Loires@Lea & Sandeman tasting

La Galleria, Pall Mall, London

Thursday afternoon I was at the Lea & Sandeman spring portfolio tasting, which was a good opportunity to taste a few Loires, before going on to play with some other wines

2013 Fié Gris Domaine de l'Aujardière, Eric Chevalier (£14.95)

Another good vintage of Fié Gris (the Loire's name for Sauvignon Rose) from Eric Chevalier. The 2013 has a touch of spice with its apricot fruit, nice concentration and texture with good length. 

2013 Les Granges, Chinon, Domaine Bernard Baudry (£12.95)

Juicy red fruits from Baudry's 2013 Les Granges with slightly bitter and grippy tannins in the finish. Doubtless with food this would be smoothed away. 

2013 La Coudraye, Bourgueil, Yannick Amirault (£14.50)

Sporting a new label, the 2013 La Coudraye from Yannick Amirault has a lovely purity of red fruits and youthful vibrancy. Just delicious! Although slightly more expensive than Baudry's Les Granges, on this showing I would buy the Amiraults' 2013 La Coudraye. 

2014 Les Sauterelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, 

Lionel Gosseaume (£9.95)

Here is the latest vintage of Lionel Gosseaume's Touraine Sauvignon. If you are looking for marked cats' pee or two dimensional citric juice then look elsewhere! Lionel's 2014 is attractively soft and ripe with notes of apricot and pineapple with nicely balanced acidity. Grown up Touraine Sauvignon! 

2014 Sancerre, Domaine Vincent Delaporte à Chavignol (£15.95)

Good texture and weight although rather more stony than the Touraine from Lionel. Youthful with vibrant acidity this could do with a little more time in bottle. Good Sancerre but really worth £6 more than Lionel's Touraine. I doubt it if you discount the cachet of Sancerre's name and I'm not criticising Vincent Delaporte here!  

2011 Les Rouannières, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 

Château Pierre-Bise (£16.95)

The Papins are rightly reputed for their range of sweet wines from the Coteaux du Layon and this 2011 shows why. Light gold, rich nose with ripe apricot, seductive texture and long finish. Although some maintain that 2011 is a better sweet wine vintage than 2010 but at present I prefer the vibrant fruit and thrilling acidity of the 2010s.   

1990 Vouvray Moelleux, Domaine Slyvain Gaudron (£39.95)

Light coloured for a 1990 with hints of green, some botrytis on the nose. Delicate, lightly sweet style moelleux.