Domaine de la Butte Les Côteaux du Levant Bourgueil 2024

Domaine de la Butte Les Côteaux du Levant Bourgueil 2022 is a refined, single-parcel Cabernet Franc from one of Bourgueil’s most privileged sites. Crafted by the acclaimed Blot family, this cuvée showcases the pure, lifted expression of Loire Cabernet Franc with remarkable precision and depth. First bottled as a standalone wine in 2018, it quickly earned a reputation as one of the estate’s most characterful and terroir-driven bottlings.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Les Côteaux du Levant 2022 presents a deep, vibrant ruby colour with luminous edges that hint at both concentration and freshness. The nose is finely etched and expressive: wild red and black berries, crunchy cassis and ripe cherry, layered with notes of graphite, flint, crushed violets, tobacco leaf and a delicate hint of spice. On the palate, the wine is pure and linear yet fleshy, with a juicy core of red and dark fruit framed by taut, finely grained tannins. The hallmark Loire freshness runs through the mid-palate, with subtle smokiness, pencil shavings, cracked pepper and a saline, chalky finish that speaks clearly of its limestone-rich soils. The 2022 vintage offers early approachability, but the structure and mineral backbone suggest very good aging potential over 8–12 years, gaining complexity, softer tannins and more savoury, tertiary nuances with time in bottle.

Production
Les Côteaux du Levant comes from a single, high-lying parcel at the top of the three-tiered vineyard of Domaine de la Butte in Bourgueil, sitting around 100 metres above sea level. Here, over 50-year-old, organically farmed Cabernet Franc vines plunge deep into compact clay shot through with flint, underpinned by a solid chalk (tuffeau) subsoil that lends both tension and minerality to the wine. Only perfectly ripe bunches are harvested by hand and then meticulously sorted to ensure flawless fruit. Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts, taking place over about a month in a mix of wooden and concrete vats to preserve purity and finesse. After fermentation, roughly one-third of the wine matures in large, neutral wooden casks, while the remainder ages in inert vessels, striking a balance between textural polish and an unmasked expression of terroir.

Food & Serving
This Bourgueil is a superb partner for refined yet flavourful dishes: think roast duck breast with cherries, grilled lamb chops with herbs, charcuterie and terrines, or classic Loire pairings such as rillettes and char-grilled pork. It also works beautifully with mushroom dishes, lentil stews, and aged, semi-hard cheeses like Comté or Tomme. Serve at 15–16°C to highlight its aromatic nuance and freshness. A short decant of 30–45 minutes is recommended in the wine’s youth to soften the tannins and allow the floral and mineral notes to fully unfurl.

Producer
Domaine de la Butte is part of the renowned Loire portfolio created by the late Jacky Blot, one of the region’s most influential and quality-driven vignerons. Located in Bourgueil, the estate is entirely focused on Cabernet Franc, exploring the nuances of its steep slopes and varied soils through carefully defined cuvées. Over the years, Jacky Blot and now his son Jean-Philippe have helped redefine expectations for Bourgueil, showing it can rival some of France’s most serious and ageworthy reds. Their commitment to organic viticulture, low yields, precise parcel selection and minimal-intervention winemaking has earned the domaine a loyal following and a benchmark status within the Loire Valley.

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