Jim's Loire: Château de la Genaiserie: some very good reds

Entrance to the Château de la Genaiserie, Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné

It is years since I have last been to Château de la Genaiserie – probably sometime in the 1990s when it was run by Yves Soulez. Ill health forced Yves to give up and the investors behind him sold to Frédéric Julia, who had been the director of Vinexpo, in 2003.

Genaiserie perches on top of the ridge above Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. The château was built in 1783 by the Baron de Bellefonds who perished not many years later in the Revolution. The property has 16 hectares of vines with 1.70ha of this in Chaume. No weedkiller or pesticides have been used since 2003 and next year the estate will be certified organic.

During Yves Soulez's time the sweet wines were excellent and this is still the case. This time I was particularly impressed with the reds – the 2009 straight Anjou Villages with its lovely soft, round fruit and the more weighty 2005 Anjou Villages Comte de Bellefonds with its very good texture.

This weekend is open day at the château.