2021 Chinon Les Blancs Manteaux Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Noblaie

Jérôme Billard has been running his family`s estate in Chinon since 2003. Prior to this he studied oenology at Dijon, where he worked at Château Pétrus for an 8-month stage. This was obviously successful as after qualifying he was taken on by Dominus Estate in Napa for a year before heading to Sacred Hill Estate in New Zealand. Jérôme initially had three main goals at the domaine. to double the vineyard size - he now has just over 24.5 hectares; to improve the vineyard management - the vines are now grassed through, leaf height has been raised to 1.80 m and the vines are all now debudded in the spring; and to modernise the winery itself, moving from the collection of rock-hewn cellars and out-houses to his new, purpose-built winery in 2012. The next step is to consolidate these gains, an aim already underway with his movement to organic viticulture. Jérôme’s conscientious approach and drive for excellence shine through in his precise, pure wines.