Jim's Loire: Vincent Carême

Showing posts with label Vincent Carême. Show all posts

Sunday, 26 November 2017

Loire dates: Portes Ouvertes and tasting opportunities before Christmas

Unfortunately I have never made les Vins du Coin but each year I regret this as there is a list of very interesting vignerons participating. Unfortunately I haven't done my planning in way that would mean I was in the Loire for this event.

This is the 13th edition. It will be held in the Château de Blois.

'Le salon Les Vins du Coin aura lieu pour la première fois au Château de Blois le samedi 2 décembre de 10h à 18h (entrée : 5€).

Dégustation et vente, l'événement est ouvert aux particuliers comme aux professionnels.

26 vignerons et vigneronnes de 21 domaines présenteront tous 3 cuvées. La charte qui les rassemble : raisins bio + soufre limité à 40/50 mg/l + vendanges manuelles.'

Participants de cette 13e édition :

Bruno Allion

Olivier Bellanger

Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme

Mikael Bouges

Alain Courtault et Simon Tardieux

Paul Gillet

Renaud Guettier

Ariane Lesné

Estelle Maître et François Saint-Léger

Damien Menut

Noëlla Morantin

Julien Pineau

Pascal Potaire et Moses Gadouche

Thierry Puzelat

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Vincent Roussely

Jérôme Sauvète

Cyrille Sevin

Philippe Tessier

Brendan Tracey

Hervé Villemade

+ de jeunes installés en agriculture paysanne (charcuterie, pain, maraîchage, c.), des artisans et artistes (potier, taillandier, dessinateur en direct, etc.).

More details here and here.

•••

Domaine Vincent Carême:

Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd December 10.00 - 19.00
1 Rue du Haut Clos, 37210 Vernou-sur-Brenne,

•••

Hervé Villemade: 9th-10th December:

Details:

des potes ouverts au domaine. En collaboration avec le Clos du Tue-boeuf et Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme. Nos copains vignerons viennent de toutes les régions présenter leurs vins.

Venez nombreux - Dégustation/Vente de 11h à 18h.

Les Vignerons présents :

BOURGUEIL & CHINON.....................................Catherine & Pierre BRETON

PET’ NAT’ de TOURAINE................................P.POTAIRE et M.GADOUCHE

TOURAINE ............................................................Pierre-Olivier BONHOMME

CHEVERNY, TOURAINE & VINS ETRANGERS............J.M. & T. PUZELAT

ANJOU & COTEAUX DU LAYON.................................Agnès & René MOSSE

BROUILLY & MORGON....................................................Famille DESCOMBES

COLLIOURE & BANYULS.............................Bruno DUCHENE & Manuel DI VECCHI STARAZ

MONTLOUIS/TOURAINE-A.LE RIDEAU..................Marie THIBAULT & Frantz SAUMON

CÔTES DU RHÔNE..........................................................Marcel RICHAUD

ALSACE.....................................................................................Jean-Pierre RIETSCH

CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON..........................................Jean-Sébastien GIOAN

BOURGOGNES DE L’YONNE..............................................Nicolas VAUTHIER

CHAMPAGNE..............................................................................Benoit TARLANT

MUSCADET..............................................Marion PESCHEUX & Manuel LANDRON

BOURGOGNE.................................................................Julien ALTABERT

CHEVERNY & COUR-CHEVERNY.......................................Hervé VILLEMADE

et ......

Poissons fumés > Fumaisons de l’île de Groix

Charcuteries > Raimond Lecoq

Huile d’Olive > Domaine de la Cavalière

Musique > Tonton Yo aux platines > Les Sulfites Blues

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Portes ouvertes: dates for your diary – Domaine de la Noblaie, Vincent Carême and Simoneau Paris

Weekend of 5th and 6th December:

Domaine de la Noblaie: Portes Ouvertes

Tania et Vincent Carême: Domaine Vincent Carême

•••

This Saturday: Carine Simoneau and Sébastien Paris

21 Rue des vignes, 41400 Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Tel: 02.54.71.36.14

Thursday, 1 October 2015

#2015Loire – Vouvray (23rd September)

Les Bidaudières, Vouvray

Apologies that this report on a visit we made to Vouvray on Wednesday 23rd September but rushing about in the Loire has put me behind! Vouvray started for the still wines around Monday 21st September although for the sparkling the starting date was earlier. Vincent Carême, for instance picked his Jeunes Vignes for sparkling Vouvray on 17th September.

Bunches in Les Bidaudières

rented by Tanguy Perrault and Anne-Cécile Jadaud

Vincent Carême in his Peu Morier vineyard (Vouvray)

checking the maturity of the grapes

Some of the vines are 60 years old

Grapes picked through the vineyard

squashed to obtain a...

... reading on the mustimeter

After meeting Vincent in his vines we went on to Domaine Champalou where we saw Didier Champalou. "We started this morning picking by machine for our Vouvray sparkling. Next we'll begin picking for our still wines.

Bernard Fouquet (Domaine des Aubuisières) was our final stop. Bernard: "We started yesterday. Yields are low – 50 hl/ha for sparkling (up to 65hl/ha is alllowed for sparkling). Potential alcohol for the sparkling is between 11.8-12%. Then on the Coteaux I expect it will be between 35-40 hl/ha. Last week we had some 50 mm of rain – Rochecorbon had less than we did."

Bernard, whose domaine is organic, told us about an anti-rot treatment that absorbs the moisture.

Since our visit a week ago last Wednesday the weather has improved dramatically. On Saturday the wind swung round to the north east and we have had a series of perfect days with the cold quite strong wind drying and concentrating after the deluge of 13th-18th September.

We plan to take at look at Montlouis and Vouvray tomorrow, so doubtless we shall see some happy producers. If the current forecast doesn't change and is accurate, it may not be wise to wait too long as some showers are forecast from Saturday with heavier rain due from Wednesday.

As usual with Chenin Blanc considerable variations even within the same row.

Friday, 4 September 2015

2014 Coup de Fougue-- a thrilling Vouvray from Florent Cosme

I first tasted one of Florent Cosme's Vouvray in April 2013 and then next on 23rd September 2013 at Les Caves des Belles Dames over lunch following the visit of producers and the press to the Vouvray vineyards – the annual visite des vignes just before the vintage. I was very favourably impressed on both occasions.

Unfortunately I didn't meet Florent on Monday 15th June – the excellent day organised by Vincent Carême to meet a a succession of interesting Vouvray producers, although I was able to spend time with Matthieu, Florent's elder brother – another fine producer. However, Florent kindly left a sample of his 2014 Vouvray Sec Coup de Fougue for me to taste. I finally tasted it about 10 days ago and brilliant it was. Razor fresh – precise Vouvray and a great illustration of how good Chenin Blanc can be. Florent's Coup has ripe weight that characterises the 2014 balanced by sensationally clean acidity. Lovely now but surely truly stunning with more bottle age.

Monday, 15 June 2015

A more positive view of Vouvray

: 2015 Chenin Blanc flowering in Vouvray

My post last week covered what appears, on an investigation, a very dubious attempt to prevent Jacky Blot and François Chidaine from vinifying their Vouvray in Montlouis by changing the Vouvray décret. A change that Michel Bettane has characterised as an 'abuse of power'. Furthermore this part of the 2009 Vouvray décret may well not survive an appeal by Blot/Chidaine to the Conseil d'Etat.

But enough of that for the moment. Instead yesterday I passed a fascinating and very rewarding day visiting five Vouvray producers – all doing interesting things. Some of them like Sébastien Brunet, Damien Pinon, Matthieu Cosme have now been established for some time other like Michel Autran and Jacquelin Rouvre are more recent arrivals. I am indebted to Vincent and Tania Carême for suggesting and organising my visits. Vouvray has need of people of Vincent Carême ready to promote lesser known producers making quality wines as the reputation of Vouvray has been eclipsed very considerably recently by the its southern neighbour – Montlouis.

My hosts on Monday:

: Ex-doctor Michel Autran, who changed his life in 2006 and made his first vintage in 2011 and is now making brilliantly precise wines.

: Rugby player Mathieu Cosme who took over the family vines in 2005 and since 2011 working with his brother Florent. Mathieu is not a new discovery as I have tasted his wines before before but this was the first time I have visited his vineyards and seen his carefully work amongst his vines.

: 59 year-old Jacquelin Rouvre but young in spirit gave up running his Paris restaurant after 17 years of hard work to take up his parent's three hectares of vines in 2008. Jacquelin made his first vintage in 2010. if you want a bargain buy his lovely 2010 Brut for just 6.50€ a bottle. Absurdly cheap for the quality.

: It was good to meet Damien Pinon again. Damien and Ingrid Pinon featured in Jim's Loire back in June 2011 http://jimsloire.blogspot.fr/2011/06/monday-13th-june-les-jeunes-vignerons.html2011 and to again be impressed by their wines.

: Many years ago I tasted the wines of Domaine d'Orfeuilles in London, when the estate was run by Bernard Herivault, so it was good to meet his son Arnaud and taste his fine range of wines. By the end of next year all of the 22-hectare estate will be organic with Arnaud starting to move to biodynamic viticulture.

: Sébastien Brunet took over the family domaine when his father died young in 2006. The vineyards are farmed organically and look particularly healthy yesterday. Like the other Vouvray producers I visited Sébastien wines had real precision. I particularly liked the 2013 and 2014 La Pente de la Folie made from old vines (55 years old) from a south-facing parcel of 70 ares.In 2007 Sébastien was able to buy an extraordinary cellar with 10 kilometres of galleries that used to be used to grow mushrooms.

: Vincent Carême, who kindly organised my day, and whose 2013 Cuvée Ancestrale and 2012 Le Clos Vouvray Sec were stand outs.

Most of these producers are organic – all eschew weedkillers. Sadly the use of weedkillers is far too prevalent in AC Vouvray with many vineyards completely blitzed. Instead of promoting foolish rules to bar top-quality Vouvray producers from vinfiying in the neighbouring commune of Montlouis-sur-Loire, the Syndicat of Vouvray Producers would be much better occupied persuading their members to move to a more sustainable viticulture and to promote biodiversity. If Vouvray wants to improve its flagging reputation, here are some fine examples to follow!

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Vouvray – Tanguy Perrault and Anne-Cécile Jadaud: Domaine Perrault-Jadaud

The house at Chançay with the cave set into the hillside

In the cellar

Anne-Cécile and Tanguy in their vineyard
by Le Clos du Bourg, Vouvray.

I was very pleased to discover a new Vouvray producer at the VinaViva tasting at Saint Etienne de Chigny a little to the west of Tours. I certainly can’t claim to be anything like the first to taste the wines of Tanguy Perrault and Anne-Cécile Jadaud as their first vintage was in 2008.

It is always good to find new producers who are making exciting wines and, in particular, in Vouvray. Particularly exciting in Vouvray as it has been less dynamic than its smaller but closely related cousin – Montlouis – on the south side of the Loire. Although Montlouis is substantially smaller than Vouvray over the past 30 years it has been much more dynamic and attracted a host of impressive newcomers. A major factor here has been the difference in the vineyard prices between the two appellations making Vouvray both much more unaffordable than Montlouis and so more difficult to find suitable vineyards to buy.

Nevertheless Tanguy Perrault and Anne-Cécile Jadaud, who had no background in wine, started out on their adventure in Vouvray in 2008 with just 0.8 hectares making a PetNat and a little moelleux. 2009 was really their first vintage when the domaine had grown to all of a hectare. Gradually they built up their domaine until they now have 4.2 hectares with Tanguy keen to acquire more if possible. Tanguy and Anne-Cécile have around 15 small parcels, which makes it complicated to work but, on the other hand, does spread the risk from hail and frost.

They are fortunate in having some parcels on the premières côtes both in Vouvray itself and further east in Noizay. One of their parcels in Vouvray is right by the Clos du Bourg. In 2011 they moved into their present premises in Chançay.

One of their parcels is a rented steeply terraced vineyard at Domaine des Bidaudières, an upmarket chambres d'hôtes in the commune of Vouvray. These vines used to be farmed by their friend and mentor Vincent Carême. As Vincent now has some 15-hectares of vines, this parcel takes too much time to cultivate so he has passed it onto Tanguy and Anne-Cécile. Carême plays an important role in appellation by encouraging new and young producers

Domaine des Bidaudières

The well exposed vineyard facing the Loire

Tanguy, who hails from Brittany, is a trained viticulturist, while Anne-Cécile, whose parents live in Tours is an oenologist. Both have taught at the Lycée Agricole d’Amboise.

They farm organically and their wines are impressively pure from low yields. They use a range of barrels – classic barriques (225 litres) for their PetNat and mainly 300 litre barrels for their still wines, which are preferably to 400-litre ones which are heavy to manoeuvre. Some of their barrels were bought from Henri Bourgeois and Anne-Cécile was full of praise for the very professional way the transaction was carried out. Jean-Christophe Bourgeois showed them all the barrels, which were still full of wine, and they could taste the wines so that they could select barrels, whose characteristics they thought would suit their wines best.

Henri Bourgeois – Chavignol en Vouvray!

maturing PetNat

Although they try to use as little sulphur as possible, they feel that their wines need a little bit of protection so they are not part of the non-SO2 brigade. A third of their production is sold direct from the domaine, a third to cavistes/restaurants and a third is exported.

When I tasted their wines both at VinaViva and when I went to visit them last week, I was very impressed with their Vouvray PetNat which spends 24 months sur latte giving it the complex, honeyed and toasty aromas and flavours. Equally impressive is the 2013 Les Grives Soûles Vouvray Sec – brilliantly precise, clean and long. Anne-Cécile explains that Grives-Soûles doesn’t mean drunken thrushes, rather thrushes wonderfully replete after plenty of corn to ready them for their migratory journey south at the end of the summer.