Les Jardins de La Martiniere Shi Ro VDF White 2019

Country: France

Region: Loire

Type: White Wine

Grape: Chenin Blanc

The former property of Xavier Caillard, the famed Anjou Chenin and Cab Franc producer has been brought back to life by a Japanese transplant, Kaya Tsutsui with some help from natural wine legend, Hirotake Ooka. The property consists of 3 hectares of vibrant vineyards around an ancient house with deep tuffeau caves. They are looking to continue Xavier's tradition of long elevage, though it's hard to come straight out with 15 year old wines, so they have released some younger, beginning the long aging process on new wines. 

2019 was a good vintage, defined by warm, dry weather throughout the summer . Kaya harvested two times, once in mid-September and once at the end of the month. The fruit was directly-pressed before fermentation and ageing in barrique for 3 years on the lees. The different barrels were blended into a fiberglass tank for an additional year of aging before bottling in 2023. 

The name of the cuvée has two meanings in Japanese - meaning the color white, while the characters separately (Shi Ro) translates as poetic voyage. A stunningly complex wine that layers opulent texture and ripe orchard fruit with a vibrant acidity and powerful structure. This is a mesmerizing bottle to drink now or to age.