20 ans de Gorges

20th anniversary of the foundation of the Association des Vignerons du Cru Gorgeois 

 

Six celebrating Gorges producers in a vineyard

 

The production criteria for Cru Gorges  

2013 Gorges La Vigneaux, Fred Laffer with a lump of gabbro
- Sèvre Nantaise in the background

On Thursday 6th September I was privileged to be invited to the celebration for the 20 years of the Association, which was officially formed in 1998. However, its origins date back to the winter of 1996/97 when five Gorges producers – Michel Brégeon, Gilles Luneau, Christophe Boucher, Damien Rineau and Thierry and Christophe Luneau got together to define the criteria for a top quality Muscadet.

After much work the INAO recognised in 2011 Gorges as one of the first three Muscadet Cru Communaux, along with Clisson and Le Pallet. The criteria for Cru Gorges include: vines planted on the type of soil called gabbro, green harvest to aim for a yield of 40 hl/ha, the wine to spend 24 months on its lees and once in bottle a jury of experts have to agree that the wine is up to scratch.
Interestingly compulsory hand picking is not in the criteria. Perhaps this will be the next step as an insistence on hand picking would really mark out this top tier of Muscadet as something qualitatively different from the rest. Furthermore given the tiny quantities of Cru Communaux currently being produced obligatory hand picking ought to be easy enough to arrange.

We tasted some 15-20 different Cru Gorges from a number of different vintages. Overall they underlined that these Cru Communaux are indeed a step up and that, although slightly more expensive they still offer great value for money – these are very fine wines.

2000 Gorges, Christophe and Brigitte Boucher
served in magnum for lunchtime apéro
when it was magnificent.
Unfortunately they tried pairing it with
the dessert which in my view didn't work at all. 

Our fine lunch was @ The Restaurant L'Atlantide

Our day started with a visit to the recently restored  

Moulin à Papier at Liveau, a hamlet of Gorges. 

Part of the water wheel in the Moulin

The process of making paper

••••

2014 Vallet 'Cru Communaux': Domaine Petiteau

Tasted and enjoyed this 2014 'Cru Communaux' Vallet from Domaine Petiteau this evening. Vallet is one of the latest Muscadet communes to start out on the quest to become a recognised cru communaux. Vallet launched its quest last year. 

The Petiteau's Vallet spends at least 17 months on its lees. Light gold colour with delicate brioche aromas and attractive appley texture with good concentration, balance and length. The long finish has a refreshing touch of bitterness in the finish. This Vallet clearly has the potential to age well and develop further in the bottle.  

2015 Jubilation, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Le Pallet, Les Vignerons du Pallet

2015 Jubilation, Le Pallet, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Le Pallet

Les Vignerons du Pallet

Le Pallet is one of the three Muscadet Cru Communaux that have been officially ratified (2011), although there are another four waiting to be officially ratified. Jubilation is made by the co-operative Les Vignerons du Pallet. Jubilation was the first of the cru communaux to be awarded a Gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

This ripe and rich 2015 Jubilation is far from a typical Muscadet Sèvre & Maine that one would typically match with shellfish. The 2015 Jubilation calls for a grilled or sauced fish dish or a chicken dish – either plain or pot roasted.

Still young it will be interesting to see how this 2015 cru develops. Will it gain additional complexity?  







    

Muscadet astounds – some good Loire news to help balance the frosts

 

June 2017 issue of Decanter: Muscadet is back

Back in February 2017 Decanter magazine held a panel tasting of Muscadet with extended lees aging. I was one of the trio of tasters. The other two were Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor) and Ben Llewelyn (Carte Blanche). It was easily the most impressive Decanter panel tasting that I have ever been to as the depth of quality was remarkable. There were 11 wines judged to be Outstanding with three of these scored as Exceptional and a further 63 wine Highly Recommended. Few of these wines cost more than £20 and many £15 or under, so offering remarkable quality.

2007 Excelsior, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Domaine Pierre Luneau Papin was the top wine with an aggregate score of 99 points.

Although all three of us on the panel are fans of good Muscadet, we were, however, taken aback by the number of excellent wines that we tasted from the around 110 samples submitted. These extended lees aging Muscadets provide a different expression of Muscadet – more complex and with a great depth of flavour and are great value.

  

Back in London and ready for Muscadet crus....

Back in London late this afternoon having spent a good month or so in France mainly in the Loire. Back for a big tasting of Muscadet Crus at the offices of Decanter all tomorrow and also on Friday morning. 

We will be tasting not just the three officially recognised Muscadet Crus – Clisson, Gorges and le Pallet but also the four more: Château-Thebaud Goulaine, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre and Mouzillon-Tillière as well as other Muscadets made in the spirit of the cru communaux – long aging on the lees. 

I understand that the producers in the Pays Nantais have sent in a very generous number of samples including some old vintages. Naturally the tasting will be strictly blind and I am looking forward to it with keen anticipation.      

Champtoceaux: towards a new Muscadet Cru

Press release about the proposed new Muscadet cru in the Muscadet Coteaux du Loire appellation – Champtoceaux:

'Suite à la reconnaissance of cielle des trois premiers crus du Muscadet en 2011 (Clisson, Gorges, Le Pallet) et, à celle imminente des quatre prétendants prévue cette année (Château Thébaud, Goulaine, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre et Mouzillon-Tillières), trois autres crus suivent le mouvement, deux en Sèvre et Maine (La Haye Fouassière et Vallet) et un en Coteau de la Loire : Champtoceaux. A terme l’AOC Muscadet pourrait revendiquer en son sein 10 appellations communales, dénommées empiriquement « crus », symbole d’une révolution.

L’AOC Muscadet revendique sa mutation et édi e sa gamme. « La vision monolithique de l’appellation a eu pour conséquence d’enfermer nos vins dans des instants de consommation stéréotypés. L’objectif n’est pas de renier l’ADN du Muscadet avec sa mention « sur lie » mais de nous retrouver autour de notre socle, la singularité de notre cépage, le melon de Bourgogne et la fraicheur océanique et ligérienne de nos pro ls. » reconnait Thierry MARTIN, Président des crus du Muscadet qui poursuit : « Maintenant, nous devons raconter notre histoire et nos sols et mettre en lumière notre savoir-faire et c’est ici tout l’enjeu des crus comme à Champtoceaux. » Autour d’une vision premium de l’AOC, l’objectif est bien de coiffer la pyramide en valorisant la mosaïque insoupçonnée des sous- sols, le potentiel d’évolution du melon B et surtout le talent des vignerons, artisans de cuvées de style et de grande classe. 

Le cru muscadet Coteaux de la Loire Champtoceaux s’inscrit dans cette démarche. Les expériences de leurs collègues du Sèvre et Maine ont stimulé une poignée de vignerons, regroupés sur les magnifiques coteaux de la Loire, de part et d’autre de la ville d’Ancenis. Ainsi en 2014, l’association « Roches de Loire » constituée de neuf exploitations, est crée afin d’encadrer la reconnaissance d’une communale Muscadet en Coteaux de la Loire. 

Quite widely scattered special sites 

identified in Muscadet Coteaux du Loire  

Appuyé par uningénieur de la Fédération des Vins de Nantes et un animateur de la Chambre d’agriculture, le groupe de vignerons dynamiques et décomplexés, sonde ses parcelles, goûte les vins, travaille son positionnement an d’identier l’aire de délimitation, le profil du vin et le lien au terroir. 

À terme, pour la dizaine de domaines engagés dans la démarche, les volumes pourraient représenter 600 hl (soit autour de 10% du Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire), commercialisés en vente directe au caveau, en CHR et chez les cavistes majoritairement. 

« Ces démarches de crus donnent du statut et de la légitimité au vignoble ». Philippe Marchais, vigneron à Thouaré-sur-Loire en proximité immédiate de la métropole nantaise décrypte : « Le cru Champtoceaux est l’occasion de capter des nouvelles clientèles hédonistes et plus urbaines qui souhaitent des vins simples mais authentiques avec un supplément d’âme. » 

Ces vins trouvent aussi écho dans la restauration nantaise où l’intérêt suscité par les Vins de Nantes semble de toute évidence en pleine croissance avec des références qui colonisent sans complexe les cartes des plus belles tables. 

Les parcelles situées en aire d’AOC Coteaux de la Loire sont situées de part et d’autre de la Loire autour d’Ancenis entre le Vignoble de Nantes et l’Anjou. Elles sont le plus souvent proches de la Loire ou de ses af uents (Divatte, Erdre et Evre) sur des paysages ouverts favorisant la circulation des masses d’air et optimisant l’ensoleillement.'

2015 Decanter World Wine Awards: strong results for the Loire

The assembled judges for the 2015 DWWA@Tobacco Dock

Although the Loire didn't win any of the international awards, this year's results were certainly the best since the DWWA was founded in 2004 – a total of 10 Gold Medals and four Regional Trophies. In some editions we haven't even awarded even a single gold. 

The results show what are bargain Muscadet, especially the Cru Communaux can now be and underlines what a good vintage 2014 is in the Loire's Central Vineyards with Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé to the fore. Nor is it a surprise to see a Pinot Noir from Sancerre winning a trophy. It is also good to have a trophy winning Anjou Rouge, made from 100% Cabernet Franc and offering great value.    

Regional Trophies

Domaine Jean-Paul Balland, 2014 Sancerre Blanc: Loire Sauvignon Blanc over £15

Daniel Chotard, 2012 Chant de l'Archer, Sancerre Rouge: Red Loire over £15

Musset-Roullier, 2014 Les Neuf Vingt, Anjou Rouge:  Red Loire under £15

Domaine Martin, 2010 Monnières-Saint Fiacre, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine: White Loire under £15. 

Golds:

Château de la Botinière 2014 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie

Château la Varière, 2013 La Chevalerie, Anjou-Villages-Brissac

Domaine Landrat-Guyollot, 2012 Gemme de Feu, Pouilly-Fumé

Joseph Mellot, 2014 Le Chant des Vignes, Pouilly-Fumé

Pierre-Luc Bouchard, 2014 Pont Caffino, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie

Vignobles Sourice, 2014 Manoir de la Hersandière, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie