Domaine de la Butte : Les Côteaux du Levant 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the "Les Côteaux du Levant" 2024 Cuvée from Domaine de la Butte

Tasting Notes

Appearance
The colour reveals a deep, intense red hue, enhanced by beautiful brightness and subtle violet highlights.

Nose
Wonderfully elegant, the nose releases enticing aromas of tangy red fruits such as redcurrant and raspberry, mingled with hints of wild black fruits. This is heightened by delicate floral notes of rose petal and violet, along with a noble herbal character reminiscent of verbena and fine spices.

Palate
The attack is supple, leading into a mouth-filling, particularly juicy palate. Showing lovely verticality, the wine strikes a perfect balance between mouth-watering freshness and tannins that are both crisp and velvety. The finish lingers with persistence on fruit and spice.

Food and Wine Pairing

This red wine pairs beautifully with red meats such as grilled entrecôte or roast leg of lamb, as well as with small game like partridge or roasted pigeon. It will also go very well with bistro-style cuisine, duck breast, or vegetarian dishes based on mushrooms.

Serving and Cellaring

For an optimal tasting experience, it is recommended to serve the "Les Côteaux du Levant" 2024 cuvée at a temperature between 16 and 17°C, after decanting it while young. Already enjoyable today, this cuvée will reach its peak around 2029-2030 and can be cellared until approximately 2034.

The Elegance and Freshness of a Bourgueil Red Wine

The Estate

Taken over in 2002 by the late Jacky Blot, Domaine de la Butte is an essential reference in the Loire Valley. Located within the Bourgueil appellation, this estate of around fifteen hectares stands out for its meticulous plot-by-plot approach, inspired by Burgundy, and for its immense cellar carved directly into the rock. Today, Jean-Philippe Blot, Jacky's son, is at the helm of the estate. He brilliantly carries on the family philosophy centred on organic farming and absolute respect for terroir, delivering wines of remarkable precision.

The Vineyard

The "Les Côteaux du Levant" cuvée comes from a specific plot located at the far eastern edge of the Bourgueil appellation, about fifteen kilometres from the heart of the estate. Farmed organically, these relatively young vines thrive on a well-draining hillside terroir composed of gravel and flint conglomerates resting on a limestone bedrock. To ensure optimal fruit quality, yields are strictly limited to 35 hectolitres per hectare.

Winemaking and Ageing

The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo rigorous sorting. To craft the "Les Côteaux du Levant" 2024 cuvée, the berries are fully destemmed to preserve the purity of the fruit. Fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts in concrete and wooden vats over a period of about one month, accompanied by gentle punch-downs and pump-overs. Following malolactic fermentation in wooden vats, the wine undergoes a year of ageing split between 60-hectolitre foudres (for one third) and barrels that have already held two to three wines (for the remaining two thirds).

Grape Variety

100% Cabernet Franc