Having discussed the AC reforms and the possible solutions we moved onto to tasting some unfinished wines in the cellar. When Yves and Marguerite began to make wine again they used the old cave, which like many of the cellars in this region had originally been created when people quarried the tuffeau (limestone) to build houses. Later it has been used for wine making and you can still see notches on the cellar wall where a large wooden press was attached. A few years ago they built a more modern facility at the entrance to the cave where they have the press and some stainless steel and fiberglass vats.
We started the tasting with the 2009 Rosé. This is a clear indicator that wine making here comes before commerce. It was obvious that Sébastien would have liked to be able to have some 2009 Rosé to sell over the summer. However, the 2009 is not yet ready. It has been fermented in 400 litre barrels. "2009 took a long time to complete its alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. They have only just finished," said Michel. Sébastien looked somewhat crestfallen when Michel announced that the 2009 Rosé would not be ready to bottle until the end of the year. "It has to take its time," said Yves. "This is the first time that we have vinified our rosé in barrel.
Certainly although yet to be bottled this 2009 Thouars Rosé is far from your typical young rosé. It has more weight and structure than is customary with a floral and red fruits character. I fancy that if you tasted this blindfolded you might well have difficulty identifying it as a rosé. Will be interesting to taste when it is finally in bottle.
We then tasted some 2009s reds including the Reserve from barrel which looks promising with dense fruit, good balance but slightly drying tannins but it still has some months in barrel left. We also tasted a potential special cuvée from 2009 – a blend of old vines and press wines.
Next we headed out into the vineyard to the Clos just above the château and to see the new plantings of Chenin Blanc. The vineyards are grassed over in the centre of the row with weeds between the vines controlled by weedkiller.
The new plantings of Chenin Blanc are selection massale planted on calcaire ("pretty hard" – Michel) along with some silieuse.
Post on going
We started the tasting with the 2009 Rosé. This is a clear indicator that wine making here comes before commerce. It was obvious that Sébastien would have liked to be able to have some 2009 Rosé to sell over the summer. However, the 2009 is not yet ready. It has been fermented in 400 litre barrels. "2009 took a long time to complete its alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. They have only just finished," said Michel. Sébastien looked somewhat crestfallen when Michel announced that the 2009 Rosé would not be ready to bottle until the end of the year. "It has to take its time," said Yves. "This is the first time that we have vinified our rosé in barrel.
Certainly although yet to be bottled this 2009 Thouars Rosé is far from your typical young rosé. It has more weight and structure than is customary with a floral and red fruits character. I fancy that if you tasted this blindfolded you might well have difficulty identifying it as a rosé. Will be interesting to taste when it is finally in bottle.
Sébastien du Petit Thouars and Michel Pinard
We then tasted some 2009s reds including the Reserve from barrel which looks promising with dense fruit, good balance but slightly drying tannins but it still has some months in barrel left. We also tasted a potential special cuvée from 2009 – a blend of old vines and press wines.
Next we headed out into the vineyard to the Clos just above the château and to see the new plantings of Chenin Blanc. The vineyards are grassed over in the centre of the row with weeds between the vines controlled by weedkiller.
The new plantings of Chenin Blanc are selection massale planted on calcaire ("pretty hard" – Michel) along with some silieuse.
The new Chenin Blanc plantation
Post on going
Part One is here.
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