A miniscule quantity of this beautiful wine is produced each year from the chalky-clay soil of the village of Bué. Dominique Roger farms small parcels of the traditional Pinot Noir in the hills overlooking Bué, and the yields are always small.
During production, Dominique “bleeds” the juice – separating some from the Pinot skins in the vat, to produce this racy, delicious rosé. It is rich, multi-layered, very smooth and silky on the palate, with very enticing scents and a long aftertaste.
Regional History
The Loire River runs 635 miles from the Cévennes Mountains in southeastern France to the Atlantic Coast and flows through (or near) over 60 different appellations. During its long history, the hillsides along the banks provided well-drained soils on which to grow grapes, and the river itself provided a transportation network to outside markets.
Before phylloxera destroyed the vineyards of Sancerre (left bank of the Loire, south of Orléans) in the late 19th Century, the best vineyards were reserved for Pinot Noir, while the white grape Chasselas, produced wines that often found itself shipped to Champagne for blending.
After phylloxera, Sauvignon proved most successful when grafted to American rootstock, and with a rising fashion for white wines, became the dominant variety in the region.
The red wines of Sancerre were not even recognized by the AOC until 1959, with a restriction (only lifted in 1982) that limited Pinot to less favorable vineyard sites.
Regional Foods
The lower half of the Loire River, the longest in France, runs through more than forty wine appellations, among them Touraine, Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Vouvray, Chinon, Saumur, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and Muscadet. This broad valley, noted for its big skies and big chateaux, doesn’t boast an indigenous cuisine. Nevertheless, the rich soil and the varied landscape provide a bounty of raw materials for a cook.
Diverse livestock are raised on local farms; the Atlantic coast and the river itself supply plentiful fish; vegetables and grains are harvested from the large, well-tended kitchen gardens seen everywhere.
So one drinks Muscadet with Atlantic oysters and pike au beurre blanc, Vouvray with friture de la loire (fried freshwater fish) or pork rillettes. Rillons, little fists of pork belly, might be enjoyed with a glass of Montlouis or Touraine blanc.
The reds of Chinon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil often accompany jugged hare, pork with prunes or venison. Restaurants offer baked cod, escargot, frog’s legs and freshwater fish pate with Pouilly-Fume.
© Moore Brothers Wine Company
