WTN: Four from Northwesternish France

2007 Marc Pesnot VdT Nature Chapeau Melon
My first exposure to this long elevage cuvee and it comes off a bit soft to me. It is an interesting combination of round slightly sweet fatness with petillance for freshness and interior hints of herbal nutty melon de bourgogne flavors. But, it is a bit soft and I prefer the precision found in the long elevage Muscadet cuvees from Luneau-Papin.

2005 Château Pierre-Bise Savennières Clos le Grand Beaupréau
Curious to try this as it is supposedly a step up from some of Claude’s other vineyards and this was his first vintage. However, it did not move me right now, as it showed too broad shouldered and caramel-like for my tastes. Inside the brawn was some long mineral Savennières fruit that may be nice if it ever outlasts the brawny syrupy exterior. In fact, I enjoyed it more and more over 4 days as the brawny fruit receded and it showed more clarity, which is good. But it never quite hit the notes of focus and precision that I would like. We will see.

1996 Marc Angeli Anjou Les Fourchardes
I was very curious to try this having never tasted one of his wines with so much age. In the end, the excitement was not great. It showed plenty of autumnal chenin flavors and still had plenty of body. It also showed a good amount of mineral acid and still possessed some sort of spine. But, those autumnal flavors were not the most complex and despite occasional flashes of detail it mostly came across as murky and not very compelling, but fine enough for a couple of glasses.

2007 Les Vins Contés VdT Pinoir de Soif
My first exposure to Lemasson and this was pitched to me as showing the most varietal typicity at the moment of any of his 07s. Which is interesting because I obviously can’t speak for the other cuvees, but this did not seem very “pinot noir” to me. It was pleasing enough, with fresh crisp and tart yet juicy clean fruit with none of the brett that others complain about in different bottlings. All in all it was fine enough drinkin’ but it mainly seemed to fill the role of pineau d’aunis, which is not a bad role, but not what I would expect/want from pinot noir. That may the vintage? Or that may change with age as it fills in? Regardless, that was my conclusion tonight.

[David M. Bueker]

Now that's an interesting set of wines. I've heard of two of them, only ever seen one of them & never drank any of them.

Thanks for the notes, I guess it is time I open some of the 04 Bise I have (no 05 unfortunately).

Now that's an interesting set of wines. I've heard of two of them, only ever seen one of them & never drank any of them.

The producers are all imported into the States, although I don't know about that specific Pierre Bise cuvee. But, I'm in Rennes so was trying to at least drink something I didn't usually run across in London and hadn't been drinking in CA.

Thanks for the notes, I guess it is time I open some of the 04 Bise.

Not necessarily.

Which cuvees do you have?

I would expect the Haut de la Garde to last for several years.

And it is always tough to tell because they go through so many stages.

I have: Savennieres Clos de Coulaine 2004 and Pierre Bise Savennieres Roche Aux Moines 2004

BTW, I love Luneau Papin too, I had his Excelsior 2001 and 2003 last weekend and loved them both. Also his normal cuvees from 2005 are stunning.

I have: Savennieres Clos de Coulaine 2004 and Pierre Bise Savennieres Roche Aux Moines 2004.

Depending how many bottles you have it wouldn't hurt to check in. I find that CdC drinks best with a couple years of age, although I still have a few bottles of the 1994 that have been showing well at some points and not well at other points That said, generally speaking I think Haut de la Garde used to be Claude's site for more 'serious' dry whites while CdC was for juicy younger drinking, despite what the appellations might lead you to believe.

Of course now, with Beaupréau and Roche aux Moines that is changing. Roche aux Moines especially has potential for long life, but 2004 was his first with the vineyard and he didn't even get it until the summer, i.e. he didn't get to work the vines himself throughout the growing season. So, I wouldn't expect as much from the 04 RAM as from the 05 RAM (or from future RAMs) and depending on how many bottles you have it wouldn't hurt to check in there either.

And please post notes, am always curious to hear about these wines.

Oké, thanks for the info. I have 6bottles of both. I will open them soon and will post a note here when I do. There is so many wine I want to have, would love to try the 05 but unfortunately there is a limit to what a person can buy each year