Informal concours des Touraine primeurs@Epeigné-les-Bois

2009 Gamay grapes@Le Clos du Porteau, Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Mark Robertson reports on this annual concours held in Epeigné-les-Bois

The results of last night's degustation of Primeurs. 12 highly motivated judges - nine wines tasted blind. Amongst the "traps" - 2 bottles of the same wine (Domaine de la Girardière) plus a Beaujolais Nouveau and a Gamay from the Ardèche.

Overall the judges thought the standards high, a good year with lots of ripe fruit made for concentrated, mouth-filling wines with a good balance of acidity.

The results as follows with details of the medals awarded to each wine in local competition. Maybe surprising but the Epeigne panel was somewhat at odds with the professional panels. Nobody liked the Paul Buisse, it was slightly pétillant and had an unpleasant "confected" taste.

Winner was Caves Père Auguste from Civray.

The evening was rounded off by a ragout of pork with buttered noodles, cheeses and a mouthwatering selection of home made desserts (canelles, creme caramel, pain d'epices, gâteau chocolat et poire poches au vin rouge)

2009 Gamay grapes@Le Clos du Porteau, Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Results

1st Caves Père Auguste (41 points)
2nd joint Lycee Viticole Amboise & Domaine de la Girardière (Silver medal) (38 points)
3rd joint Domaine de la Girardière (Silver medal) & Beaujolais (36 points)
4th Closerie de Chanteloup (Silver medal) (31 points)
5th Gamay d’Ardeche (30 points)
6th Plou et Fils (Silver medal) (28 points)
7th Paul Buisse (Gold medal) (17 points)

2007 Lucien Crochet, Sancerre and 1982 Cuvée Napoléon, Côtes de Buzet

Tonight took a look at the 2007 Le Chêne, Sancerre from Lucien Crochet. This comes from vines grown on caillottes, which are often pure limestone with very little soil if any. Indeed there are parts of Sancerre that are just pure white rock. This has gooseberry and grapefruit flavours typical of quality Sancerre with minerality, a precision and cleanness of flavour that is typical of 2007. The grapes are picked by hand followed by an alcoholic fermentation of around 35 days in stainless steel vats. Bottled in September following the vintage.

Although this is not the top Crochet Sancerre it shows why Gilles Crochet is one of the appellation's top producers.




Then a wine tried last night – 1982 Cuvée Napoléon from the Cave Cooperative de Buzet. Remarkably silky wine with very attractive sweet evolved fruit. Although it lacks great complexity, it has kept remarkably well despite not having the best storage conditions. I suspect that I could pass this off as a classed growth. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

What's Oz Clarke got against Muscadet?

I was recently sent a review copy of Oz Clarke's new book: 'Let me tell you about wine' - a beginner's guide to understanding and enjoying wine (Anova Books £14.99).

I was surprised that, in the short section on the Loire, Oz dismisses Muscadet both for flavour and value. 'One more important grape is Muscadet, grown around Nantes at the mouth of the Loire and used for neutral-tasting dry wine of the same name. (P122). 'Muscadet is overpriced for its quality.' (P123).

Of course it is difficult to give any nuanced opinions in a book on the whole of wine in 192 pages with plenty of photos but I do think that Oz has been very harsh on Muscadet and, perhaps, not recognised the improvements in quality that have been made over the last dozen years or so. True Muscadet is not a strident wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Gewurtraminer but it does have flavours including floral, citric notes, mineral. It is a marvellous match with many kinds of fish. Also in many instances it offers remarkable value for money.

To test Oz's assertion that 'Muscadet is overpriced for its quality' I opened a bottle of 2005 Comte Leloup du Château de Chasseloir, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine from Bernard Chereau. It had some considerable weight from the ripe vintage, bready and citric notes with a definite sur lie prickle in the mineral finish. All in all a delicious drink that went very well with my seafood pasta. One of those bottles that seemed to empty itself effortlessly.

2005 Comte Leloup

The Comte Leloup comes from vines over 100 years old at Chasseloir and the 2005 is available from Frank Stainton Wines priced at £9.50. For its quality and to enjoy a top Muscadet this seems to me very reasonably priced.

More evidence of quality and value from Muscadet's can be found here with the 2003 Le Clos du Pont from Pascal Guilbaud enjoyed at the tasting I attended in Paris on 22nd October.

Domaine de la Haute Clémencerie, 2007 Touraine Rosé

With a few exceptions a rosé is normally best drunk within a year of its vintage. However, this recently tasted 2007 Rosé made from Cabernet by Patrick Mahoudeau, Domaine de la Haute Clémencerie is still very fresh and shows no sign of tiring. Pretty mid-pink colour with attractive red fruits, it's a refreshing apéritif with quite an austere finish due to the characteristically high acidity of the 2007 vintage. I enjoy this austerity and cleanness but I know some people find these 2007s just a little too austere.

Sign at the entrance to the Domaine de la Haute Clemencerie, Faverolles-sur-Cher