Twenty-four marks Domaine J. de Villebois’s 20th anniversary. To celebrate, the winemaker has unveiled six Sauvignon Blanc vintages with incredibly aromatic notes and lively acidity that will go hand-in-hand with the light and fresh dishes of the season. Below, we look at the new releases and the story behind this expert Sauvignon Blanc wine producer.
With summer days ahead, there will be no better moment to enjoy a glass of white wine from the Loire. The sun’s warmth, soft breezes, and the ‘ambience’ make this season the perfect time to enjoy the cool, refreshing flavours of Domaine J. de Villebois’ six new flagship wines with family and friends.
Before we look at some of the new releases, we’ll look into how two decades of hard work and a couple’s passion resulted in Domaine J. de Villebois.
Although his name might be linked to another country in Europe, Joost de Willebois is, in fact, a descendant of an old French family whose roots date back to 1180. These longstanding French roots are likely one of the primary reasons Joost has an unwavering passion for wine and France.
From his early days, Joost always dreamt of having a vineyard where he could produce his own wine. In 2004, his dream came true when he acquired a small wine estate in Touraine, near St Aignan. With the cast iron support of his wife, Miguela, the adventure began.
Joost and Miguela (above) spent ten years developing the domain that bears their name, expanding the vineyard’s influence across France and beyond, and Joost was able to play his part while retaining his not-so-inconsiderable role as President of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
Before long, Joost attracted the interest of leading industry professionals, including Thierry Merlet and Patrice Merceron, the Sauvignon Blanc experts par excellence.
The team’s hard work and knowledge have resulted in Domaine J. de Villebois’s wines being sold worldwide. In 2016, Joost and his team expanded their vision by taking over an additional historic family wine estate in the Sancerre region in Verdigny.
The Domaine J. de Villebois timeline:
From 2004 to 2006: A 10-hectare vineyard planted with Sauvignon Blanc was purchased in the wine village of Mareuil sur Cher, and the first production of Petit Villebois Sauvignon Blanc began.
2008: Domaine J. de Villebois launched an ambitious new strategy: to become the undisputed specialist in Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley region. Its strategy focused on a single grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc.
2020: Domaine J. de Villebois is acknowledged by the magazine Wine and Spirits in its rankings of the 100 best wine estates in the world.
2021: Domaine J.de Villebois receives the label ‘Vignerons Engagés’.
2023: Chemery, Touraine (41), the opening of the new winery
Below, we take a close look at the new wines:
Pouilly-Fumé 2023
Pouilly-Fumé instantly conjures up images of magic; the spirit immediately links it to the great white wines of the Loire! An appellation of unquestionable nobility, renowned worldwide thanks to its gentleman winemakers over several decades, J. de Villebois is part of this noble tradition of the appellation. It is a treasure hidden in the heart of the meandering Loire, offering a bewitching mosaic of terroirs.
You will taste the passion of this appellation in every glass.
Tasting Notes
The colour is pale with white-golden highlights. Its scent offers floral and fruity notes with highlighted peach and delicate white fruits with a hint of smokiness. The palate is rich and elegant, being met by a surprising freshness. The finish is long with a touch of spiciness.
Food Pairing
A gastronomic wine par excellence, it is delicious with grilled fish, white poultry, and chocolate desserts. This fruity and intense wine can also be enjoyed as an aperitif with friends and family around a cheese platter.
Sancerre Blanc 2023
The star appellation, Sancerre, is the benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc. The Villebois team worked on the appellation’s three terroirs to produce a contemporary Sancerre that pays homage to its tradition. This wine offers an uncommon aromatic intensity with a smooth, fruity, and fresh palate.
The terroir supports but does not dominate the palate. It is an emblematic cuvée gradually establishing itself as a must-have in Sancerre.
Tasting Notes
The colour is gold with yellow highlights. The initially discreet nose gradually opens up to citrus fruits such as tangerine, yuzu and pink grapefruit. The palate is full-textured with fresh white fruit and citrus. Elegant freshness underlines the wine, accompanied by saline mineral notes and a hint of a bite on the long finish.
Food Pairing
This wine is excellent on its own or as an aperitif. It is delicious with shellfish or goat’s cheeses from the Loire Valle. Suggestions include Crottin de Chavignol, Selles-sur-Cher, and Sainte-Maure-de Touraine.
Sancerre Silex 2022
The Sancerre Silex perfectly represents the unique characteristics of the Sancerre terroirs. With its 45 million-year-old history and in symbiosis with the Sauvignon Blanc grape, it sublimates the wines of the eastern hills of the Sancerre appellation along the Loire, raising them to a level of excellence.
It is here that the Sauvignon Blanc is transformed into an exceptional wine, denoted by its richness, subtlety, ageing potential, elegance, and unique ability to capture and reflect light.
Tasting Notes
It is yellow with green highlights. The nose reveals intense fruit notes, with hints of mineral and lemon, underlined by a touch of fennel and a finish with aniseed notes. Chiselled and saline on the palate.
Food Pairing
This excellent Sancerre Silex is a perfect match for cooked fish such as monkfish Armoricaine-style or Pike with shallot cream, accompanied by seasonal vegetables.
Sancerre Marnes Kimmeridgiennes 2022
The secret of this terroir is layers of small fossilised oysters intermingled with layers of clay. These lacustrine sediments, dating from the Kimmeridgian period 155 million years ago, come from a time when the climate in Sancerre was tropical, and the sea was home to numerous marine species, including the ammonite, easily recognisable by its spiral shape. Today, 155 million years later, the vines’ roots grow voluptuously between the compact layers of this fossilised memory.
Tasting Notes
This Sancerre boasts a pale yellow colour. The nose reveals delicate aromas of citrus sorbet, spices (pepper) and ginger. On the palate, the wine is structured and concentrated, with a mouth-watering finish.
Food Pairing
The wine is excellent for enhancing complex, refined dishes such as scallop carpaccio with a citrus vinaigrette and a touch of caviar or watercress velouté with a light cream of fresh goat’s cheese. A suggested way to experience this Sancerre is to drink it with a roast turbot, Beurre blanc, and green asparagus sauce.
IGP Sauvignon Blanc 2023
This wine kicked off everything at J. de Villebois as it was the very first wine they produced back in 2004. Since then, the ‘family of wines’ has continued to grow; however, this wine is still the favourite of the vineyard, probably because it best embodies the Villebois’ spirit and fully encapsulates the Loire’s identity.
The oenologists at J.de Villebois have embraced this terroir, and this latest vintage shows the full extent of the team’s know-how.
Tasting Notes
It has a pale gold colour with soft white reflections. The nose is rich with notes of blackcurrant buds, white flowers, pear, eucalyptus, and white pepper. Citrus fruits, such as grapefruit and orange, and a hint of mandarin further complement the wine.
You’ll taste delicate vegetable flavours such as tomato leaf and citrus, apple and green pepper. It has a fine and lingering aftertaste with just a touch of spicy bitterness.
Food Pairing
This Sauvignon Blanc can be paired with a wide variety of dishes, particularly oriental and European. It is a wine with a nice balance and its aromas will help to give all dishes an extra shine.
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Seduced by Touraine and its terroirs, J. de Villebois has become one of the region’s best-known ambassadors. The Touraine area is known for its nature and changing colours and is the home of the Sauvignon Blanc grape.
However, it is sometimes not the easiest area to work with, as it can be demanding and is sensitive to oceanic influences. Getting the best from the soils requires excellent management, a high level of technical expertise, patience and perseverance. However, each year, Domaine J. de Villebois has uncovered the secret to producing excellent wines.
Tasting Notes
The Sauvignon Blanc 2023 has a pale colour with green highlights. The nose is floral with a bouquet of lilies and delicate white flowers, notes of citrus and pear accompanied by eucalyptus and a hint of white pepper. The palate is fresh and concentrated with orange and pink grapefruit flavours; a slight salinity might also be observed.
Food Pairing
This wine is an excellent ambassador for the region and is fantastic when enjoyed with Loire Valley cheeses, such as Valençay, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, and Selles-sur-Cher. It is also ideal for enjoying seafood, vegetarian, and oriental dishes and is an excellent apéritif.
You can learn more about Domaine J. de Villebois and its range of wines at www.jdevillebois.fr.