Frédéric Mabileau - Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil Eclipse 2017
91/100
Vinous
"Remarkable accuracy!
Eclipse is the densest and noblest of the estate's cuvées, made from the finest hillside plots. It delivers notes of ripe fruit, with a hint of licorice, and a dense, powerful palate, full of freshness and balance, with a disconcerting length. A choice cuvée for the finest vintages only!
Buy your Frédéric Mabileau wines at the best price on private sale!
from €99 on your 1st order
Eye
Deep, dark color
Nose
Delivers ripe, slightly liquorice notes
Mouth
Balanced and powerful, with the chalky freshness of its terroir, assertive tannins and surprising length.
Serve
At 14-16°C
Open
Decant 1 hour before serving
Drink before
2030
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with grilled meats, small game, cheeses...
Bettane & Desseauve
Domaine rated (guide 2026) 3*Stars (High-quality production that can serve as a benchmark in its sector)
About the domain :
Frédéric Mabileau was an emblematic figure in the Loire region, who died tragically on Monday August 31st in a microlight accident. In 2003, with the help of his son, he took over the entire 27-hectare family estate and introduced organic farming methods. Here, two types of soil predominate: clayey-siliceous soils with a tendency towards limestone, which produce the most taut and structured wines, and lower down, on the terrace overlooking the former bed of the Loire, siliceous, sandy or stony soils, known as "gravel", on which the vines flourish, producing a fruitier, greedier wine. The Saint-Nicolas wines on sale embody the delicacy of the appellation's wines: the seams on gravel and clayey loam have a full but silky texture, with assertive tannins and a frank fruitiness. The rouillières seduce with their juiciness and floral finish. For around 15 euros, Bourgueil Roots boasts a clay-gravel terroir that produces one of the most complete wines in its appellation. Chenin-des-rouillères shows a charming facet of the grape variety without sacrificing any of its breed. It is now accompanied by chenin-du-puy, in Saumur, in the same spirit. This is one of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil's priorities!
Guide Hachette des vins
Domaine noté (guide 2026) Award-winning wines (The wines of this producer are regularly awarded by the guide)
About the domain :
A leading figure in Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas since setting up in 1991, Frédéric Mabileau has built up a 35-hectare estate that has been farmed organically since 2007 and biodynamically since 2012. Following his accidental death in 2020, his son Remy took over. Charly, the other son, opened Chez Odette, a restaurant dedicated to local and seasonal cuisine, in the estate's courtyard.
Vinous
Wine rated (2021 guide) 91/100
About the wine:
Tasted with the 2015, the 2017 Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil L'Eclipse shows more clarity and purity of fruit, the tannins more refined and rounder, though the natural chalky texture is not absent. Interestingly, this vintage was whole-cluster tested and one would expect the stems to be thinner, but the tannins remain refined. There's a touch of medicinal character that could develop in bottle, but for now it's restrained and, rather than detracting, adds an extra element of complexity. Nice freshness.
Discover other domaine wines
