Sylvain Dittiere LES BOUCHES Rouge 2023

SYLVAIN DITTIÈRE LES BOUCHES ROUGE 2023

Sylvain Dittière, along with Pauline Foucault, is the heart and soul of La Porte Saint Jean, a small estate located in Montreuil-Bellay, in the Saumurois region. Dittière settled there in 2010, after intensive training with some of the biggest names in French wine, including Thierry Germain, Clos Rougeard, and Gérard Gauby. This experience solidified his approach to winemaking, based on precision, patience, and respect for the vineyard.

From its inception, La Porte Saint Jean has developed a small, highly focused production, carefully considering the diverse terroirs of its surroundings, with Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc as its main grape varieties. Its wines have earned a solid reputation among enthusiasts and professionals alike for their depth, freshness, and aging potential.

Philosophy

Sylvain Dittière's viticulture is based on organic vineyard management and minimal intervention in the winery. The harvest is done by hand, and fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts. In his red wines, Dittière favors a delicate winemaking approach, closer to infusion than extraction, seeking to preserve the purity of the fruit and the natural freshness of the Cabernet Franc.

Long aging periods are also one of the domaine's hallmarks. Oak is used to add depth and texture, but without allowing it to dominate the wine's expression.

Winemaking, Vintage, Vineyard, and Variety

Les Bouches 2023 is a Vin de France made exclusively from Cabernet Franc, sourced from the plot that previously gave its name to the Les Pouches cuvée. The change in name and administrative category does not signify a change in the wine's origin: it remains an expression of this unique vineyard in the Montreuil-Bellay area.

The plot sits on a calcareous terroir, with sand and clay on the surface. The vines are of varying ages, with some vines around 70 years old and others approximately 20-25 years old; other sources place the average age of the plot at around 40 years. In any case, it is a vineyard with a significant proportion of old vines.

The harvest is done by hand, and fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wine is initially vinified in concrete tanks and subsequently transferred to French oak barrels, where it ages for approximately 24 months. The oak comes from both new and used barrels, seeking a progressive integration of the wine during the long aging process.

The 2023 vintage, warm and ripe in the Saumurois region, yielded a well-ripened Cabernet Franc, but the calcareous character of the plot maintains a tension and freshness that prevents the wine from being heavy or overly mature.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Intense ruby ​​red, clean and bright.

Nose: Expressive and profound, with fresh red fruit, especially raspberry and cherry, accompanied by notes of bell pepper and fine herbs, slate, graphite, and a characteristic smoky nuance. With aeration, new aromatic layers and greater complexity gradually emerge.

Palate: Fresh, juicy, and silky in texture. Red fruit dominates the mid-palate, while the chalky character provides tension and a slightly saline sensation. The tannins are fine but perfectly present, providing structure without being aggressive. The overall impression is profound, elegant, and very persistent, with that Cabernet Franc character that combines fruit, freshness, and a suggestive, noble vegetal component.

Food Pairing

Les Bouches 2023 works especially well with meats that have some character but don't require an overly powerful wine. It is a magnificent accompaniment to lamb, roast pork, poultry, and red meats, especially when grilled or prepared with aromatic herbs. Its freshness and fine tannins also make it a perfect match for more intense vegetable dishes, such as roasted vegetables, mushrooms, or eggplant preparations. And, of course, its mineral and slightly spicy profile pairs naturally with semi-cured and cured cheeses.

Les Bouches 2023 showcases one of the most interesting facets of Cabernet Franc from Saumurois: ripeness without heaviness, fruit without exuberance, and structure without harshness. Sylvain Dittière's work ensures that extended aging doesn't mask the vineyard's personality, but rather contributes to its depth and complexity. A single-vineyard Cabernet Franc, elegant, fresh, and mineral, that can be enjoyed now with good aeration but also has the capacity to evolve over the coming years.