreish and remarkably fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e'Pierre Gauthier represents the fourth generation to till the land of the family’s holdings in Benais. In the traditional Ligérian manner Pierre’s parents were polyculturalists, looking after cattle, cereals, asparagus and vines. During his parents’ time they began to concentrate on the vines, reducing the area of land dedicated to asparagus, while they expanded the vineyard. Pierre started working alongside his parents in 1979, when he was 14 years old. He recalls that at the time his father still worked the vines in a very traditional manner, as evinced by him having been the last in the village to still own a horse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003eToday \u003cstrong\u003ePierre Gauthier\u003c\/strong\u003e has been working on the domaine for about forty years, and for about twenty of these the domaine has been organic, with certification. Today he is assisted by his son \u003cstrong\u003eRodolphe\u003c\/strong\u003e, who returned home after finishing his studies at Montreuil-Bellay.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePierre\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eRodolphe\u003c\/strong\u003e have approximately 20 hectares of vines. Pierre believes this is the maximum they can manage while continuing to give the wines the attention they deserve, his self-stated philosophy being to look after his vines “as if they were a garden”. Of these parcels, many are blended together to produce the domaine cuvée, but a handful are vinified apart. These include parcels of vines in noteworthy lieux-dits including Les Marsaules, where the Gauthiers have 3 hectares, and in Le Grand Mont, where they have 1.3 hectares. And, of course, there is the Clos Nouveau.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003eThe Clos Nouveau, as already noted in my history of the estate, originated with the nearby \u003cstrong\u003eChâteau de Benais\u003c\/strong\u003e, the two separated at the time of the French Revolution. Today the Clos Nouveau is in the possession of \u003cstrong\u003ePierre Gauthier\u003c\/strong\u003e, who purchased it in 2005, making this family only the third owners of this small vineyard since the Revolution. It was not in perfect condition and required some replanting, Pierre replacing at least 25% of the vines. The work meant that he made no wine in 2006, his first vintage here being 2007. These days the vineyard, all 1.2 hectares of it, surrounded by many espalier-trained fruit trees along the walls, is in great condition.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChris Kissack, The Wine Doctor.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(117, 37, 117);\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Buzz Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48490995810554,"sku":"BEL21MARSAULES","price":118.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0115\/8329\/1492\/files\/Bel_Air_Les_Marsaules_NV_Organic.jpg?v=1773877717","url":"https:\/\/buzzwines.com\/products\/domaine-du-bel-air-bourgueil-les-marsaules-2021","provider":"Buzz Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}