2005 Cabernet, AC Touraine Clos Roche Blanche

16th March 2008

From the very good 2005 vintage this is still deep coloured, with good concentration of black fruits and enough acidity to make you come back for another mouthful. Reds from Clos Roche Blanche tend age well and this should do so as well, although I’m worried that this is closed with a plastic cork which may well bring problems of oxidation.

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News from elsewhere: Beaujolais judgment – a warning not to overdo the sugar

Following the hearing at the end of January 2009 against some 50 Beaujolais producers who added excess amounts of sugar to their musts, the Tribunal de Villefranche today handed out fines. For the producers these varied between €1000 and €5000 with suspended jail sentences of between 12 and 15 months. The two intermediaries were fined €35,000 and €25,000 respectively. The supermarkets, who supplied the sugar, were fined between €4000 and €15,000. It appears that the supermarkets got off lightly, while the producers received higher fines than anticipated.

Most of the excessive use of sugar occurred in the difficult 2004 vintage when the grapes were clearly picked unripe and probably with excessive yields.

Details here.

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Off to the First International Sparkling Wine Symposium at Denbies Vineyard, near Dorking later today. Will see what there is to report on the event.

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Fascinating trip back in time:

Winetasting Journeys in the Loire
Valley and Alsace, 1997-1998

Travelogue, Tasting Notes and Photographs by
Don and Melissa Rice

Accounts of these visits that Don and Melissa Rice made to producers in the Loire Valley and Alsace in 1997 and 1998 can now be found here. Don Ricer is the compiler of the Bibliography of texts on the Loire.