Pont Bourceau 2020

Description

Julien Delrieu is quietly making some beautiful wines from Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley’s so-called “Black Anjou,” where vines grow on black schist. As is the case with other Anjou greats (Bernaudeau, Angéli, Leroy), Delrieu bottles his wines under the Vin de France banner, flouting regional rules. But don’t let the humble appellation fool you, Pont Bourceau shines as bright as any Grand Cru. Recently, our own Rajat Parr went off about this bottling, saying how it reminded him of Richard Leroy’s Montbenault Chenin. And if this isn’t enough of an endorsement, some of the barrels for Pont Bourceau were formerly used in Bernaudeau’s cellar. And more still, the word on the street is that some grapes in Pont Bourceau come from a plot that neighbors a certain fabled vineyard with vines over 100 years old. (Wink, wink.) Lovers of Chenin, gather round. Tonight, we drink.