Vineyards and winemaking
Plaisance is made from Grolleau Gris grown around Bouaye in the Pays Nantais. The pink-grey-skinned local variety retains useful acidity in the area's Atlantic-influenced climate and brings a subtly floral, softly spiced character to sparkling wine.
The wine is produced by the traditional method, with its second fermentation taking place in bottle. A minimum of nine months on the lees develops a fine mousse and gentle savoury complexity while keeping the variety's apricot and white-fruit aromas clear.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Very pale silver-grey with persistent, fine streams of bubbles.
Nose
White flowers, fresh apricot and pear are accented by a light dusting of baking spice and chalk.
Palate
Softly rounded yet refreshing, with fine bubbles, white fruit and a clean line of acidity. Floral and apricot notes return on the persistent, gently creamy finish.
Food pairing
Serve as an aperitif with cheese gougères, smoked-trout blinis or tempura vegetables. Its soft fruit also works with an apricot frangipane tart or a not-too-sweet pear and almond cake.
Background story
Domaine du Haut Bourg is a four-generation family estate in Bouaye, south of Nantes, where Hervé and Nicolas Choblet now tend vines around the Lac de Grand-Lieu. The nearby lake, Loire and Atlantic temper the local climate, while mica schist, granite, sand and sedimentary soils give the wines their distinctive texture.
The name Plaisance translates as pleasure, an apt description of this distinctive alternative to more familiar traditional-method sparkling wines. By using Grolleau Gris rather than an international variety, the Choblet brothers keep the wine firmly connected to the grape heritage of the western Loire.
