Domaine de la Charmoise

Domaine de la Charmoise is situated right off the main ‘wine trail’ of the Loire at a village called Soings. It is a small, well presented ‘estate’ comprising the attractive maison of Henry Maionnet, a separate aesthetically designed office building and a huge, modern, scrupulously clean winery. Indeed the interior of the winery looks almost space age, with its computer-controlled vats and metal stairs leading to different tiered, metal floors. This is a vast contrast to the ancient cellars I usually visit in the Loire valley and the initial impression made me concerned that the wines would be mass-produced, ‘manufactured’ and nondescript. Oh contraire!

Henry Marionnet produces a range of beautifully vinified single varietal wines of immense character and finesse. We have selected the Premiere Vendange and the ‘M’ de Marionnet.

Out of a series of superb Gamays the Premiere Vendange possesses glorious purity, fruit and finesse combined with a good structure and complexity. It is exactly what one wants to find in a Cru Beaujolais but so rarely succeeds!

The ‘M’ de Marionnet would give any top flight Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume a real run for its money. It has the lovely freshness and ‘essence’ of Sauvignon, but with a concentration and stony character of terroir behind.