Philippe Germain@The RSJ Restaurant 22nd June

Philippe chatting over the aperitif 

The always enthusiastic Philippe Germain was over in London this week and on Tuesday evening presented a short range of his wines at the RSJ. Philippe moved from Bordeaux in 2001 and initially worked with his father, Bernard, selling the range of Germain wines that included Château de Fesles that was subsequently sold to Grands Chais de France. 

In 2006 he acquired the lovely Château de la Roulerie in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné in one of the best parts of the Layon.   

Wines were:

Aperitif:  

2007 Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc 
This 2007 is showing very well at the moment with lovely pure citric fruit, especially grapefruit – all the precision and purity that is typical of the 2007 vintage.

Whites:
2009 Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc

Naturally still youthful with the weight you would expect of 2009 with floral and grapefruit notes. Closed with a screwcap.

2008 Les Terrasses, Anjou Blanc 
Philippe's top dry white from vines on terraces created by Gaston Lenôtre in the early 1990s. Very clean with brilliant minerality.

Served with goats cheese and asparagus salad with crouton




Philippe is happy to admit that the schisteous terroir of La Roulerie is not ideally suited to making red wine. Indeed he would rather concentrate on the whites but his brother, Thierry of Domaine des Roches Neuves, urges him to continue to make red as well. In truth the Roulerie reds are pleasant and well made but they are ones to drink young, enjoy young and not to be taken particularly seriously.  

Philippe in full flight   

Reds:
2009 Cabernet Franc, Anjou Rouge 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, Anjou Rouge 

Philippe waited until around 20th October to pick when the fruit was fully ripe. Unusually this has 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. Youthful black fruits with some structure  and still attractive freshness in the finish despite the wine having 13-13.5% alcohol. 

2008 Cabernet Franc, Anjou Rouge  

Soft attractive, easy drinking fruit.

Served with roast rib eye beef with new potatoes, summer vegetables and red wine sauce

 1990 Cuvée Louis

Sweet: 
1990 Cuvée Louis, Coteaux du Layon Chaume, Château de la Roulerie,
The definite star of the evening a lovely sweet wine made by Dominique Jadeau – the last vintage he made before he sold Roulerie to Lenôtre. Medium gold – the 1990s took on colour very early – with rich dried apricot and peachy fruit and the typical Loire acidity that stops these rich wines being cloying. Very long flavour too. Really a wine to enjoy by itself instead of a dessert or after the end of the meal.

Served with apple meringue pie with pecan ice cream