2022 Domaine Belargus Ronceray

2022 Domaine Belargus Ronceray is an impressive dry Chenin Blanc from vines planted within the famous Grand Cru appellation of Quarts de Chaume. Instead of a sweet wine, Domaine Belargus chooses to vinify these grapes entirely dry, allowing the unique schist terroir to express itself in a pure manner. The result is a wine with exceptional depth, tension, and impressive aging potential.

Domaine Belargus

Domaine Belargus belongs to the absolute elite of the Loire and has built up a cult status among Chenin Blanc enthusiasts in a short time. The estate was founded by Ivan Massonnat, who acquired some of the finest plots from Jo Pithon and Domaine Laffourcade. Today, Belargus owns over twenty hectares of exceptional vineyards in Anjou, Savennières, and Quarts de Chaume.

All vineyards are cultivated with organic certification, with biodynamic principles applied on many plots. The grapes are harvested entirely by hand, and each vineyard is vinified separately to allow the character of the terroir to speak as purely as possible. Belarus is now regarded as one of the most important producers of dry Chenin Blanc in the world.

For more information about Domaine Belargus, please refer to the Winery tab.

Ronceray

Ronceray comes from old Chenin Blanc vines within the prestigious Quarts de Chaume appellation. While this estate is known almost exclusively for great noble sweet wines, Belargus chooses to vinify this plot entirely dry. This results in a wine that combines the enormous concentration and complexity of Quarts de Chaume with the tension and minerality of a dry Chenin Blanc.

The soils consist primarily of schist, a rock that retains heat exceptionally well and gives the wine its characteristic mineral precision. This terroir produces wines with exceptional depth, structure, and impressive longevity.

Vinification

The grapes are harvested by hand in multiple selective picking passes. After gentle pressing, the must ferments spontaneously with natural yeasts. The wine then ages in large wooden foudres and 500-liter French oak barrels. This gentle aging process gives the wine extra texture and complexity, while the terroir remains fully in the foreground.

Scent, taste and character

The 2022 Ronceray opens with a complex bouquet of white flowers, ripe apple, Conference pear, and citrus, followed by notes of almond, white pepper, and a subtle reductive touch that adds extra tension.

On the palate, the wine is rich and silky, yet strikingly energetic. The concentrated fruit is supported by lively acidity and a pronounced mineral structure. The schist soil lends the wine an almost briny tension that contrasts beautifully with the ripe fruit notes.

The finish is long, refined, and slightly austere in its youth, with citrus, white herbs, minerality, and an impressive precision that lingers for minutes.

Drinking window and food and wine pairings

The 2022 Domaine Belargus Ronceray is already impressive, but develops optimally between 2025 and 2038.

Preferably serve the wine at 10 to 12°C.

Excellent with lobster, scallops, turbot, monkfish, poultry with creamy sauces, veal, mushroom risotto, aged goat cheese, and refined vegetarian dishes.