2016 Salon des Vins de Loire – some echoes

The First Salon des Vins de Loire was in 1987 and to date it hasn't missed a year since not even following the terrible frost of April 1991. Despite some voices saying that it should be called off the 1992 edition went ahead. My first Salon was in January 1990 and I have been to every edition since.

The biggest threat the Salon now faces is Prowein, which has grown enormously over the last decade and a number of significant producers have decided to opt for the Dusseldorf and miss the Loire Salon. Late in the day the organisers of the Salon found a place and a formula for organic La Levée de la Loire last year. This year they have added a Demeter (biodynamic) fair as well. They have also included a section that highlights 'Young Producers', which is good news.  

Monday attracted a good crowd and my impression was that this first  is that this edition is busier than last year. Predictably Tuesday was quieter and Wednesday very calm but good news for those of us who want to taste at the most popular stands but don't want to fight through the crowds. 

Some echoes
Châteaumeillant: up to 25 growersChâteaumeillant, Georges Sand country, has a strong claim to be the most isolated of Loire appellations. Quincy and Reuilly are the two Loire appellations closest to Châteaumeillant – just under 70 kilometres away for Reuilly and just over 70 kms for Quincy. In both cases it's an hour's drive away or more. 

Despite being isolated the appellation, which was promoted from VDQS to AOC in June 2010, has undergone a revolution in the past five years. In 2010 there were just four or five producers with the Cave Coop counting for an important part of the small production of Châteaumeillant. Since then, due to the closure of the Co-op some two years and a number of producers selling up or retiring, the number of producers has jumped to 25, although the area under vine hasn't increased significantly. 

A number of the new producers have come from Quincy, an all white appellation, attracted by the possibility of making red and rosé to augment their portfolios. Quincy producers, who have moved into Châteaumeillant, include Lecomte, Roux, Jacques Rouzé and Domaines Siret. Joseph Mellot also has a small parcel in the AC.  

Ludo and Sophie Ragot have sold their fine Café de la Promenade in Bourgueil with the new owners taking over in March.

Having handed over the Château de Tracy (Pouilly-Fumé) vineyards to his sisters, Comte Henry d'Assay has set up a négociant business – SAS Comte Henry d'Assay.

After some 20 years this is expected to be the last Salon des Vins de Loire that Gérard Pelletier will be welcoming vignerons, importers and press to his excellent restaurant – Le Relais. At the age of 62 Gérard has decided to embark on a second life. Thank you Gérard and we wish you a long and enjoyable retirement.

2012 Salon des Vins de Loire: a few more portraits

 André Figeat, Domaine André and Edmond Figeat, Pouilly-Fumé

 Christophe Baudry, Maire of Cravant-les-Coteaux + Baudry-Dutour:

"Look Barack, I'm sorry I'm going to have to call off now – 
I'm at the Loire wine fair and am really busy!"

 Egmont Labadie, journalist and author  

 Gérard Pelletier, owner of the restaurant Le Relais, where Les 5 du Vin celebrated their 2nd anniversary (7th February 2011)

 Marc Vanhellemont (Les 5 du Vin): "I hope I've got this up the right way!"

Gilbert Bossard, Domaine Basse Ville, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine

 Thierry Delaunay, Domaine Joël Delaunay (Touraine) 

Thierry Merlet, winemaker for and consultant to Domaine de Villebois (Touraine)

Antoine Sanzay, Saumur and Saumur-Champigny

Scarlet fone and Miss Vicky Wine 

Now in Angers – dinner@Le Relais

2007 La Garde, Anjou, Château Pierre-Bise

Excellent drive down from London to Angers. Leaving just before 6am we were through London before the traffic got at all busy and we were lucky with the lights. Then a good drive down to Angers, arriving with enough time to drop off our luggage and to clock that Andy Murray had won his semi-final before heading out to see the Lebretons at Domaines des Rochelles at Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets. We had an impressive and illuminating tasting with Jean-Yves Lebreton and occasional appearances from his son, Jean-Hubert. The reds continie to be very good, while the whites have shown very marked progress over the past five years or more both for dry and sweet styles. 

We finished the day with a convivial dinner at Le Relais with Sarah Ahmed joining Nigel Wilkinson, Tom King and myself.

We started with the 2007 La Garde (no sulphur), Anjou Blanc from Claude Papin's Château Pierre-Bise. Full bodied and reasonably rich but with lovely balancing acidity and mineral character, this is better balanced that some of Claude's Anjou Blanc where the richness of fruit and alcohol can be initially attractive but which becomes tiring. 

2005 Coteau des Ouches, Bourgueil, Thomas and Denis Gambier

Spotting this Gambier Bourgueil on the list I thought it would be good to try as I don't think I have tasted anything from this estate since it was run by their father Paul. Deep coloured with good concentration, dense rich fruit and decidely attractive to drink, although perhaps without the complexity that would have lifted it onto another level. 

2008 Cuvée Prestige, Anjou-Villages, Château de Putille

This deep coloured gamy and savoury wine has attractively vibrant fruit with the tannins more present than in the 2005 Bourgueil, reflecting the customary differences between cabernets from Touraine and the more angular wines from Anjou. Unfortunately the label is surely a leading contender for the worst label award. It is difficult imaging that anyone would voluntarily select this Touraine from a retailer's shelf without considerable prompting. This is a pity as the wine is good and Pascal Delaunay (Château de Putille) has reputation for quality.   

Une Ile ou Le Petit Comptoir

Une Ile

Despite a population of around 283,000 in greater Angers, the town is short of really good restaurants, so it is probably rather daft trying to stack up Une Ile against Le Petit Comptoir. Both are small restaurants – Le Petit Comptoir has space for just 24/26 people and a few more in Une Ile. Certainly as two of the best restaurants in Angers, if not the best, both should have little problem filling their tables.

Une Ile is a new venture by Catherine and Gérard Bossé, who owned and ran les Tonnelles on the island of Behuard just off Savennières until they closed around Christmas 2008 ready for the move to Angers. Une Ile opened on 21st January. Its decor has Japanese influences. The menu du midi (lunch) is 28€ for an amuse bouche, le plat du moment and cheese. Otherwise the menus are at 48€ (three courses), 58€ (four courses), 80€ menu dégustation, 105€ Les Gourmandises (glass of wine with each course) and 150 menu tout truffe. During the Salon des Vins de Loire I had the good fortune to eat here twice. The cooking is extremely good – the fish outstanding. There is a very good selection of Loire wines with a strong nod towards 'natural' wines. It is, however, in these days of the weak pound, expensive.

The cooking at Le Petit Comptoir run by Laetitia et Stéphane Cosnier is of same standard as Une Ile. I have only ever eaten there on the eve of the Salon des Vins de Loire when they do a single menu at 45€ for four courses. This year I ate here with Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor who is now busiy writing up his reports on the Salon), Neil Irvine (HG Wines) and Tom King from the RSJ Restaurant and we had a very good meal – briefly covered here. The restaurant is on two levels – upstairs is more comfortable. During the winter downstairs can be quite cold, especially when the street door is opened. I fancy that the wine list doesn't change very often and, although there are good things on it, it wouldn't hurt to be changed more often. However, as the restaurant is small this may be difficult.

The day before we had eaten at Le Relais, which continues to be good – both cooking and for rapport qualité prix – as well as an interesting wine selection.

While in Angers I was given two restaurant recommendations, which I haven't had time to try but pass them on anyway:

Chez Rémi on Boulevard du Marechal Foch just along from the Hotel d'Anjou and roughly across the room from the Marine Hotel. I made a point of going past here on my way back from Une Ile on the Monday of the Salon. Although it was around 11.30pm Chez Rémi was packed with its clientele singing Burgundian drinking songs. I noticed someone came out from the restaurant to pick up a bottle from their car, so I guess there must have been a fair number of vignerons inside. There is a menu at 26€, which included boudin noir fait maison and rognons de veau.

I did recommend Chez Remi to a good friend and so hoped to get a report from him but unfortunately he spurned the suggestion, even though it was just across from his hotel, and instead went for a Chinese meal, which turned out to be vile. I have no sympathy – John! Next time I'm in Angers I'll make a point of going there.

Côté Louet in Murs Erigné on the south side of the Loire is the other recommendation. It is run by Nadège Loiseau and Etienne Duc, who took over in May 2008 when they took over the old Beau Rivage restaurant and renamed it. As it was Catherine and Vincent Ogereau, who recommended it I'm sure it is good.

I don't know about Côté Louet but for the four restaurants in Angers it is definitely best to book.

Une Ile, 9 rue Max Richard 49000 Angers. Tel: 02.41.19.14.48
Le Petit Comptoir, 40, Rue David d'Angers, 49100 Angers Tel: 02.41.88.81.57
Le Relais, 9 Rue de la Gare, 49100 Angers. Tel: 02.41.88.42.51
Chez-Rémi, 7 Bis, Boulevard du Marechal Foch, 49100 Angers. Tel: 02 41 24 95 44‎
Côté Louet, 22 Rue Maurice Berne. 49610 Mûrs Erigné. Tel: 02.41.57.72.49.

Restaurants in Angers

A request on Tom Cannavan's award-winning wine-pages for good places to eat in Angers, reminded me that the two best restaurants – Le Relais and le Petit Comptoir – in the centre of the city don’t have websites so aren’t listed amongst my links.

Although it is an important city, Angers has curiously few really good restaurants. However, I’m happy to recommend these two in the centre of Angers:

Le Petit Comptoir
Address: 40, Rue David d' Angers, 49100 Angers
Tel : 02 41 88 81 57
This tiny restaurant, just off the Boulevard Foch, now offers the best cooking in Angers. Run by Laetitia et Stéphane Cosnier, who worked in some of the top restaurants in Paris, before opening Le Petit Comptoir in April 2005. The cooking is modern French and there is a small list of well-chosen wines both from Anjou and elsewhere.
Booking is essential.
Useful information: Open every day except for Sunday and Monday. Lunchtime from €14 (one dish) – €19 (entrée and main dish). €26 menu in the evening.

Le Relais
Address: 9 Rue de la Gare, 49100 Angers
Tel: 02 41 88 42 51
Email: c.noel10@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.destination-anjou.com/relais
Run by sommelier Gérard Pelletier and chef Christophe Noel, Le Relais has long been one of Angers few good restaurants offering well executed, good value cooking. Good list of local wines carefully served. Service can be slow when they are busy. Essential to book have seen many turned away over the years because the restaurant has been fully booked.
Useful information: Menus: €18-€40.
(Details taken from Wine Travel Guides: www.winetravelguides.com)

Ate at the apparently fashionable Favre d’Anne in early February 2007. I wasn't impressed – a triumph of style over substance. It does, however, have a great view across the Maine.

View across the Maine towards the centre of Angers

The Auberge d’Eventard (www.auberge-eventard.com) is on the northern outskirts of Angers while, on the island of Béhuard near Savennières, is the fine Les Tonnelles (www.restaurant-lestonnelles.com).