2005 Côt Franc de Pied, Henry Marionnet, Domaine de la Charmoise, Soings-en-Sologne This deep coloured and concentrated 2005 Côt or Malbec from ungrafted vines planted in 2000 is very much a wine made in Touraine but with a distinct echo of Mendoza – Argentina's largest and most important wine growing region. Lots of black fruits – cherry, blackberry and mulberry here – but lacking a little acidity that would have helped to carry off this concentrated fruit. Perhaps if I had kept it longer Touraine's customary acidity would have come through.
Henry Marionnet now has a significant holding of ungrafted vines – on original root stock and therefore open to being attacked and devoured by phylloxera. There are other patches in the Loire, or were because eventually phylloxera appears and does its deadly work. Over the past two or three years parcels owned by Mark Angeli (his Vignes Vignes Françaises in Anjou) and at Domaine Charles Joguet (Les Varennes du Grand Clos Francs Pieds, Chinon) have had to be grubbed up. So far, Marionnet has been spared ..............
