Terre de l'Elu Maupiti 2019

  • 90 Robert
    Parker
25 99
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Terre de l'Elu Maupiti 2019  Front Bottle Shot
Terre de l'Elu Maupiti 2019  Front Bottle Shot Terre de l'Elu Maupiti 2019  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2019

Size
750ML

ABV
13%

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

A subtle, lush bouquet. A veritable infusion of red fruits on the palate, with light, spicy notes. A delicate and supple wine.

It would go well with a tartar of red tuna and red berries; but also with Grison beef marinated in olive oil and lemon; or, quite simply with some shavings of Pata Negra Bellota ham. Ready to drink now, will keep up to ten years.

Professional Ratings

  • 90
    The 2019 Vin de France Maupiti is from low-yielding fruit of 20- 45-year-old Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Grolleau vines one schist and quartz soils of the Anjou Noir in St Aubin de Luigné (Layon/Loire). Fermented in whole clusters with natural yeasts and aged in conical oak vats for about a year, the newest release opens with a subtle, elegant, reductive but very aromatic and also spicy bouquet of red fruits, mainly sour cherries but also wild berries, all intertwined with yeasty notes. To be served fresh at about 12 degrees Celsius, this is a very charming, refined and elegant red with round and juicy cherry fruit, silky tannins and elegant acidity. The wine is perfectly balanced, and, as the producer suggests, try it young and with Pata Negra Bellota ham. Tasted in June 2021.

Other Vintages

2018
  • 92 Decanter
Terre de l'Elu

Terre de l'Elu

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Terre de l'Elu, France
There is a beautiful and timeless quality to the architecture of Anjou. Anchored by Angers in the west and Saumur further to the east, the local buildings are wonderfully monochromatic with pale but warm limestone walls and somber black slate roof tiles. So commonplace is this pattern of architecture that it is easy to become disoriented and not knowing exactly where you are until you look for the closest steeple or road sign. This color palette is not a unique quirk of the local masons but eons of geological history. Anjou is where the border between the ancient carboniferous bedrock of the Cambrian gives way to the Cretaceous tuffeau, or more simply, where schist, quartz, and slate transition to limestone and chalk. If that were the whole of the geological story Anjou had to tell, it would be interesting enough, but there are several other plots to be revealed. The gentle landscape of the Loire Valley is a product of countless centuries of the wearing down of the earth and carrying it out to the Atlantic. This is not the Mosel or Ribeira Sacra, and while it may not be dramatic, it has its own uniquely comforting charm. Where ridges and hills do exist, they are carved by the lazy Loire’s tributaries – such as the Angevin Layon and Aubance. These parallel rivers flow from the southwest to the northeast, joining the Loire slightly downstream from Angers. Each is bounded by gentle slopes with the best vineyards located on the respective north banks of each, giving them full southern exposure. This is the setting for Terre de l’Elu. Totaling 22 hectares spread over 30 different plots, Terre de l’Elu is located in the tiny village of Saint-Aubin de Luigne. Their vineyard sites are scattered from the village of Chaume, famous for its sweet style of botrytized Chenin Blanc, to Chaudefons-sur-Layon near the confluence of the Layon and Loire. In this warmer and drier part of the Anjou, red varieties are widely cultivated alongside the traditional Chenin Blanc – all planted on the black slate soils of the western portion of Anjou. Terre de l’Elu was originally established by two brothers in the 1950s who sold their grapes to local negociants, and in 2008, they retired selling their estate to Thomas and Charlotte Carsin. Thomas, an agricultural engineer by training, became enamored with viticulture during his studies. Once his formal education was complete, he traveled to Sonoma, Champagne, and Provence, supporting himself as a viticultural consultant while learning enology by working in various cellars. When Charlotte and Thomas found these vineyards for sale, it was an easy, if life-changing, decision to make. Thomas and Charlotte farm Terre de l’Elu organically and biodynamically – certified by ECOCERT and DEMETER. After years of experience advising others, he has put his principles to work at his own estate: native cover crops are encouraged, the soil is tilled, and no synthetic products are employed. These efforts have brought new life to the soils, allowing him to preserve many of the property’s old vines. New plantings have been made using selection massale to preserve the diversity of his sites. About half of his vineyards are planted with equal proportions of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc – the two most common varieties grown in the Anjou with smaller Gamay plantings, Grolleau Noir & Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pineau d’Aunis. Each plot and variety is harvested by hand and brought to the cellar, where the whites are pressed and allowed a short period to settle. Most of the red wines are whole cluster fermentations. Only natural yeasts are employed, macerations are long, and the wines age in tank, barrel, or amphorae. Sulfur usage is minimal and often added just before bottling. In 2018, Thomas and Charlotte made the difficult decision to withdraw their estate, Clos de l’Elu, as it was formerly named, from the AOP of Anjou. After years of having wines being rejected by the appellation and the associated costs and delays this bureaucratic nightmare entailed, they will all now be labeled Vin de France. Of course, there’s a law that forbids the use of “Clos” in naming wines at this level, so they’ve changed their name to Terre de l’Elu. Over time as they release newer vintages, you will notice this on the labels but have no worries. The wines are from the same vineyards and made with greater care, vintage after vintage.
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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

How to Serve Red Wine

A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.

How Long Does Red Wine Last?

Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.

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Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.

The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.

The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).

The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.

WWH9716558_2019 Item# 857267

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