Three Loire dates for your diary: Chinon 16th April / Fosse Sèche 22nd April/ Tue-Boeuf 7th-8th May

  

Que vous soyez amateurs, initiés ou néophytes, retrouvez les vignerons de l’AOC Chinon au cœur de la ville inscrite au patrimoine mondiale de l’UNESCO et venez découvrir le millésime 2015 !

Au programme de cette journée printanière : dégustation de vins de plus de 50 vignerons de Chinon, défilé de la Confrérie des Entonneurs Rabelaisiens, expositions des métiers de bouches et artisans locaux, arts de rue, déambulation musicale et expérience unique et originale à vivre avec l'institut de dégustation...

Dès 19h30, venez retrouver les vignerons dans les restaurants de Chinon pour une soirée accords parfaits !

Dans une ambiance conviviale et familiale découvrez ou redécouvrez l’art de vivre en pays Chinonais.

Verre en vente sur place : 4€

More details 

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Charity Soirée Caritative for Kibouj at Château de Fosse-Sèche on Friday 22nd April. Entry 100€ to raise money for this African charity.  

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Portes ouvertes @ the Clos du Tue Boeuf on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May with a number of their friends.

2016 The Real Wine Fair: 17th and 18th April – Growers present

Jo Landron  – fine Muscadet

Press release from The Real Wine Fair people 

“The Real Wine Fair” is a two day wine event celebrating artisan growers who work with minimal intervention in the vineyard and the winery. 150 growers and winemakers will be pouring and presenting their wines to consumers, wine trade professionals and members of the press.

The 2016 event will once again be taking place at London’s historic Tobacco Dock in Wapping, on Sunday 17^th & Monday 18^th April.

Growers have now been confirmed from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, England, Georgia, South Africa and Chile.

The initial ranks of French growers have since been swelled by such Loire movers-and-shakers as Thierry Puzelat, Jo Landron, Pierre Breton and Thierry Germain, whilst our Roussillon contingent of winemakers includes Tom Lubbe (Domaine Matassa), Marjorie Gallet (Domaine Roc des Anges) and debutant Jean-François Nicq (Domaine des Foulards Rouges). We are delighted to welcome back a number of Real Wine Fair stalwarts including Pierre Frick, Hervé Souhaut (Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet), John Bojanowski (Clos du Gravillas), Luc de Conti (Château Tour des Gendres) and Marc Penavayre (Château Plaisance).

Italy is once more extremely well represented with over 30 growers from 10 regions. From the foothills of the Alps to the cusp of Africa, from Piemonte to Sicilia, we’re presenting a fantastic selection of producers who embody the very best of the artisan winemaking throughout this phenomenally diverse country.

We are pleased to have a record representation from Spain and Portugal with growers from Ribera del Duero to Rioja and from Penedes to Priorat, plus some lesser-glimpsed regions such as Alicante and Vinos de Madrid. Recent inclusions to the roster of producers are first-timers Massimo Marchiori & Antonella Gerona (Partida Creus) and Joel Chavallaz (Sao del Coster).

On the home front of The Real Wine Fair, two organically-run English estates will be exhibiting their wines. Davenport Vineyards, owned and run by Will Davenport on the Kent/Sussex border, will be showing the new vintage of the Limney white as well as a sparkling blanc de noirs and a terrific new red made from Pinot Noir. Albury Estate, based near Dorking, will have their rose and a sparkling wine on display.

The Real Wine Fair always showcases the exciting and unusual, and the growers all have their stories to tell. Where else can you find under one roof a Harslevelu from the Swartland, a Chilean Carignan from a wild forest vineyard, a Sicilian red blend fermented in a traditional 250 year old palmento, or a pet nat from Vermont, not to mention literally dozens of skin contact wines of various hues and styles and almost as many made in terracotta vessels!

The Real Wine Fair
17^th & 18^th April, 2016
Tobacco Dock, Wapping, E1W 2SF

We are delighted to announce that The Real Wine Fair has a brand spanking new website.

Visit us at www.therealwinefair.com to buy tickets and find information about The Fair itself, partners, exhibitors, promotions, events and much more! You can also visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Tobacco Dock

Georgian wine tasting in Paris: 27th January 2014

 

Tasting of natural wines from Georgia@Chateaubriand, 129 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris. 10h-18h

Producers present:
Ramaz Nikolade, John Wurdeman, Lago Bitarishvili, Nikoloz Bakhia, Kakhaber Berishvili, Zurab Topuridze, Nikoloz Antadze, Malkhaz Jakeli, Joni Okruashvili and Temuri Dakishvili.

Details from Thierry Puzelat on thierry.puzelat@wandoo.fr

Real Wine Fair: some photos + new Cour-Cheverny producer

Laura Semeria, Château de Montcy, Cheverny with her 2008 Cour-Cheverny

This was the first time I had met Laura Semeria (Terra Laura) and tasted her wines. I was impressed by the precision of her 2008 Cour-Cheverny with attractive citric and peach flavours and a good backbone of acidity. Enjoyable now but very likely to develop further complexity with more bottle age. Laura's wines are imported into the UK by François Domange's Vinothentique.   

Laura with the 2009 Rouge Plentitude, Cheverny and 2008 Cour-Cheverny   

  

  Father Gerasim, Alaverdi Monastery, Kakheti, Georgia 

with the 2011 Rosé Rkatsiteli

 Christian Chaussard, Domaine le Briseau: Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir 

Below: Natalie Gaubichet, Domaine le Briseau

Natalie Gaubichet and Christian Chaussard's 2010 Kharakter, Jasnières is currently showing well. Imported into UK by Les Caves de Pyrène.  

 Fine shirted Olivier Cousin 

Olivier Cousin told me that his trial date for the allegedly fraudulent use of Anjou on his labels using the designation Vin de France keeps being put back. Olivier asserts that as his vines are planted in Anjou and that as his farming practices are designed to fully reflect their terroir he has the right to use Anjou on his labels. Are the French authorities having second thoughts over the wisdom of pursuing this case, I wonder?   

 Luc Sébille (Chinon): clearly a man, who is enthusuastic about his wines!

 Thierry Puzelat tells a paparazzi to push off!

 

Brett Jones: "Wink, I don't think you should have done THAT in public!!" 

Thierry Puzelat + Tue-Boeuf: Portes Ouvertes 2nd and 3rd June

With friends: Catherine and Pierre Breton (Bourgueil and Chinon), Natalie and Christian Chaussard (Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières), Bruno Duchêne (Collioure), Agnès and Jean Folliard (Fleurie and Morgon), Jean-Sébastien Gioan (Côtes du Roussillon), Agnès and René Mosse (Anjou and Coteaux du Layon), Jean-François Nicq (Côtes du Roussillon), Pascal Potaire and Moses Gadouche (Pétillant Naturel de Touraine), Nicolas Vauthier (Bourgognes de l'Yonne) and Hervé Villemade (Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny).

As the Puzelats were hit by frost on 17th April he advises: 'En attendant la pénurie de 2012, buvons du 2011 !'

 Thierry Puzelat

Jean-Marie Puzelat

  

Thrusday 9th: visits to Puzelats, Champalou, Alex Monmousseau and Ludovic Chanson

Thierry Puzelat@Clos du Tue-Boeuf

On Thursday we had a full day of visits starting with the Puzelats@the Domaine du Tue-Boeuf. We were delighted that Thierry had time to taste with us for an hour and a half as today (Saturday) is his wedding day – a big event amongst the natural wine-makers of the Loire.

Thierry and Nigel Wilkinson (RSJ Restaurant)

Jean-Marie Puzelat

More to follow but now off for visits to Jacky Blot and François Chidaine in Montlouis.

Tue-Boeuf, Thierry Puzelat plus some wisteria: more photos

Thierry Puzelat:post boxes

More photos from the sort out.

Cellar@Domaine de Tue Boeuf (Jean-Marie and Thierry Puzelat)


Tue-Boeuf: young buds – mid April 2009

Wisteria@Epeigné-les-Bois: mid April 2010

France: organic viticulture growing strongly + Thierry Puzelat video

Le bio en forte croissance

Fin 2009 la surface revendiquée par les vignerons français en viticulture biologique (ou en conversion) atteignait 39 000 ha. Un chiffre qui a doublé en 4 ans, et qui a été multiplié par 8 en 14 ans. Le nombre d’exploitations engagées en bio a augmenté de 31 % en une année, pour 3024 exploitations recensées fin 2009. 

Lire la suite... 

The article doesn't mention the Loire, where organic viticulture has long been well represented. Apparently the biggest increases have been seen in Languedoc-Roussillon (12 661 ha, + 52 % compared to 2008), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (8 981 ha, + 35 %) and Aquitaine (5 464 ha, + 45 %).

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Thierry Puzelat

The Guardian has a video of the 2010 harvest at Domaine du Tué-Boeuf with Thierry Puzelat, which also stars Henrietta Lovell in fetching red. She is modelling some of the latest bio-vêtements. It is a recent discovery that wearing bright colours and patterns can deter unwanted insects and birds from invading vineyards. Red is particularly effective during the harvest in deterring ravenous birds from feasting on the ripe grapes.

 

Floral vineyard@Clos Roche Blanche

The Diversity of Wine

 Jacky Preys: late September 2009

Excellent post here on Cory Cartwright's Saignée blog about the diversity of wine and the threats to this diversity by large scale, global branding. It has already been widely picked up most notably probably on Eric Asimov's The Pour. Towards the end of the post Cory expresses some cautious optimism that people are now looking for variety and he cites the work of producers like the Puzelat brothers, Les Foucault, Jacky Preys, François Cazin etc. There are other that can be added such as Pascal Potaire with Menu Pineau and Eric Chevalier following on from Jacky Preys with his Fie Gris.    

Originel (2004), Julien Courtois

The Courtois family are one of the cult vignerons that I really ought to have visited by now. Something I will have to put right soon. My failure to visit or know more about their wines is partly due to never having had happy experiences with Claude Courtois' wines on the few occasions that I have tasted them. I remember one red (although not its name – though it may well have been Racines – a red) opened in Epeigné a few years ago that was undrinable and was poured down the sink. About three or four years ago Claude was at the Renaissance tasting in Angers but I was no more impressed.

However, a number of years ago Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon) was full of enthusiasm for this wonderful Loire producer he had met at a wine fair in Brussels. It was Claude Courtois and, although Randall has a highly developed sense of humour, I think on this occassion he was serious.

So to Originel (vin de table français) from the 2004 vintage* made with 100% Menu Pineau by Claude's son, Julien. It has to said that Originel is also quite challenging, particular in respect to its colour and nose. The colour is quite a deep gold – certainly pretty deeply hued for a wine of this age, although it is vinified in oak, while the nose has quite marked oxidative notes. I imagine that there is little or no sulphur used here. In contrast the palate is much fresher still with some oxidative notes which here add complexity to the minerality and clean acidity. We drunk this over two nights as an apero and I fancy that the second night the colour was deeper and the oxidative notes a little more marked.

It is good to see producers working with Loire varieties like Menu Pineau (also called Arbois) that used to be more widely grown than they are now. Pascal Potaire in the Cher Valley is another producer making Menu Pineau – on this evidence I prefer Pascal's. Thierry Puzelat is another producer working with Menu Pineau. It remains a permitted variety in Vouvray (almost a slightly guilty secret!), Cheverny and Valançay. Having a range of varieties that have a local history is part of France's patrimony and it would be good to see France's wine authorities wanting to cherish and encourage this diversity even though hectares of just Sauvignon Blanc would be easier to sell.

Pascal Potaire (not Menu Pineau in the glass!)

* Douglas Wregg (Les Caves de Pyrène) told me they would be sending the 2004 vintage. However, there is an L6 marked at the bottom of the label, so it may actually be 2006. As a vin de table français there can be no mention of the vintage on the label. I'll have to check with Douglas.

Vincent Ricard and Thierry Puzelat on McDuff

Vincent Ricard in his new tasting room: April 2009

Two good postings on the McDuff Food & Wine Trail blog:

Vincent Ricard

Label designs in Vincent's new tasting room

Thierry Puzelat

Loire videos on The Wine Digger

Have just discovered The Wine Digger blog that has been up since March and is run by Guilhaume of San Francisco. The Loire features quite frequently and recent postings included videos of Mark Angeli and Thierry Puzelat.

Les Portes Ouvertes: this coming weekend

Domaine Huet, Vouvray
Vendredi 8, Samedi 9, Dimanche 10 mai de 10h à 19h
(Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th: 10am- 7pm

Opportunity to taste the 2008 vintage and also presumably admired the new tasting room and offices that were under construction when I was there in early January 2009. There will also be three wines from the 2002 vintage, which has a number of similarities with 2008.

Vous aurez également l’occasion de vous projeter dans l’avenir des 2008, puisque sur ces deux week-ends uniquement, nous vous proposerons 3 cuvées exceptionnelles d’un millésime similaire en de nombreux points: le Clos du Bourg Première Trie 2002, le Mont Première Trie 2002 et la Cuvée Constance 2002.

Domaine Huet. 11 Rue de la Croix Buisée 37210 Vouvray Tel: 02.47.52.78.87 Site: www.huet-echansonne.com

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Le maître du chai chez les Puzelats

Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat (Domaine du Tue-Boeuf) in Les Montils have a Portes Ouvertes on 9th and 10th May. Other producers who will be present include René Mosse (Anjou), Pierre Breton (Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray) and Pascal Potaire (Touraine).

Le Clos du Tue Boeuf, 6 rte Seur, 41120 Les Montils
Tel: 02 54 44 05 16

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9th-10th Mai 2009 (10.00-18.00): Domaine Joël Delaunay, 48 Rue de la Tesnière, 41110 Pouillé
Tel: 02.54.71.45.59
Email: contact@joeldelaunay.com
Site: www,joeldelaunay.com