Some recent Loires

 Turbulent – Sauvion Préambule (front and back labels)

A quick round up of a few recently drunk Loire bottles. To start with the nicely punning white sparkler from Sauvion – now part of Grands Chais de France. This vin mousseux de qualité comes from Château du Cléray in Vallet in the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation. The blend is 45% Folle Blanche (locally called Gros Plant) from vines on 'silico argileux' (clayey sand), 55% Chardonnay on gneiss and 5% Cabernet Franc on limestone. Quite creamy this makes an attractive, easy drinking, fresh apéritif. 

Staying with bubbles we opened a bottle of Triple Zéro Rosé (Jacky Blot) to celebrate Lizzie Armitstead's silver medal. I suppose it really ought to have been the white Triple Zero to celebrate the Silver but the Rosé was already in the fridge, chilled and to hand. Made from 50% Gamay and 50% Grolleau Noir, this hit the spot as usual with its delicate red fruits and crisp acidity. 

2007 Sancerre Rouge, Henry Natter

2007 was not an easy vintage for Loire reds – the wines needed to be made in an easy drinking style while trying to avoid extracting too much tannin. This 2007 Sancerre Rouge (12.5% alc) from Henry Natter in Montigny at the extreme west of the appellation is still drinking very well. Light Pinot Noir colour and a light silky texture it has charming spicy fruit. Probably time to drink it up over the next year or so. 

2011 Le Pied de la Butte, Bourgueil, Jacky Blot Domaine de la Butte 

This deliciously easy drinking Bourgueil is a current favourite – probably not for much longer as the case is rapidly disappearing. Le Pied de la Butte is always Jacky's easy drinking and early bottled Bourgueil. It sees no wood instead matured in stainless steel tanks and bottled in April. Juicy red fruits with some concentration – all the pleasure of drinking a youthful Cabernet Franc!

     

    

  

The new Triple Zéro Rosé from Jacky Blot

Made from 50% Gamay and 50% Grolleau Noir and like the Triple Zéro white it has no added sugar at any point in its production. Dominated by red fruits, red currant in particular, it has an attractive touch of bitterness in the finish. Jacky Blot (Domaine de la Taille aux Loups) feels that this rosé could do with a bit more zip – to be more 'tonique'. One solution would be add around 10% of a Chenin base wine to this. Although for reasons beyond my understanding a still rosé (AC status) in the EU cannot be a blend of red and white wine, this is perfectly acceptable for sparkling wines.   

Montlouis 2010 – news

 Clos du Château de Mosny

Picking in Montlouis and elsewhere in Touraine has continued into the weekend to get the majority of the crop in now as quickly as possible. Montlouis and Vouvray will produce mainly sparkling and dry wines this year. I would be surprised if there is very much demi-sec made and there will be even less moelleux. 

Jacky Blot has added another 20 hectares to his Montlouis holding. After the harvest he will take over 12 hectares in the historic Clos du Mosny vineyard, which is on the road between Saint-Martin-Le-Beau and Montlouis. He has also acquired more of the Clos Michet, which from the 2009 vintage will be released as a single vineyard Montlouis (14€ a bottle for the 2009). 

Triple Zéro Rosé from 2011

Jacky will be releasing a Triple Zéro Rosé (AC Touraine) next year. The blend for this pétillant is roughly 50% Grolleau and 50% Gamay. Like the white it will have no added sugar with natural yeasts used for the first fermentation with an addition of cultured yeasts for the secondary fermentation.

New functional winery@Damien Delecheneau's La Grange Tiphaine

We dropped by La Grange Tiphaine. There appeared to be no-one around but it gave me an opportunity to see the brand new chai.