Two wines from Paul Buisse plus other news

9 March 2009

2008 Cristal Buisse, Touraine Sauvignon
2006 Tradition, Paul Buisse

Last night tried the 2008 Cristal Buisse, Touraine Sauvignon from Paul Buisse, the long established négociant based in Montrichard. The 2008 has grassy, gooseberry and grapefruit flavours with a touch of sweetness in the fresh, clean finish. It is well-made, easy drinking, commercial but without much complexity.

I have always thought that Touraine Tradition is rather a misnomer. There is not, as far as I know, any great tradition in this part of Touraine – or anywhere else for that matter – of belnding Gamay, Cabernet and Côt. More likely it is a shotgun marriage cooked up by the wine authorities, I believe, during the 1980s. In Touraine-Amboise this blend is called Cuvée François I. Apart from having more Gamay than they know what to do with, I have never understood the logic of blending Gamay with Cabernet and Côt. It is noticeable now that more and more Touraine producers prefer, if they are going to make a red blend, to put Cabernet and Côt together – two varieties that have more in common and a blend that works much better.

Gamay works best as a single varietal. On the whole it doesn’t make a memorable blend with Pinot Noir either, as the French wine authorities demonstrated once again when promoting the Coteaux du Giennois to AC while insisting that producers there couldn’t continue to make their most successful reds from 100% Pinot Noir as they had done when they were a more humble VDQS. Small wonder that the reds from the Coteaux du Giennois were easily the most disappointing reds at the big Central Vineyard tasting I did on 19th December 2008 at the offices of the Bureau du Centre, Sancerre. My advice to the Giennois producers, for what it is worth, is to forget the AC for reds and instead bottle Pinot Noir and Gamay separately and sell them as VDPs.

Anyway I digress – what of Paul Buisse’s 2006 Tradition? Well it was soft, easy drinking with some black fruits but not memorable. However, three of us happily drank the bottle, while making sure that our consumption was – moderate.

Paul Buisse, 69 Route de Vierzon, 41202 Montrichard
Tel: 02.54.32.00.01
Email: contact@paul-buisse.com
Website: http://www.paul.buisse.com/

•••

Noël Bougrier, boss of négociant business Bougrier based in La Chaise, Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, has stepped down as president of ANVIT (Association Nationale Interprofessionnelle des Vins de Table et des Vins de Pays) at the end of his two-year term. Noël becomes vice-president. René Moréno, president of the Cave de Montagnac in Languedoc-Roussillon, was elected again at ANVIT’s AGM on 5th March. Moréno was president from 2005-2007.

Lycée Viticole d’Amboise
Chance to taste and buy at the Lycée Viticole d’Amboise: 21st-22nd March. There is also a round table seminar on Saturday (21st) at 3pm with food and wine media star – Jean-Pierre Coffe.
Details here.
www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/dossiers/journal/index.php?dep=37&num=1143937