Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Wednesday 25 January 2017

A couple of Loire bottles: Chinon Blanc (Noblaie) + Saumur-Champigny (Bonnelière)



This is the basic tank fermented 2015 Chinon Blanc from Jérôme Billard at the Domaine de la Noblaie.  It is beautifully balanced with the weight of ripe fruit that one associates with the 2015 vintage along with very clean and precise acidity. This cuvée would I'm sure age well but it will be hard to resist opening other bottles! Jérôme also makes another Chinon Blanc – La Part des Anges, which is fermented in wood and matured for longer before being bottled and released onto the market.
 



85/15 is a limited Saumur-Champigny cuvée from Anthony and Cédric Bonneau of Domaine de la Bonnelière. It is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Saumur-Champigny's habitual variety, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon rarely used here and, if it is, only 15% is permitted. The 2014 85/15 has considerable concentration but needs more time to show its best, especially with the tannins associated with Cabernet Sauvignon.
 

1 comment:

Bob Rossi said...

It's interesting that the label on the red lists Cabernet Sauvignon in much larger letters than Cabernet France, even though it's only 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. I wonder if that's intended to appeal to non-French consumers.