La Porte Saint Jean - Montreuil-Bellay, France
Sylvain working on the top wires in the vineyards just outside of Montreuil-Bellay.
Photo by our Alex Fortson @ftnwcreative during our last visit to the Loire Valley in April 2022.
In the long history of this country of Queens and Kings overseeing a land of renowned vineyards and appellations, it is not difficult to consider France a place of a playful kind of wine royalty.
In the Loire, arguably France’s most diverse region, it is hard to argue for a greater case of wine royalty than the Clos Rougeard winery, founded in the sixties by brothers Charly and Nady Foucault in the appellation of Saumur-Champigny.
While circumstances at Clos Rougeard are changing with Charly’s passing in 2015 and the sale of the domaine, the reputation of the brother’s work is unassailable. (Their wines start at over $200 each.)
Some twenty years ago, we had the splendid fortune to visit Clos Rougeard in their densely atmospheric cellars at the same time as a famed French journalist: memories of their father’s reds and whites from the 40’s, to this day, remain dreamlike.)
These days, Charly’s son Antoine oversees the celebrated nearby Domaine du Collier, while over the last decade his daughter Pauline and husband Sylvain Dittiere have raised the reputation of their eight-hectare terroir La Porte Saint Jean to cult like status… great wines, tiny quantities, hard to find.
Sylvain Dittiere of La Porte Saint Jean in his ancient cellar in Montreuil-Bellay.
Photo by Alex Fortson @ftnwcreative
Today Loire wines are among the most exciting in France. Top Saumur-Champigny bottlings are right at the apex: wine-wise everyone is doing everything. New ways of working while paying careful attention to tradition is central to the Loire's forward-thinking vignerons.
It has been a dog’s age since last we could lasso a few cases of the exciting wines from Sylvain Dittiere at his little La Porte Saint Jean cellars. (Oh, we’ve tried - year in and year out starting from a year before our 2013 visit with Pauline and Sylvain.) He’s had apprenticeships with second-to-none winemaking notables Gerard Gauby in the Roussillon, Marc Tempe in Alsace and Thierry Germain, Chateau Yvonne and Clos Rougeard - all three in the Saumur region.
Just south of the iconic town of Saumur, their underground home/cave/cellar is in Montreuil-Bellay. La Porte Saint Jean takes its name from the ancient underground passage leading to the village.
Cabernet franc and chenin blanc are at their finest in the Loire with Sylvain and Pauline at the forefront of the ongoing revitalization of the whole region (another French Revolution).
Other notes:
- always low yields in the vineyards
- parents were rose growers, as is Sylvain’s brother
- rose petals infused in “six roses” wine before fermenting
- all farming is organic
- no chemicals are used anywhere
- minimal sulfuring, only at bottling
- vines on limestone, clay and sand
- maceration in concrete
- wines aged in an ancient troglodyte cave
Sylvain and his wife Pauline Foucault work together in the vineyard re-securing top wires to their posts.
Photo by Alex Fortson @ftnwcreative
Saumur Blanc “Les Pouches” 2019
Fans of Guiberteau, Clos Rougeard, Domaine du Collier and Stater-West, take note. Extravagant aromatics adorn this heady and very alive, very dry white of 100% chenin blanc. From thirty-five year old vines planted in the kind of soil chenin gravitates toward, Les Pouches is from a small lieu-dit near Sylvain’s village. The combination of organic farming, skilled winemaking at its best, and the sand and clay terroir the vines thrive in (plus the superb 2019 vintage!) have produced a sensational bottle. Perfectly balanced, nuanced and with a flamboyant viscous edge, Les Pouches is a true knock - mineral-rich, saline and plush. Only two cases available. $59.00
“Six Roses” 2020
Sparkling wine fanatics that we are, the crew here absolutely adore this wine. In fact we’ve had fond memories of this one since the first and only time we’d been able to land some - the 2014 vintage. It is a precious wine, little is made, and we are lucky any time we can get a few bottles. As for the wine, it is a dry, crisp, classy rosé made from chenin blanc, cab franc and sauvignon. As Sylvain’s parents were rose growers, as is his brother, he decided to macerate the wine prior to fermentation with rose petals. Whatever your impression of this idea might be, it works beautifully (!) as the Six roses offers an extra floral hint and spice in its bone-dry backbone. A surprisingly complex and special wine: saline, white pepper driven and fans of both Loire wines in general, sparkling wines, rose wine and good wine period, will enjoy this rare cult-like wine. 85 cases made for the world. $35.00
Saumur-Champigny Rouge 2019
Aromatically, Sylvain’s new Saumur-Champigny is one of the most thrilling wines we’ve experienced over the last few years. More toward a silky Burgundy than a big-boned Bordeaux, this seamless rouge opens beautifully in the glass. Then, there is the wine itself - 100% cabernet franc from well-tended vines now over forty years old - a glorious one at that. Darkly fruited and oozing “close to the earth” aromas, this is a dreamy and articulate red made for pleasure, both serious and plain. Edgy and earthy with a kind of sauvage grace highlighted by enticing aromatics which over and over draw your interest back to the glass. After being open for an hour or more, lovely spice, currant, baker’s chocolate and floral notes take over as the wine moves more toward velvet on the palate. It is lovely and fine on day two, three and on and on. $44.00
When in stock, wines from this producer appear below. Click each wine for more detail.
Fresh cellar mold is abundant in La Porte Saint Jean’s troglodyte cellar. With high humidity and fresh cold air, their cellar is perfect for their wines, which receive long aging in barrel.
Photo by Alex Fortson @ftnwcreative
