Domaine Belargus is one of the most ambitious and critically celebrated new projects in the Loire Valley, founded by Ivan Massonat with the aim of producing single-vineyard Chenin Blanc wines from the most exceptional schist-soil parcels in the Anjou appellation. The winemaking is directed by Adrien Moreau, who trained at Cheval Blanc, Haut-Brion and Champagne Louis Roederer before joining Belargus to apply a precision viticulture and minimal-intervention cellar approach to the Loire’s most undervalued indigenous variety. The Wine Advocate famously described Belargus as ‘one of the most spectacular new entries in the history of The Wine Advocate,’ a statement that crystallised the international critical establishment’s recognition of this estate’s rapid quality ascent.

The ‘Anjou Noir’ designation refers to the dark, schist-dominant soils of the southern Anjou, which contrast with the limestone-dominant ‘Anjou Blanc’ zone to the north. Schist soils produce Chenin Blanc of more linear, mineral and tensile character than the richer, more textural wines of limestone Anjou, with longer ageing potential and a distinctive iron-edged mineral signature that is unique to the slate terroir of this corner of the Loire. The 2022 vintage in Anjou was warm and produced wines of excellent ripeness, with the schist parcels maintaining their characteristic freshness through the heat of the growing season.

Domaine Belargus has been reviewed by multiple approved publications since its rapid rise to prominence, with Wine Spectator covering the estate’s releases in its November 2023 edition. The specific verified score for the 2022 Anjou Noir was not confirmed at the time of this research, but the estate’s critical trajectory and the specific quality of the schist-soil Chenin Blanc programme make this a wine that serious Loire collectors will recognise as essential. The Wine Advocate’s extraordinary characterisation of the estate places Belargus within the company of the Loire’s most celebrated names, a position that the 2022 Anjou Noir is produced to sustain.

Pale gold with green highlights and a focused, mineral nose of white peach, lemon verbena, wet schist, green herbs and a saline freshness that speaks directly to the dark volcanic soils of the Anjou Noir zone. Medium-bodied on the palate with excellent natural acidity, linear structure and a long, taut mineral finish. Best from 2025 through 2035.