Monday 12th October: tasting with dinner – Vouvrays from Domaine Sylvain Gaudron

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Wine Tasting & Dinner [3 courses] Monday 12th October 2015  £49.95 Starts at 7.15pm [price includes club discount]    

          Vouvray, Domaine Sylvain Gaudron    

       

We are delighted that Anthony Carfantan is coming to show his family’s wonderful Vouvrays on 12^th October. Anthony speaks excellent English and his family have been involved in making wine in Vouvray since 1890.  

Their property, which is based in Vernou a commune to the east of the town of Vouvray, is approximately 27 hectares and most of their vines are over 30 years old.  

 

We will be tasting the following wines:

Vouvray Brut NV 

2012 Vouvray Sec

2009 Vouvray sec, Cuvée du Père Lucien

2012 Vouvray Demi-Sec

2002 Vouvray Demi-Sec

1985 Vouvray Demi-Sec

1989 Moelleux

  

 

News flash: Noël Pinguet leaves Domaine Huet

Noël Pinguet in London: June 2009 

In a shock development Noël Pinguet is leaving Domaine Huet. There are reports of disagreement with Anthony Hwang, the majority owner of the domaine, although this has been played down by their American importer. Noël has been in charge of this world class estate since 1976.

More details here.

Touraine East and West – report on tasting

2009 Les Pichiaux, Touraine Sauvignon, Noëlla Morantin 

Monday’s tasting and dinner presented a ‘natural wine’ challenge in the shape of Noëlla Morantin’s 2009 Touraine Sauvignon ‘Les Pichaux’ (£12.95)

Overall the theme was Touraine East and West, although the balance of wines was rather more east (6) to west (3).

2010 Le Clos, Touraine Sauvignon, Domaine du Clos Roussely

The aperitif was Vincent Roussley’s 2010 ‘le Clos’ Sauvignon Blanc (£8.75). This is a modern Touraine Sauvignon with attractive grapefruit and other citric flavours, some palate weight and the quite marked acidity in the finish, which is characteristic of the 2010 vintage. Vincent’s wines continue to be consistently good and offer very fair value.  

Noëlla’s 2009 Sauvignon caused the assembled tasters to lose their bearings with little or none of the stereotypical characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc. Instead ‘Les Pichaux’ has some oxidative and leesy characters from its long fermentation and maturation.  For me Noëlla’s wines fall well within the acceptable side of my continuum of drinkability. However, the vast majority present weren’t convinced.

I kept some of Les Pichaux for a good hour and it certainly changed in the glass with the oxidative character lessening. Instead developing an aroma of bread pudding. I fancy that this may well need to be decanted. Clearly some experimentation is required.

2010 3 Coteaux Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

Then we moved onto a trio of Chenins. The 2010 screcwapped 3 Coteaux Chinon Blanc (£11.95) from Baudry-Dutour is light and lemony with an austere finish – probably good with shellfish. 

2010 Les Dix Arpents, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

Jacky and Joëlle Blot’s long and minerally 2010 Les Dix Arpents Montlouis, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups was many people’s favourite white. Although this is the Blots entry level Montlouis it still underlined the quality of the wines they are making.  

2009 Vouvray Champalou

The 2009 Vouvray Sec from Domaine Champalou (£11.95) was the richest of the whites tasted showing the fuller character of the 2009 vintage and also doubtless having a little more residual sugar than the other whites. It attracted some followers, although Le Dix Arpents was judged to be the complex wine. 

 

2009 Racines, Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau

Frédéric Mabileau’s 2009 Racines Bourgueil (£13.75) comes from a one hectare plot on clay and gravel at Chouzé-sur-Loire, a commune by the Loire and to the south of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Frédéric’s grandfather planted the vines here over 45 years ago. It has attractive spicy, youthful fruit with some opulence. Best drunk I think over the next three or four years rather than for long aging, where Frédéric’s L’Eclipse Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from the limestone coteaux is a much better bet if looking for a wine to lay down. 

2008 KO, Thierry Puzelat

Thierry Puzelat’s 2008 KO Vin de table Français (£13.75) proved to be popular with its sous bois and farmyard character. I suspect that a number of Australian winemakers, looking for squeaky clean wines would dismiss this as technically faulty. However, it think it works and is drinking well now. The wines sold under the Thierry Puzelat name are négociant wines made from grapes bought from producers who have a similar approach to organic viticulture as Thierry. The Domaine du Tué-Bouef is the family estate in Les Montils, where Thierry and his elder brother, Jean-Marie, work together.  

1997 Cuvée Prestige, Domaine du Bourg, Jean-Paul Mabileau

The 1997 Cuvée Prestige, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from Domaine du Bourg, Jean-Paul Mabileau, Frédéric’s father had aged well with its sweet evolved fruit – an elegant, complex and delicate wine. Often when tasting Jean-Paul’s wines when they were young, particularly when tasted alongside Frédéric’s they seemed rather thin and weak. But they had a deceptive power with the ability to take on more weight with a few years in bottle and to age well. This 1997 is showing well now and, although I don’t think it will get better, it will still last a few more years.

2008 Anthologie du Clos, Vincent Roussely

We finished with the 2008 Anthologie du Clos from Vincent Roussely (£9.95), which is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Côt. Like several 2008s it is quite edgy at the moment needing more time for the acidity and tannins to soften down. It also needs food and showed well with the tasty game casserole served as main course.     

  

   

2009 in Touraine

Vouvray: small bunch of ripening Chenin Blanc

With over two thirds of August gone, this has certainly been a far better high summer than either 2007 and 2008 and so far has been the warmest since 2003. Last Friday I visited Laurant Bonneau, a promising new Vouvray producer whose first vintage was 2006. Vouvray has escaped the hail that has devastated some vineyards in the Cher Valley and also Menetou-Salon.

Vouvray: another small bunch of ripening Chenin

Bonneau's Chenin Blanc was looking good with the veraison beginning with the grapes being to turn translucent. There is still just over a month to go before the vintage starts and it is very much crossed fingers' time. As it has recently been very dry, a little rainfall would be beneficial but not a downpour.

Burnt grapes – sun damage

Although you need sunshine to ripen the grapes, it can be too fierce and burn unprotected bunches. This damage is probably very recent when temperatures have hit over 35˚C in the last week. Deleafing is now popular practice, especially on the side facing the morning sun which is less fierce.

Esca claims another vine

Sauvignon Blanc tends to be more prone to esca, the vine disease, but Chenin like other varieties is not immune as the dying vine above shows.

Noël Pinguet: Domaine Huet (Vouvray): 2008 vintage

A quick call to Noël Pinguet to catch up on how the vintage has been for him in Vouvray*.

Noël: “2008 is a small harvest for us in Vouvray – only 23/24 hl/ha. There weren’t many potential grapes to begin with and then, in May, we suffered badly from mildew. Acidity levels are quite high – between 6-8 grams per litre. The majority of our wine will be demi-sec, with a little bit of sec but no moelleux. I’m reminded of 1998 and 2002, although in 2002 we made moelleux. The sec wines will probably have around 10 grams of residual, while the demi-sec will be between 20-25 gms.”

1996 Clos du Bourg demi-sec:
currently showing well

(*Historical note: following Gaston Huet’s death in 2002, the Huet family sold out in 2003 to Anthony Hwang, who took a controlling share, with 20% held by Noël Pinguet. Prior to the sale Noël had no share in the domaine, although he has been involved since 1976.)

Web:Domaine Huet

‘Cellar Raid’: tasting and dinner

(17th November 2008)

The opportunity to delve into the RSJ’s wine archives attracted a lively and knowledgeable crowd on Monday evening, who filled the upstairs dining area. Some 44 sat down to a tasting of ten wines and three courses.

The evening’s dominant topic – bottle variation – soon emerged with those on the eastern side of the restaurant faring best, while those closer to the setting suffered a few disappointing bottles, in particular the 2001 Les Rouillières Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from Frédéric Mabileau and the 1989 Cuvée Reservé Bourgueil from Pierre-Jacques Druet. To rub salt into their wounds the east end enjoyed very good bottles of both the Druet and the Mabileau.

The cork is the most obvious variable between the bottles. However, the variations which tend to increase as the wine ages may well be compounded by storage conditions. I suspect, although I have no proof, that a tasting of three bottles of Pierre-Jacques Druet’s 1989 cuvée reservé in his troglodyte cave at Bougueil might well have shown less variation. Furthermore one of the 1989s was corked. If the milk or orange juice industries had a similar failure rate they would have long been out of business, although it is unusual to attempt to keep milk for nearly 20 years!

With the exception of the aperitif and the last three reds, the wines were served in pairs.

Tasting & Dinner: 17th November 2008

Aperitif:

1] 2006 Saumur Blanc, Domaine de Nerleux, Régis Neau £7.20
100% Chenin Blanc, this is long been one of the RSJ's best selling whites. Attractively citric and floral but with some weight from the 2006 vintage. 2007 likely to be more racy.

Then:
(Unfortunately none available to purchase.)



2] 1996 Savennières Roche-aux-Moines, Madame Laroche
The Roche-aux-Moines is a particularly well-sited 19 ha sub-appellation within Savennières with a number of owners. This estate, with just over eight hectares of Chenin, is now run by Monique and her daughter, Tessa. We have tasted these wines over a number of years and continue to find them erratic and only rarely do they match the potential of the vineyards.

The 1996 showed considerable oxidation along with considerable power and character. This is a wine that will be liked by those who are happy with a measure of oxidation and rejected by those who do not. Questionable how far the oxidation is a Savennières’ characteristic and how far down to winemaking.


3] 2002 Chinon Blanc Cuvée Confidentiel Christophe Baudry

Out of 2300 hectares of Chinon in production only 40 ha are planted with Chenin Blanc. Christophe Baudry used to make small amounts of this barrel fermented white as well as a straight cuvée fermented in stainless steel. Since joining Jean-Martin Dutour to form Baudry-Dutour, this cuvée is no longer made.

2002 is a very well balanced vintage and this shows in this wine with its attractive blend of crispness and weight along with good vibrant length. Of the two wines the majority preferred this.

Langoustine, Mullet & Sea bass tartlet with a ginger butter sauce
(served with wines 3 and 4)

1997 Cuvée Alain Chabert Alain Rohart Vouvray

4] 1997 Vouvray, Cuvée Alain Chabert Alain Rohart
Nigel and Jim went to see Alain Rohart in Vouvray some 8 to 10 years ago. He has 5 ha of vines in Vouvray and Rochecorbon – mainly Chenin but a little Gamay, Grolleau and Pinot Noir bottled as AC Touraine.

1997 was a very fine vintage with a good summer and a warm autumn giving rich wines. The cuvée Alain Chabert is Rohart’s entry level Vouvray sec. The 1997 showed very well, although it was just a touch rustic and lacked the precision of flavour found in those of Huet or Foreau. Some said that this was ‘classic Vouvray’, while one person found it smelled of the ‘barnyard’.

1997 Les Cormiers Saumur Blanc, Château de Villeneuve

5] 1997 Saumur Blanc, Les Cormiers Jean-Pierre Chevallier

Jean-Pierre undoubtedly ranks as one our top Loire producers both in reds and dry whites. His work both the cellar and, particularly, in the vineyard is meticulous.

Les Cormiers comes from old Chenin vines and is J-P’s top white, which is fermented and aged in 500 litre barrels for 11 months. The 1997 had attractive richness, some honey balanced with minerality. For Nigel and Jim this was the wine of the evening. However, the majority preferred the Vouvray.

The whites showed that decanting isn’t just for red wines – good whites will also benefit. Les Cormiers wasn’t decanted and was served too cold, so needed time to open out in the glass.

6] 2001 St Nicolas de Bourgueil ‘Les Rouillères’ Frédéric Mabileau
2001 was an average Loire vintage with a quite difficult and wet September with the weather improving around mid-October. Last night this was the first example of flagrant bottle variation. About half the room thought this was well over-the-hill and that it should have been drunk a couple of years ago, while one section were delighted with their bottle with Trevor waxing lyrically declaring it to be the best wine of the evening.

Frédéric is now one of the top producers in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and we hope he will be over to do a tasting for us in the first half of 2009.

Michel Robineau: Anjou Villages 1995

7] 1995 Anjou Villages Michel Robineau

Nigel and Jim went to see Michel at his very small winery in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay a couple of times some eight or nine years ago. Then form memory Michel had just four or five hectares now that is up to ten.

1995 was the first good vintage after 1990 and ended a run of four difficult vintages that began with the frost of April 1991. The reds, however, have quite firm tannins particularly from Anjou and highish acidity. They have aged well with having the charm of the 1996s. This was typical of 1995 and really needs food.

Beef Wellington, buttered French beans & young carrots
red wine jus
(served with wines 8, 9 and 10.)



8] 1989 Bourgueil Cuvée Reservé Pierre-Jacques Druet
Although hailing from Chissay in Loir-et-Cher, oenologue Pierre-Jacques has established himself as one of the leading producers in western Touraine. As already mentioned earlier this was badly afflicted by bottle variation. The good one showing the perfume, richness and charm that makes 1989 such a geat vintage.

1996 Chinon Beaumont Pierre Breton

9] 1996 Chinon Beaumont Pierre Breton
Several Bourgueil producers also have vines in the Chinon appellation often in Beaumont probably as it is the closest to Bourgueil – Druet is another. Pierre’s Chinon had good weight, though with slightly drying tannins and it went well with the beef.


10] 2002 Saumur Champigny, Les Loups Noirs Domaine de Nerleux
Nerleux means black wolf in old French, so hence the name Loups Noir from a parcel of particularly well-exposed old vines overlooking the valley of the Thouet. Aged in barrel, this cuvee has the potential to age for at least 10-15 years. The Loup Noirs 2002, while not as rich as 2003 or 2005, showed well last night showing a touch of gaminess, some rich fruit, good balance and length. It was the preferred wine of the trio, although the outcome would have been decidedly interesting if there had been two good bottles of Druet.

Chocolate Cherry Torte with Kirsch

The waiting and kitchen staff were given a rousing round of applause at the end of the evening. We are hoping to soon publish our first events of 2009 on this blog and the website. (Now up – posted 18th November.)

Any comments from anyone at the tasting are most welcome.

2008 harvest: further updates

Most of the harvest is now finished with the exception of the Chenins for sweet wines, especially in Anjou. From Nantes to Pouilly-sur-Loire the quality is a lot higher than everyone feared it would be in early September. Once again, as in 2002 and 2007, the vintage has been saved by a fine September and October. Volumes, however, are certainly sharply down throughout the Loire with Muscadet particularly badly hit by the sharp frost of April 7th.

Here three more of our producers report on the 2008 vintage:

Jean-Hubert Lebreton

Jean-Hubert-Lebreton, Domaine des Rochelles: 28th October
The 2008 vintage looks very interesting thanks to the fine autumn weather which concentrated the Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grolleau, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenins. We have high alcohol degrees but small quantities.

We picked the Chardonnay and Sauvignon in the first week of October. Then we waited until the third week of October to first pick the Cabernet Franc followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chenin is still on the vine as we are waiting firstly for the rain that is forecast for this week to clear away and then for the grapes to reconcentrate and for the botrytis to develop. At the moment the Chenin is golden with botrytis slow to develop, so the rain should be very beneficial. We just have to be patient.

In short: 2008 is good but small.

Philippe Germain

Philippe Germain, Domaine de la Roulerie, St. Aubin de Luigné, Anjou: 28th October
2008 is a very special vintage. Right until the end of August the situation was very worrying but we had the luck to have two very good months – September and October. So the quality is there but not the volume. At La Roulerie I’m between 35%-40% down on a normal year’s production. In contrast we have degrees that vary between 12.8˚ and 13.2˚ for the Chenin with an acidity of between 5.5 and 5.8. As far as the Coteaux du Layons are concerned we are making the premier tri (first selective picking) with grapes between 12.5˚ and 18˚ and we will be continuing next week. For the reds production is even more limited with degrees between 12.5˚ and 12.8˚, which I’m quite happy about.



Champalou (Vouvray) 2008 vintage report: 31st October
We finished the harvest a week ago and are pleasantly surprised by the finesse and the richness of the grapes that we have pressed. After the poor summer we weren’t very optimistic. However, our work in the vines – deleafing and severe debudding as well as the sunny months of September and October gave us a healthy harvest with a very interesting potential: degrees from 12.5˚ at the lowest to 17˚-17.5˚ for the most concentrated. There was very little noble rot this year but had a significant concentration through passerillage (drying through sun and wind). The structure and the texture of the juice indicate that the wines will be fruity with an interesting potential to age. 2002 is the closest similar vintage with perhaps greater complexity. I think this year we will see the range of Vouvray will be from sec-tendre (off-dry) and sweets that are delicate with an emphasis on freshness and fruit – fine wines not too sugary.

Didier Champalou

Vines in Vouvray have a lucky escape

Rue de la Vallée Chartier

(This news item first appeared on the RSJ website: www.rsj.uk.com)

Mid-afternoon on Saturday 31st May 2008 Vouvray was hit by a violent storm. An incredible 120 mm plus of rain fell in 30 to 40 minutes. Houses and cellars were flooded with some buildings partially washed away. Several of the small, steep roads that run down from the plateau where the vineyards are planted were washed away by the torrents of water. The Rue de la Vallée Chartier was one of the worst affected with a four-foot deep trench gouged out by the water. Elsewhere a small van was flattened by falling trees brought down by water cascading down the hillside (see photo below). The van’s owner, who was just about to get in, had a very lucky escape.

Water cascaded down the slope burying a blue van.

Crushed blue van.

Although the damage in the town was spectacular, the vines were little affected. “Fortunately the rain came straight down and there was no wind,” Catherine Champalou explained, “so shoots weren’t broken. There was a little bit of hail damage. Water flooded into our cellars but we were able to get it pumped out quickly. Amazingly the water was hot!”

Mud and water also got into the cellars at Domaine Huet. “We have 5000-6000 bottles that may be affected,” said Noël Pinguet, “we’ll have to see – they may be OK. The main worry is the need to treat the vines against mildew. Because of the rain we won’t be able to get tractors into the vineyard for at least a week, so we may well have to use a helicopter to spray the vines. Being biodynamic this is a problem for us as there aren’t any suitable biodynamic sprays but the most important thing is to save the vintage.”

Overall fortunately damage to cellars and bottles stocked there appears not to be too serious.

The storm was very local. “There was very little rain in our vineyards at Rochecorbon,” said Catherine Champalou. Across the river in Montlouis there was also little rain on Saturday afternoon – everything was dumped on Vouvray!