Nicolas Barbou – A Loire Talent with Vision and Precision

Nicolas Barbou – A Loire Talent with Vision and Precision

Utopie Créative, Électron Libre, Subtile Illusion, and Folie Insolente

Nicolas Barbou is part of a new generation of Loire vignerons pushing boundaries while remaining deeply grounded in place.  His time working with Jean-Yves Bizot in Vosne-Romanée and in the cellars of Boisson-Vadot in Meursault has left a clear mark: these are Loire wines with a Burgundian sense of élevage, transparency, and precision.

Each cuvée is varietal, but none are typical. These are wines of site, structure, and subtlety, vinified with minimal intervention and long aging.   

Utopie Créative – 100% Sauvignon Blanc

From old vines planted in 1975 in Oisly, grown on quartz, sand, and clay soils. Fermented and aged 20 months in Damy and Rousseau barrels (30% new). This is Sauvignon Blanc in a totally different register—dense, smoky, mineral, and long. Flint, citrus pith, white peach, and saline tension give it depth and grip. Built to age.

Électron Libre – 100% Chardonnay

From limestone-rich soils in Touraine. Fermented and raised in used oak, this wine shows a sleek, reductive edge with notes of lemon curd, crushed shell, and faint hazelnut. Elegant and racy, with a profile that clearly reflects Nicolas’ time in Meursault. A Loire Chardonnay with Burgundian poise.

Subtile Illusion – 100% Pinot Noir

A Loire Pinot Noir that blends delicacy with drive. Grown on clay-limestone soils, it offers lifted red fruit—cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate—wrapped in firm tannins and a gently earthy undertone. Fermentation with whole clusters and a gentle touch in the cellar bring a subtle aromatic complexity and energy reminiscent of Barbou’s Burgundian training.  It will be fun to see how this evolves as there is lots of backbone and drive.

Folie Insolente – 100% Sauvignon Blanc

From vines planted in 2007, grown on sand and clay soils. Whole-cluster pressed and aged 20 months in Damy & Rousseau barrels (30% new). This is a broader, more voluptuous take on Sauvignon, showing ripe citrus, stone fruit, and a smoky, flinty edge from long barrel aging. It’s textured, layered, and totally original.

Nicolas Barbou’s wines are proof that serious wine in the Loire doesn’t need to shout. Whether white or red, each bottle offers nuance, longevity, and a clear sense of identity—expressive wines from a rising star with world-class training and a singular vision.

Quantities are extremely limited and all wines are in stock.

Orders which include wines marked PRE-ARRIVAL that are combined with in stock items will be available for shipping/collection once all items have arrived at our warehouse. Minimum purchase per order is 3 bottles.

WE WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHIP DURING WARM MONTHS. If you would like to discuss expedited shipping options just contact us. Orders are automatically insured for $100, you can add additional insurance at checkout.

Automatically receive a discounted ground shipping rate when you order a full case of 12 bottles (mix and match - 750ml only). Shipping promotion not valid for combination with previous orders. Pricing for this offer only and not retroactive.

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-The Bottle List