Vinous

• By Josh Raynolds
  May/June 2010, IWC Issue #150 (link)

  (Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis Cuvee Negrette Sec) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  4/12/2009 (link) 92 points

  (Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis-sur-Loire Cuvée la Negrette) Light butter yellow color; lovely tart citrus, lime, mineral and cream nose; tasty, tart lime, mineral and tart green apple palate with good acidity and nervosity; medium finish 92+ pts.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/14/2008 (link)

  (NEGRETTE Rocher des Violettes) UPDATE: Hybrid In our continuing effort to reduce the carbon footprint of wine travel, I am very happy to report on the arrival of Peterbilt's first hybrid refrigerated semi-truck to Vinlux in California. Vinlux is a wine transport company (no affiliation) and they believe the hybrid semi will reduce fuel needs and costs by 40-50% per year - an enormous amount. While the trucks are costly, this signals the start of something we've been pushing for since 2004 - reliable refrigerated truck transport that has the environment at the forefront. The new trucks work on lithium-ion technology mixed with diesel and the next generation will eliminate the diesel component completely from the refrigeration unit (refer units typically use diesel to keep them operating). I will keep you posted but there is new technology on the horizon that will impact tanker ship transport and the vast reduction of carbon emissions as well. These are exciting times with regard to eco-awareness but, if it takes a village to raise a child, it is going to take the whole world coming together to reverse the pollution scars we've already cut so deeply. This is a start. Please see this article for more information: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=57693 - Jon Rimmerman ******************************* Xavier Dear Friends, Anther lovely set of wines from Xavier Weisskopf and Rocher des Violettes have set sail for our distant shores and they will only add to the evidence that this is one of the new star producers in all of France. Rocher des Violettes was one of my most important discoveries of 2005/2006 and I am not alone in this belief. A supposed "rival" retailer friend of mine (based on the east coast) ranks him as the #1 up and coming talent in all of Europe, not just in France. I know K & L and others have championed the reflective wines of Rocher des Violettes as well - I don't need any accolades for the discovery - Xavier deserves the recognition from as many sources as possible (as long as we remain first in line with allocations, of course). Referred to as the new Huet by more than a passing few, this fanatical producer (who was responsible for some of the best vintages of St. Cosme Cote Rotie before he parted ways with Louis Barroul to concentrate on his first love - Chenin Blanc), crafts crystal clear, timeless wines of balance and harmony across the river from Vouvray. His Chenin Blanc vines are 50-80 years old and his cellar dates from the 1400s, handed down by dowry and deed, form nobility to noble rot for centuries. In a zen-like stance, Xavier believes he is just the current caretaker of this historic fortress within the stone and soil of Montlouis - not the owner. One cannot "own" the land, it belongs to us all. That attitude doesn't pay the rent but it does craft brilliant wines and his low-ball pricing doesn't hurt as well. If he's the new Huet, the wines certainly are not priced as such. This is a producer I've come to rely since his first vintage as one I can purchase sight unseen - the care and delicacy are always reflected in the outcome. While difficult for me to pick one over the other from the set below, if it matters, I purchased both for my own cellar. If you are into the best of Vouvray, Chidaine or any of the other top producers in the Loire (Sancerre included) I urge you to discover the wonder of Xavier Weisskopf and his run at the very highest order in France. As one of the ultimate nods of ascension, Louis Barroul now works part of the picking season for Xavier to learn about winemaking (that would be like Joel Roubechon apprenticing with one of his former sous-chefs). You can look up the Schildknecht reviews of last year's portfolio (if you really need to) but this producer is not about scores (although David was eerily accurate in his verbiage). I find the 2006s to be even more transparent than the 2005s and Xavier believes they show more terroir as he's a year older and wiser with the vineyards. I wish we had more quantity as both are worth a case investment but that is impossible (there's just not enough to go around). ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the source (at terrific prices - about the same as in the Loire): 2006 Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis (demi-sec) STRICT LIMIT 3/person If I had to pick one wine that defines Xavier, it would be this one. Barely a demi-sec (the sugar level is so low, it's difficult to ascertain), this wine provides the floating, harmonious balance and spring-water freshness that Violettes has become known for. Yellow and green citrus vie for rights next to Empire and Gala apples and a touch of mint-laced honey with a lingering, mineral-laced, delicate finish make this a treat any day of the weak. The demi-sec will cleanse your palate or steal the show on its own - either way, you can't have enough wine like this in your cellar. Delightful and worth the effort to find - especially at this price, half of what Huet costs for demi-sec. Only 50 cases for the US (this is not the Touche-Mitaine, which is the entry level sec wine - the demi-sec is more expensive). 2006 Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis "Cuvee La Negrette" (sec) EXTREMELY LIMITED The winery's top selection, the Cuvee la Negrette is fashioned from 80 year-old hand-picked vines and each grape is inspected (one-by-one) prior to it's foray into the gravity crusher. Like all of the wines, strict organic faming and organic viticultural practices in the cellar give the Negrette (made from Chenin Blanc and not the varietal Negrette) its transparent reflection of site-place. Intense, dry and tactile, like a top version of Le Mont sec, this is a very serious wine on par with the best of the region and it will age for many years. Vinified only in old wood, the Negrette is pent up and rangy, with a core of fruit like a bulldog running through a rock wall (it has even more material than the Huet sec wines). Give this 3-6 years of rest and you should be rewarded with an investment that will be worth far more than its moderate price. Outstanding and also underpriced for the quality. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire9430 Loire9440