Wine Focus for June: The Loire!

Tim-did you just recently have a bottle of it?

About 2 hours ago.

[David M. Bueker]

That's recent

I tasted at the Closel stand yesterday and a young man there said that oxidation is a common problem with Savennières which can be prevented by re-corking!?

Sounds fishy. I would have thought it was something do with the terroir in Anjou and how the grapes ripen, since it typically was much more common there than in Touraine. But with the rise in premox for Huet, who knows.

I tasted at the Closel stand yesterday and a young man there said that oxidation is a common problem with Savennières which can be prevented by re-corking!?

Sounds fishy. I would have thought it was something do with the terroir in Anjou and how the grapes ripen, since it typically was much more common there than in Touraine. But with the rise in premox for Huet, who knows.

Indeed. There are of course terroir differences; climate differences and soil at Vouvray argilo-calcaires ou argilo-siliceux and at Savennières schistes gréseux, de filons volcaniques (rhyolites) et de sables éoliens (translation please?). The Closel guy explained to me that Savennières was a sweet wine area not so long ago and that the move towards dry had entailed ripeness levels closer to sweet which explains the frequently high alcohol (I've hear the same comment from a UK wine specialist at the RSJ London restaurant.) I think that the oxidative tendency has something to do with this history and some people think that older Savennières "is supposed to taste like that". (I once started a thread about that viewtopic.php?f=3&t=23454&p=200896&hilit=epir%C3%A9#p200896.) Younger vignerons like Morgat reject that. I remember discussing my Epiré disappointment with him a few years ago and he laughed saying in effect that they were then stubbornly sticking to old methods, but at this distance in time I cannot remember the technical details.

As for Vouvray, all my Huet bottles have been clean so far and, indeed, all the reports of premoxed bottles seem to emanate from your side of the Atlantic. However I have had one or two disappointments with bottles from Foreau ('00 and '02) which seemed prematurely tired, if not premoxed.

PS: I thought of asking them "why not screwcaps?" but in the area these are associated with Florent Baumard, who is not, I believe, a popular figure.

The Closel guy explained to me that Savennières was a sweet wine area not so long ago and that the move towards dry had entailed ripeness levels closer to sweet which explains the frequently high alcohol (I've hear the same comment from a UK wine specialist at the RSJ London restaurant.) I think that the oxidative tendency has something to do with this history and some people think that older Savennières "is supposed to taste like that"..

Interesting. I think the rapid ripening/high alcohols may explain something, but do you know long is 'not so long ago'? I.E. when did the dry wines start? Did Coulee de Serrant used to be a sweet wine!

The Closel guy explained to me that Savennières was a sweet wine area not so long ago and that the move towards dry had entailed ripeness levels closer to sweet which explains the frequently high alcohol (I've hear the same comment from a UK wine specialist at the RSJ London restaurant.) I think that the oxidative tendency has something to do with this history and some people think that older Savennières "is supposed to taste like that"..

Interesting. I think the rapid ripening/high alcohols may explain something, but do you know long is 'not so long ago'? I.E. when did the dry wines start? Did Coulee de Serrant used to be a sweet wine!

Interesting question. There is a long account of the history of Savennières on Richard Kelley's website. Here is a key aspect relating to the sweetness question -

It is important to note that historically, and at the time the legislation for the appellation was being established, Savennières was recognised as a region for sweet, or at the very least demi-sec or sec-tendre wines, with the limits imposed for potential alcohol and yield set to reflect this: 25 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha) with a minimum alcohol (allowing for chaptalization) of 12.5%. These limits echo those of similar appellations such as Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume across the river.

The appellation dates from 1952 so it is within living memory that it was mainly a region for sweet wines.

Here is a link to the whole article about the history of Savennières for those with the time and interest to read it http://www.richardkelley.co.uk/savennie ... tm#History .

Thanks, yes I know the Kelley site and it is an excellent resource. I didn't have time to check and obviously forgot what he had written!

Friday evening I dined at one of my favorite restaurants in the Triangle area and had a Loire white wine.
The restaurant is Nana's in Durham, chef-owner is Scott Howell who has mentored other chefs in the area, and it boasts a good wine list. For my first course I had a cold cucumber soup with lump crab and Tobiko (roe) and for the entrée I ordered grouper with asparagus, haricots verts, pearl onions, and a shitake mushroom sauce. I ordered a half bottle of 2014 MERLIN-CHERRIER SANCERRE. I have had the Sauvignon Blanc from this producer before, mainly at restaurants. It was served very chilled (the restaurant cellar is really cold) but was nicely crisp, pungent, acidic and pure in flavor. I found grapefruit notes and no grassy or "cat's pee" nuances. It paired particularly well with the cucumber soup.
The desserts sounded too tempting to resist although I usually don't order dessert if I have an appetizer course. I went for the pot de crème with a piece of brown butter crumb cake and accompanied it with an Italian coffee (Amaretto, brandy and freshly whipped cream.) I asked for it to be made with decaf coffee but the mixologist may have missed that request because I didn't fall into a sound sleep until about 5:00 AM and that is unusual for me. I try to get to Nana's once or twice a year although it is about a two-hour drive from Fayetteville, especially in Friday rush hour traffic.

sables éoliens (translation please?).

En Anglais this would be "eolian sand", which means wind-deposited sand soil.

(Thank you for all of the Loire information.)

[Jenise]

Just had a good entry on Sunday night at a restaurant in Vancouver. I went to note it on Cellartracker and found that the guy before me had already written the perfect review of it. So with thanks to COREMILL, whoever he or she is:

2013 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Avis de Vin Fort Cabernet Franc more
"The absolute perfect vin de soif bistro wine. Juicy red fruit, a hint of CB leafiness, minimal extraction but enough concentration to not be overly dominated by acidity bell pepper, pairs with just about everything on the table, goes down super easy. The sort of thing that makes you wish you were sitting at a table on a Paris sidewalk on a sunny Spring afternoon."

[David M. Bueker]

2004 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Cuvée Eden - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (6/12/2015)
This has gone all to lobster broth and the aroma of fire ring stones the morning after the blaze, when the air has cooled the embers, and it's all an essence of rock and smoke. Really delicious right now.

2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (6/13/2015)
A fine subjectively dry Vouvray, in spite of the presence of c.10g/l RS (source N.Pinguet at Brussels tasting) which is perfectly balanced by brilliant mouth-watering acidity. Fine nose of white fruit, incl. mango & quince, wax and minerals. Medium/full bodied palate showing more white fruit, fine flinty minerals, superb focus, invigorating tension and marked saline backbone with secondary notes beginning to develop. Did I notice hints of aromatic deviations in these? After a handful of badly evolved Vouvrays, not from Huet, I am beginning to become paranoid about ageing them. Very good as it is.


Posted from CellarTracker

[Robin Garr]

Puzelat-Bonhomme 2012 Touraine Pinot Noir ($22.99)

Very dark ruby, as dark red as fruit juice. Intriguing floral scents of old roses and violets, plus a hint of something like concentrated cherry syrup and a whiff of white pepper on the nose. Consistent on the palate, tart red fruit with complex nuances, good acidity and appropriate tannic astringency, Pinot character and an intriguing hint of stony minerality: dry and long with dark cherries and roses in the finish, a food-friendly 12.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: LDM Wines, NYC, Louis/Dressner Selections. (Tasted twice: Feb. 18, 2015, and Nov. 28, 2014)

FOOD MATCH: This versatile wine goes well with a range of flavors across red and white meat, poultry and cheese, but its subtle complexity calls for interesting, complex flavors. We enjoyed it on the first tasting with a thick mushroom and onion ragù with pistachios over fettuccine. The second tasting, on a cold, wintry night, called for an old-fashioned red-wine-scented beef stew in the style of daube de boeuf de ma grand-mère.

WHEN TO DRINK: I don't see this as a long-term ager, but there's no need to hurry to drink it; and given Pinot Noir's good but unpredictable cellar-worthiness, it could be an interesting experiment to cellar one under good conditions for five years or so, just to see what happens. Don't count on it for investment value, though!

VALUE: Good Pinot is rarely cheap; by that standard, I'll grab this fine wine in the lower $20s without asking questions.

WEB LINKS Here is importer Louis/Dressner's essay on the Puzelats at Clos du Tue-Boeuf. You might also enjoy British wine writer Jamie Goode's article on his blog, The Wine Anorak.

The Puzelats' Clos du Tue Boeuf website is here (French only)..

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
This specific wine is going to be difficult to find. It is produced in tiny quantities and sells out fast. However, You can use this link to find sources and prices for Puzelat's wines in general on Wine-Searcher.com. To browse the wines of Clos du Tue-Boeuf, click this Wine-Searcher.com link.

Also, the good folks at Chambers Street Wines are my No. 1 source for Puzelat and other interesting, offbeat wines of the Loire. Click this link to contact Chambers Street, and seek their advice on this and similar wines that you'll enjoy. Click here if you'd like to browse their entire current Loire selection.

[David M. Bueker]

2010 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Franc de Pied - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (6/15/2015)
Silken, fragrant, pure and delicious. My only minor, nitpick is that I wish it had just a touch more depth. If Baudy Grezeaux had this texture it would be Cabernet Franc perfection.

That's just me being ornery. This really is fabulous and drinking so well if so young.

I recently bought this wine, the 2005 Baumard Logis de la Giraudiere, from Anjou, partly because it was 50% off at $10 and partly because it was part of the June theme. The color was deep purple with slight bricking at the edges. Nose was muted cherries and the flavor was of sour cherries with great acidity and no green flavors. Somewhat tart on the finish, I thoroughly enjoyed this wine with pulled pork. Some CellarTracker notes seemed to think it was beyond peak but I actually thought it might have a few years left before any decline. Glad I bought 2. abv of %13.5

I wonder how many people here have had a wine from Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, an obscure Loire basin appellation. It is located well south of Sancerre near the Allier river, an important Loire tributary, and close to the historically notorious spa town of Vichy. When I saw one on the shelves of the usually uninspiring Nicolas chain at their Deauville branch, I reached out for it (€6).

2013 Les Deux Clochers Saint Pourçain Saint-Pourçain Les Vignerons de Saint-Pourçain - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Saint Pourçain (6/18/2015)
This wine is made from Gamay and Pinot Noir in the Loire basin upstream (south) of Sancerre. It is a very long time, if ever, since I had a wine from there. It is light in colour and body showing attractive aromas and bright fruit clearly Gamay derived but with the PN adding finesse together with matt minerals and very crisp but non-astringent acidity. It needs food to tame the acidity but is very enjoyable in that context. I would be curious to see how it performs in a richer vintage. Not for those insisting on body and wary of acidity but good for me.

IF you had just named the appellation, I would have been stumped Tim! Fat chance of finding over here .

IF you had just named the appellation, I would have been stumped Tim! Fat chance of finding over here .

Bob, the whites may have more local personality than the reds due to the presence of a local grape variety called Tressalier, usually blended with Chardonnay and sometimes a little SB. However, not much better chance of my finding one here than you in Alberta.

Father's day here today and I'm looking forward to luncheon with a plateau de fruits de mer at a restaurant overlooking the beach at Villers-sur-Mer. Muscadet? Sancerre? Picpoul de Pinet?

PS: I looks as if I'll have to eat some of those words. I've just visited the restaurant's website and they list a white Saint-Pourçain .

Not only was a white Saint-Pourçain listed at yesterday's restaurant as I postscripted in my previous post, but there was also a rosé.

I ordered the white Domaine de Chinière (a co-operative label) 2013 to go with my seafood platter (crab, oysters, clams, shrimp family of various sizes, etc) and with Germaine's oysters and seafood choucroute. It worked very well. Pale yellow with green tint. Nose of zesty fruit and minerals. Medium- bodied palate showing some roundness but crisp acidity, grainy minerals and lively fruit juicier than Muscadet's (and no sea breeze) and less aromatic and affected by gooseberry than Sancerre or Pouilly-s-L. One positive feature was that the wine stood up well to warming throughout the meal revealing extra complexities. Good.

We got talking to the couple at the next table. The lady had some familiarity with the Saint-Pourçain region and and towards the end of the meal they offered us a glass of their Domaine de Chinière 2013 rosé, which had a nice roundness and moreish acidity, unlike most pinks from further south.

Neither the label nor the co-operative's website give any information about the amout of Tressalier in the white but I read on Wikipedia, FWIW, that there is supposed to be a minimum of 20%. I guess that the rosé like the red is a blend of Gamay and PN.

Some great info there Tim, very interested in your wife`s choucroute. How was that dish put together?

Really need to open another Chinon so have the `09 Noblaie standing up for later today. Hope it is a better effort than the the recent Joguet .

2013 Patrice Colin Coteaux du Vendômois Les Vignes d'Emilien Colin - France, Loire Valley, Northern Touraine, Coteaux du Vendômois (6/25/2015)
I guess that wines tasting like this can only be found near the Loire tributary Le Loir where they grow Pineau d'Aunis. Quite light in colour and body but with a considerable intensity of sour cherry fruit mixed with crystalline minerals, pepper, lively acidity, quite silky texture and good length. The overall effect is savoury, elegant and refreshing, ideal for a summer evening. Good+.


Posted from CellarTracker

2013 DOMAINE DAULNY SANCERRE LE CLOS DE CHAUDENAY VIELLES VIGNES (vin blanc).

Labeled as 12.5% alcohol by volume. Mid-gold color with clarity. It presents the first evening as a bit too acidic, with citrus notes on the nose and palate. Exhibits purity of fruit. I like it better the second evening when the acid seems more in balance and I am made aware of some salinity and a strong mineral note--rocks and/or steel. I paired it with battered fried fish and another evening with pork egg rolls. It is also suitable for shellfish or other fish as well as chicken or pork dishes. Vegetarians might consider pairing it with asparagus or zucchini dishes. I'm keeping two more bottles back for a church fundraiser in late August. On the first evening I would have given this wine 87 or 88 points but on the second evening I would have upped that to 89 or 90 points. Posted on CellarTracker.

2009 Chinon Domaine Noblaie.

Opened and decanted one hour, no sediment noted. Cellared two yrs or more, good natural cork, 13% alc, $20 Cdn.

Light looking dull ruby in color, no sign of any age but poor light.
Subdued nose at first, nothing really stands out..." earthy, weedy" from across the table.
From a riper year so expecting something special. Alas . Initial entry is dry some tannins here still. A chemical element on the finish does not help but does blow off in time. Medium acidity, could use more CF fruit. Some raspberry, green pepper, other black fruits. "Could use a more deft touch....too tight". Do not think will show better grace with time.
This domaine has some pundit followers but I think I will avoid in the future.

2013 Thierry Germain Saumur-Champigny - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (6/28/2015)
A good robust entry level Saumur-Champigny with fresh red fruit, earthy minerals, lively acidity, marked tannic support and that slight resinous touch which I often find in Loire CabFranc from the less ripe vintages. Good.

P.S. I am used to Germain's entry level cuvée carrying the words "Domaine des Roches Neuves" on the label but this one doesn't. Does anyone know whether it is the same wine differently labelled or a different wine, which is not mentioned on the Thierry Germain/Roches Neuves website or in the guides?

Posted from CellarTracker

Re Bob's disappointing Chinon from Domaine Noblaie, I can't recall ever having had a wine from this estate nor many 2009s. I read in the Bettane/Desseauve guide that the wines of this estate are slow developers. For big vintage, 2009 is not very old.

PS to my above PS: I've found the answer on the website of the Belgian wine merchant where I used to meet Thierry Germain at tastings. "A noter : les vins du Domaine des Roches Neuves ne doivent pas être confondus avec d’autres vinifications réalisées par Thierry Germain sous sa casquette de négociant pour des raisins achetés ou vinifiés pour d’autres producteurs." So Germain has a négociant business as well as his estate. Not at all clear from the label which looks just like his other labels minus the estate name.