Château de Tracy
I start the third section with a couple of classics from the Central Vineyards:
2008 Caillottes, Sancerre, Jean-Max Roger
Although Jean-Max and his family doesn't get the media attention accorded to some other Sancerre producers, if you want a reference for consistently high quality Sancerre then you'll find it with Jean-Max Roger's wines. The ripe nose of the 2008 Caillottes is slightly deceptive as the wine is a countebalance of quite austere minerality with ripe gooseberry flavours. (Shown by Champagnes & Châteaux)
At Les Grands Chais de France I had an interesting tasting with Tim North, the UK director. "One of Grands Chais' best moves was to buy Vinival," he said. The 2009 Kiwi Cuvée is an inter-regional blend of Sauvignon coming from the Loire, Gascony and the Midi. The sort of inter-regional blending that is entirely common and natural in Australia but something that vin de pays producers in the Midi have long fought to prevent – going to court to derail earlier attempts such as cépages de France to have the inter-regional option. Kiwi Cuvée is soft, easy drinking, commercial and reasoanble value at £5.99.
As well as buying Vinival in the Loire, Grands Chais also snapped up Maison Sauvion, including Château du Cléray (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine), and Châteu de Fesles. The austere and lemony 2008 Château du Cléray with a long finish shows that Pierre Sauvion continues to make good Muscadet.
Part 4 – Les Caves de Pyrène (to follow)
Jean-Max Roger
2007 and 2008 Pouilly-Fumé, Château de Tracy, Count Henry d'Estutt d'Assay
I tasted the 08 and the 07 vintages – first the 2008 Tracy and then the 2007. It might have been better to have tasted them the other way round but, as Kurt Vonnegut said from time to time, so it goes. Although the 2007 and 2008 vintages have much in common the 2008 is definitely the riper, more concentrated of the two years with a ripe aromas and flvaours, although with quite an austere finish. The 2007 is very typical of this very precise, clean years – leaner, more mineral and austere. 
Count Henry in his Haute Densité vineyard: October 2009
At Les Grands Chais de France I had an interesting tasting with Tim North, the UK director. "One of Grands Chais' best moves was to buy Vinival," he said. The 2009 Kiwi Cuvée is an inter-regional blend of Sauvignon coming from the Loire, Gascony and the Midi. The sort of inter-regional blending that is entirely common and natural in Australia but something that vin de pays producers in the Midi have long fought to prevent – going to court to derail earlier attempts such as cépages de France to have the inter-regional option. Kiwi Cuvée is soft, easy drinking, commercial and reasoanble value at £5.99.
As well as buying Vinival in the Loire, Grands Chais also snapped up Maison Sauvion, including Château du Cléray (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine), and Châteu de Fesles. The austere and lemony 2008 Château du Cléray with a long finish shows that Pierre Sauvion continues to make good Muscadet.
Part 4 – Les Caves de Pyrène (to follow)
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