Renaissance tasting @Angers yesterday

Carbon neutral tasters making their way to the Renaissance tasting...

Didier Hauret, Domaine Hauret-Baleine

Benoît Blet, Les Terres Blanches, Oiron between Thouars and Loudun

Anne Guégniard, Domaine de la Bergerie, Anjou 

(above and below)

The 2014 Anjou Blanc Sous la Tonnelle is very clean and precise but quite austere at the moment. 

Benjamin Joliveau, Domaine Huet, Vouvray

Jean-Bernard Berthomé, Domaine Huet, Vouvray

Tasting the 2013 Clos du Bourg confirmed my favourable impression when I tasted the three 2013 Huet secs in London a few weeks ago – estate's wines back on track after the disappointing 2012s.   

 

Sylvain Potin  Clau de Nell 

(given the green light!)

Tasted: good ripe, juicy 2012 Grolleau.

Christian Jacques, Clau de Nell 

Tessa Laroche, Domaine aux Moines, Savennières 

Interesting contrast between the austere 2013 and the fatter and richer 2012, which underwent a 30% involuntary malo.

Virginie Joly, La Coulée de Serrant

The 2013 Le Vieux Clos and 2013 La Coulée de Serrant are showing well.

Jean-François Regnier, Domaine Regnier, Meigné

Was impressed by his attractively textured 2012 Saumur Blanc Cuvée de la Guichardière.

Laura Semeria, Domaine de Montcy, Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny

Laura's two 2013 Cour Chevernys – Domaine de Montcy and Plénitude – showing promised but need time in bottle like Cour-Cheverny usually does. 

A different and more complicated pruning system!
 

2015 Salon des Vins de Loire: aiming for coherence but too late?

Arnaud Bourgeois (Domaine Henri Bourgeois)@2014 Salon 

Arnaud and Domaine Henri Bourgeois won't be at 2015 edition

There will be some significant changes at the 2015 Salon des Vins de Loire (Monday 2nd – Wednesday 4th February) but will these be enough to arrest the fair's recent decline? 

Here are the changes:

'Le Salon des Vins de Loire 2015 évolue et élargira sa gamme d’offre, pour mieux répondre aux besoins des visiteurs. Cinq grandes nouveautés seront au programme de l’édition 2015 : 

Les « Off Bio » au Parc des Expositions

Le groupement de vignerons « La levée de la Loire« , qui proposait un salon « Off » jusqu’en 2014, intègre le Parc des Expositions d’Angers du 2 au 4 février. L’occasion de découvrir une offre bio du Val de Loire plus complète, à travers la présence de plus d’une centaine d’exposants.'

For the last two editions of the Salon there has been a couple of competing fairs on the Monday – La Levée de la Loire (organic producers) at the Greniers de St Jean in Angers and La Dive Bouteille around Saumur.

This year Angers Park Expo have agreed to run La levée de la Loire in a separate building on the Expo site. I understand that the set up will be similar to that at MillesiméBio with every exhibitor having the same sized table and the cost to show your wines there will be a fraction of the cost in the salon itself. Ludo Ragot of Café de la Promenade (Bourgueil) is in charge of the food at La Levée. It will all be organic.    

The Renaissance tasting will be on the Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st and La Dive Bouteille on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd. 

Although in the past producers could have exhibited at all three of these 'off' they had wanted, I understand that vignerons will have to make a choice between three 'off' salons and only be able to attend one.

'Un pôle « Jeunes Vignerons »

La 29e édition du Salon des Vins de Loire favorise la venue des producteurs ligériens installés depuis moins de 4 ans, avec le Pôle « Jeunes Vignerons » qui permet à ces jeunes professionnels, de présenter leurs vins sur un espace dédié et faciliter l’entre au Salon avec un tarif adapté et proposer une offre élargie aux visiteurs.'

There will be an area dedicated to Loire producers, who have recently started up – less than four years ago.  

'Des Workshops au Salon des Vins de Loire

Cet espace de prospection, au coeur du Salon, proposera des interventions courtes et interactives sur 3 thèmes principaux : Consommation/Marché, Points de ventes, Vin 2.0. Ces workshops ont pour objectif de proposer un lieu central d’information, de discussion, de débat et d’échanges.

Une Journée « Grande Distribution »

Cette journée, destinée aux directeurs, chefs de départements et de rayons de la Grande Distribution se déroulera le mercredi 4 février 2015, avec conférences « Bonnes pratiques du rayon vins », l’aménagement de linéaires, exposition, etc.'

That's the good news. The bad news is that some major long-time supporters of the Salon over many years will not be there in 2015. The biggest absentee that I know of so far is Domaine Henri Bourgeois. It was noticeable this year in February that the Bourgeois had downsized their stand.

Jean-Marie Bourgeois told me on Monday that they would not be going. He said he was tired of making suggestions for how to improve the Salon only to find that each year these were ignored. Jean-Marie is in favour of a bi-annual Salon, although given that the market tends to want the youngest vintage possible of many Loire wines I'm not convinced that this is the best formula for a Loire Salon.

Later on Monday afternoon I saw Benoît Roumet, director of Les Vins du Centre, who talked about the greatly increased competition from other professional wine fairs that the Salon des Vins de Loire is now facing – far more than when the Salon was established in 1987. Benoît said that the 2014 edition of the salon des Vins de Loire was so quiet that he found Jean-Marie doing his emails on the Tuesday morning when in past years the Bourgeois stand was continuously buzzing. 

On the other hand Jean-Dominique Vacheron (Domaine Vacheron) said that they would be at the Salon as normal and that the Salon had done much to put the Loire on the map.

Hopefully the Salon des Vins de Loire can find a formula that works as it would be a great shame for the Loire to lose this opportunity to show wines from its entire viticultural length from the Côtes de Forez to the Pays Nantais.

         

2014 Renaissance tasting@Greniers de Saint Jean

Stéphanie and Vincent Deboutbertin,  Faye d'Anjou

Their first time at Renaissance

(above and below)

 

Just time this morning for a few photos from the Renaissance tasting before heading out to the Salon des Vins de Loire. Many more to be posted in next few days.

Benoît Amirault, Domaine Yannick Amirault

As ever good range of Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

Juicy 2012s look to be ready before more concentrated but closed 2011s

 Clément Baraut: very good 2011 Roche aux Moines, Savennières

Bernard Baudry in reflective mood – no surprise that he and 

Mathieu have again made a good range of recent Chinons

Salon des Vins de Loire and other events

Jean-Martin Dutour of Baudry Dutour and current president of Interloire 
Baudry Dutour not at the Salon in 2013

The countdown to the annual Salon des Vins de Loire and the associated events is now well underway. It will be very interesting to see which producers are at the Salon this year and who decides to stay away. There will be nearly 600 exhibititors, so as usual plenty of choice. There will, however, be a few producers who used to be regulars but who will be absent from the 2013 edition. Absentees (according to the list of exhibitors here) include Baudry-Dutour (Chinon), Catherine and Pierre Breton (Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray) Castel Frères, Catherine and Didier Champalou (Vouvray), Lise et Bertrand Jousset (Montlouis), Langlois-Chateau (Crémant de Loire, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny and other ACs) Dominique Pabiot (Pouilly-Fumé) and Jacques Sard (Nobles Joues).

Given the own goal (see here) that was scored last year by the organisers of the various events failing to produce a coherent programme and the current economic situation, the number of exhibitors for this year's edition of the Salon has held up well. I suspect, however, it will be crucial that this year's edition is well attended. 

As well as the Salon there are a host of associated events taking place both during the weekend before and during Salon – clearly fragmentation rules! While the weekend events are fine, I can't see that it makes much sense to hold La Levée de la Loire – Vin Bio de la Loire on the Monday at the same time as the Salon.       

Here is a list of wine events going on in the Angers and Saumur area at the beginning of February:        

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd February:
Salon La Renaissance des Appellations aux Greniers Saint Jean, place du tertre Saint Laurent à Angers. Salon réservé aux professionnels

Les Pénitents@le Gouverneur Château Logis du Gouverneur
Bonhomme, Chaussard, Mosse, Puzelat, Villemade invite:

Belluard, Bitarishvili, Breton, Courault, Escodq, Foillard, Gioan, Lassaigne, Meyer, Padovani, Pfifferling, Pico, Serres, Sopromadze and Vauthier

Sunday 3rd February
Les vins anonymes la collégiale st Martin
le dimanche 3 février 2013, au coeur même de la ville d’Angers, un collectif de vignerons de plusieurs régions de France se réuni pour une journée inoubliable autour des vins de leur production.

Ces jeunes vignerons pour certains inconnus espèrent faire découvrir à un public nombreux des vins alternatifs, proches du naturel et de l’authenticité.

GARNIER Jean-Christophe  ANJOU, BUREAU Damien  ANJOU, LA COULEE D’AMBROSIA  ANJOU, LAMBERT Jérôme  ANJOU, CAVE BECLAIR ANJOU, GARREAU Cédric  ANJOU, SAURIGNY jérôme  ANJOU, BOUTIN Thomas ANJOU, LES VIGNES DE BABASS  ANJOU, BOREL Pierre  BOURGUEIL,
DOMAINE DU MORTIER  BOURGUEIL, COURANT XAVIER BOURGUEIL, COURTAULT Joël  TOURAINE, LA LUNOTTE  TOURAINE, L’HOTELIER Mathieu  MUSCADET, GRAPPE Didier  JURA, PECHIGO   LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, ROIBET Delphine  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, COULANGE Alexandre  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, POUJOL Remi  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, MARIA Fita  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, PEYRAS Julien LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, FERREIRA Yvo  LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, MARQUET Mathias  BERGERAC, BALAGNY Julie  BEAUJOLAIS,
BOYAT Pierre  BEAUJOLAIS, BAUCHET Lilian  BEAUJOLAIS, LA SORGA  MULTI SUD, Brasserie ANGEL  (Bière) ANJOU.

Des entractes musicaux seront assurés par une version restreinte du groupe Fuckin’Hell Orkestar de Rennes pour les connaitre mieux:   FUCKIN’HELL ORKESTAR | Musique gratuite, dates de tournées, photos, vidéos

Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th February 

14th episode of Dive Bouteille@Château de Brézé 10-18

Loire ­
Jérôme Bretaudeau, Bellevue (Muscadet), Marc Pesnot, la Sénéchalière (Muscadet), J Bresteau et M Houtin, Grange aux Belles (Anjou), Philippe Delmée (Anjou), Johanna et J-F Chéné, Coulée d’Ambrosia (Anjou), Geneviève et Nicolas Bertin, l’Echalier (Anjou), Olivier Cousin (Anjou), Sylvain Martinez (Anjou), Sébastien Bobinet (Saumur-Champigny), Eric Dubois, Clos Cristal (Saumur-Champigny), Antoine Sanzay (S-Champigny), Thierry Germain, Roches Neuves (S-Champigny), Sylvain Dittière, Porte Saint-Jean (S-Champigny), Caroline et Antoine Foucault, le Collier (Saumur),
Arnaud Lambert, Brézé (Saumur), Romain Guiberteau (Saumur), Nicolas Reau (Anjou-Chinon), Patrick Corbineau (Touraine-Chinon), Fred Sigonneau, de l’R (Chinon), Jérôme Lenoir, cave des Roches (Chinon),François Blanchard, le Grand Cléré (Touraine), Gérard Marula (Touraine-Chinon), Catherine et Pierre Breton (Bourgueil-Chinon), Lise et Bertrand Jousset (Montlouis), Sébastien Brunet (Vouvray), Mathieu Cosme, Beaumont (Vouvray), Frantz Saumon (Montlouis), C. et D. Delecheneau, Grange Tiphaine (Montlouis), Grégory Leclerc, Chahut et Prodiges (Touraine), Noëlla Morantin (Touraine), Pascal Simonutti, le Pré Noir (Touraine), Brendan Tracey (Touraine), Moses et Pascal Potaire, les Capriades (Touraine), Aurélie et Jean-Luc Tessier (Touraine), Cyrille Sevin (Cheverny), Olivier  Lemasson, les Vins Contés (Touraine), Christian Venier (Touraine), Claudine, Claude et Etienne Courtois (Sologne), Reynald Héaulé (Orléanais), Nëella et J-P Robinot, l’Ange Vin (Jasnières), Renaud Guettier, La Grapperie (Côteaux du Loir), Alexandre Bain (Pouilly-Fumé), Mathieu Coste (Côteaux du Giennois), Jean Maupertuis (Côtes d’Auvergne), Géraldine et C Pialoux, Picatier (Côte Roannaise);

Elsewhere:

Champagne
Jérôme Prevost, la Closerie, Hélène et Bertrand Gautherot, Vouette Sorbée, Benoît Lahaye, Thierry Demarne, Demarne-Frison, Vincent Laval;

Alsace
Audrey et Christian Binner, Jean-Christophe Bott, Bott-Geyl, Stéphane Bannwarth;

Jura
Etienne Thiebaud, Cavarodes, Evelyne et Pascal Clairet, la Tournelle, Philippe et Tony Bornard;

Savoie 
Jean-Yves Péron, Jacques Maillet, François Grinand, le Perron (Bugey);

Bourgogne
Adrien Roux, Maison Caroline Marion (Chablis), Vincent Thomas, la Chappe, Catherine et Jean Montanet, la Cadette (Vézelay), Catherine et Claude Maréchal, Yann Durieux, Recrue des Sens (Hautes Côtes), Fanny Sabre, Jean-Pascal Sarnin et Jean-Marie Berrux, Julien Altaber, Sextant, Isabelle et J-Y Vantey, Rouges Queues, Cécile et Philippe Valette (Pouilly-Fuissé), Claire et Fabio Montrasi, les Rontets (Pouilly-Fuissé), Philippe Jambon (Mâconnais), Arnaud Combier (Saint-Véran);

Beaujolais 
Marie et Matthieu Lapierre, Geneviève et Jean-Claude Chanudet, Chamonard, Christophe Pacalet, Carole et Nicolas Testard, Georges Descombes, Karim Vionet, Raphaël Champier, Jean-Claude Lapalu;

Bordeaux et Sud-Ouest 
Michel Favard, Meylet (Saint-Emilion), François Décombe, La Haie (Bordeaux), Franck Pascal, Jonc Blanc (Bergerac), Béné et Grég Hubau, Moulin Pey-Labrie (Fronsac), Elian Da Ros (Marmandais), Magalie et Ludovic Bonnelle, le Pech (Buzet), Yvonne Hégoburu, Souch (Jurançon), Mathieu Cosse (Cahors) et La Coste (Provence), Simon Busser (Cahors), Stéphanie Roussel,Lassole (Marmandais), Sylviane et Michel Issaly, la Ramaye (Gaillac), Myriam et Bernard Plageoles  (Gaillac), Marc Penavayre, Plaisance (Fronton), Dominique Andiran, Haut Campagnau (Gers), Nicolas Carmarans (Entraygues, Aveyron), Patrick Rols (Entraygues, Aveyron);

Rhône 
Jean-Michel Stéphan (Côte Rôtie), Béa et Hervé Souhaut, Romaneau d’Estezet (St-Joseph), Valérie et Philippe Chaume-Arnaud (Vinsobres), Marcel Richaud (Cairanne), Guy et Thomas Jullien, ferme St Martin, Claudie et Bertrand Cortellini, Rouge Garance, Laurence et Antoine Joly, Roche Buissière, Philippe Viret, Jérôme Jouret (Ardèche), Manu Cunin et Vincent Fargier, Deux Terres (Ardèche), Gérald Oustric, le Mazel  (Ardèche), Gilles Azzoni, la Bégude (Ardèche), Hélène et Christophe Comte, Le Vigneau (Ardèche), Andrea Calek (Ardèche);

Languedoc 
Delphine et Julien Zernott, Pas de l'Escalette, Thierry Navarre (Saint-Chinian), Yannick Pelletier (Saint-Chinian), Blandine et Pierre Jequier, Foulaquier (Pic St Loup), Charlotte et Jean-Baptiste Sénat (Minervois), Gilles Azam, les Hautes Terres (Limoux), Anne-Marie Lavaysse, Gimios (Minervois), Bernard Bellahsen, Fontedicto, Emile Hérédia, les Dimanches, Laetitia Ourliac, Fond Cyprès, (Corbières); Maxime Magnon (Corbières), Axel Prüfer, le Temps des Cerises, Alain Allier, Mouressipe (Gard).

Roussillon
Gérard et Lionel Gauby, Tom Lubbe, Matassa, Loïc Roure, Domaine du Possible, Edouard Laffitte, le Bout du Monde, Jacques de Chancel, l’Ausseil, Philippe Wies, La Petite Baigneuse (Maury)
Bruno Duchêne (Collioure), Manuel Di Vecchi, Vinyer de la Ruca (Banyuls), Jean-Luc Chossart, Jolly-Ferriol,Gyslaine et A. Castex, Casot de Mailloles (Banyuls), Christine Campadieu, Tour Vieille (Collioure).

Provence – Corse
Antoine et Jean-Baptiste Arena (Corse), Jean-Baptiste Dutheil, Sainte-Anne (Bandol), Peter Fischer, Revelette, Jean-Christophe Comor, Terres Promises,

Etranger
John Wurdeman et Malkhaz, Pheasant’s Tears (Géorgie), Soliko Tsaishvili, Chveni Gvino-Our Wine (Géorgie), Nikoloz Antadze, Antadze Winery (Géorgie), Estelle et C. Bongiraud, Francuska Vinarija (Serbie), Paolo Vodopivec, Venezia Giulia (Italie), Anna et Eric Narioo, Vino di Anna, Etna (Italie),

Francesca Sfondrini, Massa Vecchia, Toscane (Italie), Clémentine et Gian-Marco Antonuzi, le Coste (Italie), Luca Roagna, Piémont (Italie), Fernando Garcia, Comando G, Madrid (Espagne), Olivier Rivière, Rioja (Espagne), Luis Arnedo, Bodegas Lacus, Rioja (Espagne), Vincent Wallard et Emile Hérédia, 4 Manos (Argentina), Louis-Antoine Luyt, Le Vin Perdu (Chili), Joseh Pedicini, Montebruno, Oregon (US)

Autres potions
Julie et Cyril Laudet, Laballe (Armagnac), Guilhem Grosperrin, la Gabare (Cognac), Julien Frémont (cidres), Laurent Cazottes (eaux de  vie, liqueurs), Ludo et Stéph Hardouin, Brasserie de la Pigeonnelle,
Nathalie et Edgar Lefort, Vinaigrerie la Guinelle, Les Cafés nature d’Hippolyte Courty

Monday 4th- Wednesday 6th February
Salon des Vins de Loire, Parc des Expositions, Angers

Monday 4th February
La Levée de la Loire – Vin Bio de la Loire
Grenier Saint Jean, Angers 10-18
 

Les 89 acteurs sont :

pour l’Allier: TISSERAND Luc et Claudine,

pour le Cher: FOUASSIER Paul • NIVET Philippe et Vincent, JANSEN Julien

pour l’Indre et Loire: AMIRAULT Jean-Marie  • AMIRAULT Xavier •  Thierry et Agnès • BOISARD Joël, Fabien et Cyril • CASLOT Stéphanie, Emmanuel, Pierre • CHANSON Ludovic • COURANT Xavier • DANSAULT Gabrièle et Régis • DAVID Sébastien • DESCHAMPS Christophe • DESCHAMPS Sandrine • GALBRUN Bertrand • GASNIER Fabrice •  GROSBOIS Nicolas •  GUION Stéphane • HERLIN Laurent • LAMBERT Pascal et Béatrice • LANDRY Thierry • MABILEAU Frédéric • MORDELET Valérye et KLOECKLE Jean-Daniel • PELLETIER Jean-Christophe • PIBALEAU Pascal • ROUSSE Wilfrid • SOURDAIS Pierre  • SYLVOS Louis-Jean • VAN DEN BERGHE Kathleen • WEISSKOPF Xavier  • ROUET Jean-François

pour le Loir et Cher: AUGE Michel et Béatrice • BELLANGER Olivier • BOUGES Mickaël • COLIN Patrice •COURTAULT Joël • COURTAULT Alain et TARDIEUX Simon • DELAUNAY Thierry • GENDRIER Michel et Jocelyne • GIRAULT Vincent • QUENIOUX Michel • ROUSSEL Catherine  et BARROUILLET  Didier • ROUSSELY Vincent • ROY Anne-Cécile et BOUTIN Yohann • SAUVETE Jérôme et Dominique • SEMERIA Laura • SEVIN Cyrille • TESSIER Philippe pour la Loire, PAIRE Romain

pour la Loire-Atlantique: BEDOUET Michel • BREVET Jean-Didier • BONNET Rémi et Jean-Jacques • CARROGET-GAUTIER Jacques et Agnès • DELHOMMEAU Michel • GUEDON JeanPierre • LANDRON Bernard, Benoît et Françoise • OLLIVIER Marc et BRANGER Rémi • ORIEUX Stéphane • PERRAUD Stéphane et Vincent

pour le Maine et Loire: BABIN Jean-François • BORE Christine et Alain • BRESTEAU Julien et HOUTIN Marc • CARSIN Thomas et DU BOUEXIC Grégoire • CHARRIER Laurent • CHAUVIN Paul-Eric et CESBRON Philippe • DUROCHER Elodie • ELLIAU Philippe • FOREST Maurice • GOURDON Philippe et Françoise • HAURET Didier • JULIA Frédéric • LAROCHE Tessa • LAUREAU Damien • MAHE Loïc • MILLON Jean-Noël • MORDACQ Guillaume • PIRE Guillaume • REGNIER Jean-François • REYNOUARD Guillaume • RICHOU Didier et Damien • RIPOCHE Jacky • ROCHER Stéphane • TERQUEM Loïc • VAILLANT Jean-François, Laurence et Dominique • VINCENT Marc  • MENARD Joël, Christine et Jérémy;

pour la Nièvre: KERBIQUET Rachel et Pascal • PABIOT Jonathan et Didier;

pour la Sarthe: JARDIN Elisabeth et Benoît;

pour les Deux-Sèvres: BLET Benoît et Céline;

pour la Vendée: TARD Jean-Marc;

pour la Vienne: BROCHET Frédéric (Ampelidae);

Monday 4th February from 17.00
Salon Contains Sulfites en off des vins de Loire

Largely producers from outside the Loire except for Aymeric Hilaire of Domaine Mélaric, Saumur

Wednesday 6th February: 11.30-14.46
Salon d’un vigneron pas comme les autres
Jean-Michel Preneur. Proche Place du Raillement – il faut pas rater! Détails voir (on) Facebook.

 

Loire 2013: some dates for your diary

 

Dimanche 27 et lundi 28 janvier                  

Les Affranchis  Montpellier (34)
Sunday 27th and Monday 28th January

Lundi 28 au mercredi 30 janvier  

MillésimeBio Montpellier (34)     

Monday 28th till Wednesday 20th January

Samedi 2 et dimanche 3 février  

Renaissance tasting at Greniers St Jean, Angers (49)
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd February

Dimanche 3 février et lundi 4 février

La Dive Bouteille, Château de Brézé

See here for list of vignerons present. http://jimsloire.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/2013-la-dive-bouteille-breze-3rd-and.html 
Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th February

Lundi 4 au mercredi 6 février  

Salon desVins Loire Angers (49)
Monday 4th till Wednesday 6th February

Lundi 8 avril  

Biojolaise: Cercié en Beaujolais (69)
Monday 8th April

My thanks to Pithon-Paillé for supplying some of the dates:

 

Open letter to Loire organisers – please get your act together for 2013!

X

Tasting@Le Greniers St. Jean sadly impossible in 2012

To:


Renaissance des appellations: Mark et Martial Angeli, Virginie Joly, Guy Bossard, Philippe Gourdon, Richard Leroy.

La Dive Bouteille: Sylvie Augereau

Salon Les Pénitents: Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat, Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme

Salon des Vins de Loire: Jean-Louis David (Interloire), Benoît Roumet (Bureau du Centre) and Clair de Lune

This morning I received an invitation to the annual Renaissance tasting (28th and 29th January 2012) to be held at the Greniers St Jean, Angers. I would love to go but unfortunately this year it will be impossible. Just as it will be impossible for me to go to La Dive Bouteille (29th-30th January) at Château de Bréze as well as the new Salon Les Pénitents starring the Puzelats and friends. Very unfortunate as I am sure all of these events will be very worthwhile.

Normally these various Salons are the weekend before the Salon des Vins Loire. Unfortunately the Salon des Vins de Loire is a week later in 2012 – 6th-8th February, while all the other 'associated' or 'Salons off' are on 28th-30th January. There is no way that I can travel to Angers for the 28th-30th and then return for the Salon des Vins de Loire. I suspect that this is the same for many lovers of Loire wines, who are based outside the valley.

Without apportioning blame for the lack of co-ordination in 2012, can I make a plea for some joined up thinking and better co-ordination in 2013. Please hold all the events over the same time period in 2013. I'm aware that not all of you share the philosophy or aims but this failure of co-ordination hurts the Loire.

Sites:

Renaissance des appellations
La Dive Bouteille

Salon Les Pénitents

Salon des Vins de Loire

Renaissance tasting: 30th and 31st January 2010

Mark Angeli: one of the movers behind the Renaissance tasting

This annual tasting in Angers just before the Salon des Vins de Loire used to be called Renaissance des Appellations. Now 'des appellations' has been dropped and it has become Renaissance des Terroirs (RDT). An increasing number of the participants have decided that France's appellations are beyond saving and now prefer to sell their wines as vin de table, especially as the new regulations are less restrictive over what can go on the label – vintage, where it was made, etc. They also avoid some of the bureaucracy that now surrounds the ACs. All of the participants at the Renaissance tasting are either organic or biodynamic, although not all are members of RDT. Producers are limited to showing five wines.

Building just by the Greniers de Saint-Jean

This year we went to the Renaissance on the Sunday morning. With La Dive Bouteille tasting on at the cellars of Château de Bréze at the same time the Renaissance was less packed than usual, so much better for tasting. Incidentally I gather that the Brézé cellars were freezing.

Joseph Landron

I started with the Muscadets of Guy Bossard and Joseph Landron. Of the two, Joseph Landron's 2009s were showing much better at this stage than Guy's which lacked zip. I enjoyed Joseph's very recently bottled 2009 Amphibolite Nature with its zippy, lemony fruit and just a touch of richness – bring on the oysters! The 2009 Hermine d'Or, from vines planted on sandstone, looks particularly promising. It will be bottled in May and currently is quite rich and full with white flower characters. Returning to Guy Bossard I thought the 2009 Othogneiss was the best of the four he was showing.

Of course any comments on the 2009s are very provisional, especially on wines that haven't yet been bottled. I always see tasting notes as a snapshot in time. Notes on unfinished wines are particularly fleeting and transitory.

Next to the wines of Mark Angeli (La Ferme de la Sansonnière in Thouarcé). Understandably, once the Renaissance tasting starts to fill up, it is often virtually impossible to get anywhere near to the table of the sage of Thouarcé, so we took the opportunity to taste Mark's wines early on. I have long been a fan of these wines, although there was a time when Mark wasn't using any sulphur and opening a bottle could be a bit of a lottery. I think Mark's wines are now better than ever as the three 2008 whites I tasted showed. All had a greater precision and minerality than previously starting with Claire de Lune. Of the three, Les Fouchardes was my favourite showing a lovely combination of concentration and delicacy plus length and power. We finished with the Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies – bigger than the other two and needing more time but a lot of potential. For a more detailed account of Mark's wines see Chris Kissack's report.

Previous posts on 2010 Renaissance tasting here and here.

(Further posts on the Renaissance tasting will follow.)