2004 was a difficult year for Chenin in Touraine but François Chidaine did a wonderful job with this Montlouis-sur-Loire “Les Bournais” 2004. The colour was quite deep amber and the nose could have presaged a sweet wine with its notes of quince, wax and honey. On the palate the wine was dry with medium body, smooth acidity and delicious fragrance of the aromas from the nose together with some apple and pear pie and delicious minerals; the only sign of the difficult vintage was a slight thinness which Germaine noticed on palate entry but the wine broadened and deepened into mid palate and showed a long fragrant finish; lovely 17/20.
A few months ago, I was nicely surprised by a small range of Bulgarian wines from boutique wineries being shown at Rob, the Brussels gourmets’ refuge. I remember a good off-dry Riesling, a pretentious Bordeaux blend from Stephan von Neipperg and this one, Cabernet-Sauvignon Bin 40 2005 – Santa Sarah, Goritza, Bulgaria – Alc.13.5%. Still, I was pleased that it performed so well with food. The nose was well developed with round aromas of dark fruit, particularly black currant, with an attractively subdued leafiness and the palate was full and quite deep with burgeoning sweet but fresh fruit and enough acidity and ripe structure to support the clean finish; after most other Bulgarians which I have tried, the absence of cloying wood treatment was particularly welcome. I don’t think that this wine will develop any further but it is attractive right now; 15.5/20++. Link - http://www.santa-sarah.com/?lang=en .
La Petite-Église – Pomerol – 2001 – is the second wine of Château l’Église-Clinet (90% Merlot, 10% CabFranc) and is likely to be the nearest I get to the Grand Vin which now costs over €200. It was full bodied, rich and hedonistic with red fruit touched by liqueur and sufficient acidity and grip to avoid the besetting Merlot sins of jamminess and cloying; more rigour would be ideal for me but this was attractively well balanced easy drinking; 16/20+.
Chianti Colli Senesi 2006 – Castello di Farnetella was its usual dependable self, gutsy, tangy and well structured; less ingratiating and firmer than 2005 but less tight than my memory of 2004 at a similar stage; it would probably be good for medium term ageing but won’t get it in my household; 16/20.