Now in Angers – dinner@Le Relais

2007 La Garde, Anjou, Château Pierre-Bise

Excellent drive down from London to Angers. Leaving just before 6am we were through London before the traffic got at all busy and we were lucky with the lights. Then a good drive down to Angers, arriving with enough time to drop off our luggage and to clock that Andy Murray had won his semi-final before heading out to see the Lebretons at Domaines des Rochelles at Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets. We had an impressive and illuminating tasting with Jean-Yves Lebreton and occasional appearances from his son, Jean-Hubert. The reds continie to be very good, while the whites have shown very marked progress over the past five years or more both for dry and sweet styles. 

We finished the day with a convivial dinner at Le Relais with Sarah Ahmed joining Nigel Wilkinson, Tom King and myself.

We started with the 2007 La Garde (no sulphur), Anjou Blanc from Claude Papin's Château Pierre-Bise. Full bodied and reasonably rich but with lovely balancing acidity and mineral character, this is better balanced that some of Claude's Anjou Blanc where the richness of fruit and alcohol can be initially attractive but which becomes tiring. 

2005 Coteau des Ouches, Bourgueil, Thomas and Denis Gambier

Spotting this Gambier Bourgueil on the list I thought it would be good to try as I don't think I have tasted anything from this estate since it was run by their father Paul. Deep coloured with good concentration, dense rich fruit and decidely attractive to drink, although perhaps without the complexity that would have lifted it onto another level. 

2008 Cuvée Prestige, Anjou-Villages, Château de Putille

This deep coloured gamy and savoury wine has attractively vibrant fruit with the tannins more present than in the 2005 Bourgueil, reflecting the customary differences between cabernets from Touraine and the more angular wines from Anjou. Unfortunately the label is surely a leading contender for the worst label award. It is difficult imaging that anyone would voluntarily select this Touraine from a retailer's shelf without considerable prompting. This is a pity as the wine is good and Pascal Delaunay (Château de Putille) has reputation for quality.