2005 Côte de la Houssaye, Anjou Villages, Ogereau + 1998 Cahors, Domaine du Port

Friends came round on Saturday night and we enjoyed a relaxed evening – une soirée de la modération, bien entendu.... We enjoyed these two two reds with the main course – free-range roast chicken. 

     

2005 Côte de la Houssaye, Anjou Villages, Domaine Ogereau

This comes from a special parcel planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and this cuvée is only made in good vintages when the fruit is properly ripe. Wines from the 2005 vintage are now showing very well and this is no exception. Rich and full bodied, very attractive texture this developed remarkable and intense aromas of mint and eucalyptus – aromas that I don't remember finding on Loire reds before.  

1998 Cahors, Domaine du Port 

Quite bricky in colour with delicate sweet but complex fruit fruit, likely to be past its best but still has its attractions.   

 

•••

Variable ripeness within a bunch with 

some grapes frazzled by hot weather (19.9.16)

(above and below)

 
Not looking pretty!
2016 Vendanges in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, AC Touraine 

This brief report comes with a health warning as to date I have only looked at couple of sites in Chinon plus taking a ride today through some of the vineyards of Saint Georges-sur-Cher. In addition I have also talked to a number of Loire vignerons but even so it is dangerous to jump to conclusions on a small sample. 

However, we can say that 2016 has been a difficult year with frost at the end of April, very heavy rain causing widespread flooding at the end of May and beginning of June. After this many producers had to deal with powerful mildew attacks. Then in July and August the weather turned dramatically hot and very dry, so much so that there were drought conditions by early September. 

However, rain started on evening of Tuesday 12th September, so the drought is over. But the drought has probably made the veraison prolonged so within the same bunch you can still still green grapes along with black ones making picking difficult. The very hot weather also frazzled some of the grapes as these photos show.      

Shrivelled by the heat of July and August 
Further reducing the yield  
(above and below)

 

Despite the very hot July and August 
already signs of rot in some bunches (above and below) 




 

Significant percentage 
of this bunch heat frazzled  

La Table de la Bergerie: early October 2013

 Sign at the entrance to Domaine de la Bergerie 

and La Table de la Bergerie

Early last October we ate at La Table de la Bergerie run by chef David Guitton, who is married to Anne Guégniard, who now runs Domaine de la Bergerie with her parents Yves and Marie-Yannick. It is very unusual in the Loire to have a restaurant attached to a wine estate and it is especially unusual to have one of this quality. 

We chose the menu which included an appropriate wine from the domaine with each course. Unfortunately I have forgotten the details of what we ate but do remember that it was impressively good. I have eaten here on several occasions and have always had excellent meals. 

 2011 Les Pierres Girard, Anjou

Les Pierres Girard, which was served with the first course, is 100% Chenin Blanc from old vines – some as old as 100 years from the vineyard just to the east of the winery.  

 

Old vine Chenin with vines around 100 years old 

La Croix Picot, Savennières: from a vineyard 

overlooking in the Loire in the east of the appellation

Served with second course

Duck breast with figs 

(above and below)

Evanescence, Anjou Villages: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The power and concentration to match the duck

Cheese course with a glass of 2010 

Clos le Grand Beaupréau Savennières

2010 Clos Le Grand Beaupréau, Savennières

Clos Le Grand Beaupréau is the vineyard that the Guégniard's share with Vincent and Catherine Ogereau and Claude and Joëlle Papin. The vineyard is up on the plateau and the wine tends to be richer and fuller than La Croix Pichot.   

Desserts

2010 Quarts de Chaume

Served with the desserts

Lovely Q de C from a very good vintage – concentration and great balance

 

2003 Anjou Villages, Domaine Ogereau

Last night a powerful bottle of 2003 Anjou Villages from Domaine Ogereau. made from 100% Cabernet Franc. Still young and very concentrated and, like many 2003 Loires, tastes as though it comes from considerably further south. A question of power rather than elegance. Still doesn't really answer the long-running debate over the longevity of the 2003s, although this does offer a pointer since it was still youthful and likely to continue to develop.

**

News of another Porte Ouverte in May: 8th – 9th May

Domaine Aupetitgendre, Isabelle and Claude Aupetitgendre, 12 Rue des Fougères, Thoré, 37150 Civray de Touraine

Tel: 02.47.23.92.50
Email: vin-aupetitgendre@wanadoo.fr

Two very fine bottles of Anjou Villages

17th October 2009

2003 Anjou Villages Brissac, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau
1990 Anjou Villages Domaine Vincent Ogereau

Having started our Saturday evening with the 1982 Roche aux Moines, Savennières from Château de Chamboreau followed by a interlude provided by a bottle of Jacky Blot's Triple Zero, we moved onto a couple of Anjou Villages wines, which both showed extremely well.

2003 Anjou Villages Brissac, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau

Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, this has all the power and richness of a 2003 – sweet black fruits, soft but powerful structure, length and a lower level of acidity than is normally customary in an Anjou Villages. There are some that maintain that the 2003s will not last. As yet this shows no signs of tiring and I think it is likely that this 2003 will develop further.



1990 Anjou Villages Domaine Ogereau, Vincent and Catherine Ogereau
This was a real delight – a fine mature bottle showing at its best with soft, silky prune and figgy fruit, fully integrated tannins. 1990 is another vintage that has been attractive from its youth but yet has stayed the course. I'm not sure that this will develop further but it should happily last for at least another five years would be my guess. Probably made from 100% Cabernet Franc but may have had a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon as this was before the Ogereau's bottled their Cabernet Sauvignon separately.

It would be interesting to taste these blind against some good Bordeaux and see how they fared. They are certainly more reasonably priced.

1996: the best vintage of the 1990s?

I was reminded today by a tasting note on the wine forum of Tom Cannavan's wine-pages that I have been meaning to post something on the 1996 vintage.

Tim York noted that the 'Chinon 1996 from L’Echansonne Sélection Noël Pinguet - Olga Raffault was a nice youthful seeming, savoury and robust Chinon full of red fruit, especially plums and damsons, abundant acidity offset by good body and an appealing wet leather tang'.

1996 Clos Rougeard, Les Frères Foucault,
Saumur-Champigny

For some time I have thought that 1996 is the best vintage the 90s decade, especially for reds, notwithstanding the fine and very appealing 1990s. 1996 is a classic good Loire vintage. It has a lovely balance of fruit, structure and acidity and has aged well as Tim's comment 'nice youthful seeming' bears out. 1996 and 1997 were both good years and naturally frequently compared. 1997 has always been ripe and opulent – a crowd pleaser. While the best have lasted better than they thought they might, they don't have the same level of balance and complexity found in 1996 reds. 1995 was potentially a good year for reds too but while I've had a few good 1995s the high level of acidity has meant that they have taken a long time to come round and it seems likely that marked acidity will continue to be a feature of the 1995s.

As well as the Clos Rougeard above other 1996 reds I have recently drunk and enjoyed include Les Châtains from Domaine de Nerleux, Grand Clos from Château de Villeneuve and the Anjou Villages from Domaine de Bablut. The 1996 Gamay from Clos Roche Blanche was showing well about two/three years ago – will have to check on its progress.

Not the Clos Roche Blanche's Gamay
but the 1996 Touraine Sauvignon

1996 is also a fine year for dry whites and demi-secs along with good sweet wines. With the sweets 1995, 1996 and 1997 make a fascinating trio with perhaps the 1997s being superior.

Views of Brissac: April 2007

Brissac-Quincé

The market town of Brissac-Quincé is both the centre of the Coteaux de l' Aubance and can add its name to Anjou Villages as this is considered to be the best area for Anjou Villages. This is not to say that individual producers of Anjou-Villages from elswhere in Anjou do not make equally good wines – Vincent Ogereau and Claude Papin to mention but two.

Château de Brissac

Château d’Yseron, Vallet

(23 September 2008)

We stayed overnight at the Château d’Yseron, which is about three kilometres north east of Vallet. Owned and run by Olivier de Saint-Albin this is a very comfortable place to stay. We had a large room with a bed that would have easily accommodated three people with a good firm mattress and luxurious sheets. The property used to belong to the Benedictine order. The monks left in 1750 and in 1830 the property was bought by Olivier's grandfather, who built the current château. Olivier, who used to sell TGVs and other forms of transport in the US and Canada, is now retired. He has impeccable English but is happy to speak French.

The estate has 10 hectares of vines – making Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine and a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from a blend of Melon de Bourgogne and Chardonnay.
Rooms: 5 from €80-€120 including breakfast. WiFi. Credit cards accepted.

Olivier de Saint-Albin, Château d'Yseron, 44330 Vallet
Mobile: 06.10.76.54.28
Email: ostalbin@wanadoo.fr
Web: pagesperso-orange.fr/olivier.stalbin/

Auberge Chez Pipette
That evening we enjoyed a simple meal at the Auberge Chez Pipette, which specialises in various grills over sarments des vignes (vine cuttings). We shared a plate of grilled calamari rings followed by an entrecôte and a fillet steak – both good and fine partners for the 2005 Anjou Villages from Château de Passavant. Although we could have ordered some garish ice-cream sundaes, we each opted for a couple of scoops of ice-cream. Chez Pipette is well outside La Haye-Fouassière. It’s just off the D149 to Clisson and close to the junction with the N249.

Auberge Chez Pipette, 13 Impasse Tournebride, 44690 La Haye - Fouassière
Tel: 02 40 54 80 47
www.aubergechezpipette.com