#Vitiloire12: more photos and comments

Emmanuel Charrier, Domaine de l'Epineau 

With temperatures around 30˚C Saturday afternoon@Vitiloire 2012 conditions were far from perfect for tasting, so I spent more time taking photos than I did tasting. I did, however, try Emmanuel Charrier's attractively fresh and citric 2010 Prémices, Domaine de l'Epineau from the Coteaux du Giennois. 

Charrier has five hectares in the Coteaux du Giennois and just one in Pouilly-Fumé. I also tried his 2010 Pouilly-Fumé, which was less of stand out than the Coteaux du Giennois.  

See also here.

Emmanuel Charrier, Domaine de l'Epineau 

Jean-François Mérieau, Domaine des Bois Vaudons, Touraine 

Jean-Max Manceau, Domaine de Noiré

Philippe Boucard: Lamé Delisle Boucard, Bourgueil 

Les 5 du Vin will be in Bourgueil this weekend for a programme of tastings and visits. Philippe warned me to get plenty of rest this week! Clearly he has in mind some long days and equally long nights!

Valérye Mordelet (Les Loges de la Folie): châpeau!

Jean-Daniel Kloeckle (Les Loges de la Folie) 

Two items: oenos interview with Valérye Mordelet + Frédéric Mabileau PO

Jean-Daniel Kloeckle: Les Loges de la Folie

Interview here by oenos (Eva Robineau) with Valérye Mordelet

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Frédéric Mabileau – Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil: Portes Ouvertes Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July: 10-19h 

Domaine Les Loges de la Folie

Jean-Daniel Kloeckle

While in Husseau on Saturday we also dropped in to the Domaine Les Loges de la Folie run by Valérye Mordelet and Jean-Daniel Kloeckle, who had a portes ouvertes over the weekend. 

I visited the domaine with Sarah Ahmed in August 2008 – see report on Jim's Loire here – and, apart from tasting some of their wines at the Renaissance event on the eve of the 2010 Salon des Vins de Loire, I hadn't tried the wines again. Apart from the Rosé Pétillant Naturel, a full range (mainly Montlouis) was available. 

My two favourite wines were the Perles Rares (21€), a sparkling Montlouis, and Velvet, a vin de table. The base wine for Perles Rares spends 18 months fermenting and aging in barriques followed by 18 months sur latte. This long maturation gives the wine a rich, honeyed character that is balanced with a long finish. Velvet (8.50€) is a juicy, easy drinking red – full of red fruits – made from a blend of 80% Gamay, 10% Côt and 10% Pineau d'Aunis. Very much a wine to enjoy with friends rather than to analyse. Although not mentioned on the label, Velvet is currently from the 2009 vintage.

Although the other wines are well made, the lack real zip and the excitement necessary to take them into the top rank of Montlouis. Still the domaine is only just over five years old and it is good that harvest is all by hand and that they are certified organic.       

Part of the cellar