WTN: Foreau Vouvray Brut NV

Bought to celebrate graduation of daughter #2 from high school.

This is made from chenin blanc. Mousse dissipates quickly but there's a nice curtain of tiny bubbles that follows. Pretty pale straw yellow color. Honey and apples on the nose follows onto the palate. Tart citrusy mid palate and pleasant rather lengthy finish with excellent acidity. Great food wine - it'll be great with appetizers tomorrow I'm sure. Really tastes like I've bitten into a tart granny smith apple.

Here's what Robin had to say about this wine a couple of years ago: Foreau non-vintage Vouvray Brut Methode Traditionnelle ($14.99)

"Clear pale greenish-gold, with a frothy mousse that dissipates quickly, followed by a slow but steady stream of bubbles. Appetizing fresh fruit aromas, apples and pears, lead into a full, crisp flavor that's dry, creamy and long. A very fine sparkling wine and a credible alternative to Champagne at a price the high-price bubbly can't touch. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Cincinnati, and other regional distributors. (Dec. 19, 2001)"

Big difference now is the wine cost 19.99 on sale. So overall, not cheap but still very good bubbly.

In my experience, Foreau's bubblies are in a class of their own for the Loire valley.

Philippe Foreau is a regular visitor to tastings in Belgium and I have also visited his estate in Vouvray. He is a most interesting person to talk to, particularly about associations of food and wine, but I once got into mild trouble with him for saying that I detected apple notes in his wine (pear and quince are OK). He claimed that this was a fault unless it was certain varieties of apple whose identities I have unfortunately forgotten. I don't think that he would have been happy with Granny Smith as a descriptor but I quite see what you mean.

Ooops. Thanks for that background. Certainly no harm intended. Any undesirable descriptors are a result of my poor describing abilities not any problems in the wine. Pick an appley pear like flavor with great finish and tartness that has good connotation and substitute it.

Tim,

You find the Foreau fizz to be far above Huet, who I would name as another contender? What do you think of Pinon?

Separately, I've had the same conversation about apples with Philippe. Certain apple flavors are a sign of oxidation in chenin blanc, and Philippe is more careful to avoid oxidation than many growers.

Joe,

For still wines I regard Huet and Foreau as on a superb par but have no unforgettable memory of Huet's bubblies. I have not tried Pinon's.

As regards the still wines, I have found Foreau's to have a diamond sharp focus but more unyielding than Huet's in their youth. Absolutely unforgettable are my memories of two Huet moelleux, a '47 and '71.

The Chidaine Vouvrays being made from the former Pontiatowski estate are delicious young and promise well.

Thank you for reminding me of the connection of apple flavour with oxidation. I wish I could recall my conversation with Foreau better because it would be really useful to know precisely which apple flavours are a danger sign in chenin after several disappointments, particularly with Savennières.

Perhaps apple is the wrong descriptor because there are none of the other flavors and aromas that I associate with oxidation present.