# Domaine Laureau Le Bel Ouvrage (2022)

- **Producer:** SCEA Famille Laureau
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chenin Blanc
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €53
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, pear, quince, lemon, orange, blossom, ginger, butter, cream, toast, honey, almond, hazelnut

## About this wine

Domaine Laureau is led by Damien Laureau, alongside his wife Florence and son Martin. Damien, who did not inherit a family estate, originally managed a plant composting business in Paris before purchasing his first vineyards in Savennières in 1999. This unique background instilled a deep agronomic focus on soil health, driving him to become a pioneer of organic and regenerative viticulture in the appellation. 'Le Bel Ouvrage' represents the estate's older vines planted on the high plateau of Savennières, overlooking the Loire River. The wine is celebrated for redefining the appellation's historically austere style, offering a beautifully textured, fleshy mid-palate while preserving the intense, chiseled minerality of the region's ancient schist soils.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Damien Laureau managed a plant composting business in Paris before buying his first Savennières vineyards in 1999.
- The name 'Le Bel Ouvrage' translates to 'The Fine Work' or 'Fine Craftsmanship', referencing the intensive manual labor in the vineyards.
- The 2022 vintage was highly allocated, with only 600 bottles officially released for the entire Swedish market in late 2026.

## Food pairing

This gastronomic white wine thrives on its high acidity and rich, textured body. It perfectly cuts through rich, creamy sauces and buttery textures (like beurre blanc or sweetbreads) while its intense aromatics and mineral drive complement delicate seafood, noble fish, and exotic spices like saffron and ginger.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for 'Le Bel Ouvrage' is highly meticulous and non-interventionist. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand in successive passes (tries) to ensure optimal ripeness. After a gentle direct pressing using only the 'heart of the press' (cœurs de presse), the juice undergoes a 12-hour cold settling. Fermentation occurs slowly over several months using only indigenous yeasts in a combination of tanks and oak casks. Malolactic fermentation is fully completed to balance the sharp malic acidity of Chenin Blanc. The wine is aged for 18 to 24 months on its fine lees, spending its first year in 400-liter French oak barrels (with only 5% to 10% new oak) and the remaining time integrating in stainless steel and glass fiber tanks. No active lees stirring (batonnage) is performed, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.