Laïka is Pierre Ménard's Sauvignon Blanc from Faye-d'Anjou, grown on schist rather than the limestone and flint usual for the grape in the Loire. The 2023 is textured and quietly aromatic, closer in feel to Chenin than to Sancerre.
About This Wine
The core of the wine is le Clos de la Roche, an all-schist slope in Faye-d'Anjou with old vines that were among the first Sauvignon Blanc planted in Anjou, in the early 1960s. Since 2019 they have been joined by younger vines from the same plot and by the Gasnes parcel on the eastern edge of the Clos des Mailles, which includes a little Sauvignon Gris. Grapes are picked by hand, pressed gently in a pneumatic press, then fermented and aged in a mix of used barrels, sandstone amphorae and tank. The name honours Laika, the Soviet dog sent into orbit in 1957.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Ripe pear, quince and lemon peel, with chamomile and a wet-stone note.
- Palate: Rounded and slightly waxy, with a fine phenolic grip, fresh acidity and a salty, stony core.
- Finish: Savoury and lingering, with herbs and citrus pith.
Serving & Food
Chill to about 10 to 11°C, not colder, and use a white Burgundy glass so the texture shows. It drinks well now and over the next four or five years. Pair with goat's cheese tart, steamed grouper with ginger and spring onion, or roast chicken with tarragon.
How to Enjoy
White wine drinkers who find standard Sauvignon too sharp, and anyone curious about the schist wines of Anjou.
Product Details
Producer: Domaine Pierre Ménard
Cuvée: Laïka
Country: France
Region: Anjou, Loire Valley
Vineyard: Le Clos de la Roche, Faye-d'Anjou
Vintage: 2023
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc (a little Sauvignon Gris)
Soil: Schist
Volume: 750mL
About the Domaine
Pierre Ménard grew up in a Faye-d'Anjou family whose 13 hectares went to the local cooperative. After an agricultural engineering degree in Angers he worked at Château Latour, Ramos Pinto in the Douro and Disznókő in Tokaj, with further stints in Canada and New Zealand.
He came home in 2013 and began with a half-hectare of century-old vines set aside from the family holding, vinifying in a converted garage. The domaine has since grown past 1.5 hectares, farmed biodynamically, and is part of the Anjou Noir group of growers working the dark schist soils of the western Loire. Most of his wines are dry Chenin Blanc from named parcels such as the Clos des Mailles.