La Châtelaine@Clos Roche Blanche

Seccotine oversees the tasting

Tasting today of the current vintages available at the Clos Roche Blanche under the watchful eye of Seccotine, La Châtelaine of the estate.

Apparently comfortably perched on the lip of a conical wooden vat

With Seccotine's approval we tasted the floral, clean, fresh and precise 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée No 2. Although it only has 5 grams of sulphur per litre (the norm is 20-25 grams), there is no trace of oxidation. 

The richly opulent and concentrated Cuvée No 5 from 2009 is a contrast with its echoes of some of the Cotat Sancerres. Tasted blind I'm sure I could mistake it for a restrained Viognier with its light apricot character. The 2010 Pineau d'Aunis Rosé is light with less d'Aunis character than usual. However, the 2010 l'Arpent Rouge is delicious as I have recently posted – great investment for summer drinking! The spicy, soft and concentrated 2010 Gamay is also very good with more complexity than most Touraine Gamays have. Drinking well now it will also last a good three or four years.    

Pif guards the entrance to cellar

The last 2010 was Cuvée Pif (one third Côt and two thirds Cabernet) again lighter in style than the 2009. Catherine and Didier didn't make a pure Côt in 2010. We finished with the lovely 2009 Côt, once again demonstrating how successful this variety can be in the Cher Valley. Deep coloured and richly textured with a long finish, this needs a good three or four years to show its best. Doubtless will still drink well in 10 or 15 years time.  

PS Drought postponed for the moment – heavy but steady rain in Epeigné-les-Bois yesterday evening for a good three hours or more. However, it will take days of rain to bring the water table back to normal. Some gentle rain this morning.

Gergovie Wines + Mons: two new openings in Maltby/Druid Streets, SE1

Trevor Gulliver (St John) breakfasting@Gergovie Wines

On the last Saturday of February two new outlets – Gergovie Wines and Mons the cheesemonger –  opened in the Maltby/Druid Street Arches area.  

Gergovie Wines

Bumping into Trevor Gulliver, boss of the St John group, at his Druid Street bakery this morning he told me about Gergovie Wines, which had just recently opened in Maltby Street. By the time we had done our circuit we caught up briefly with him at the new wine bar. Gergovie Wines is run by Raef Hodgson, son of Randolph Hodgson the chairman of Neals Yard Dairy, and Harry Lester. They work with 'a few of a new generation of winemakers eschewing chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In favour of letting the land speak (sing even).'

On their short list they have three producers from the Auvergne – Patrick Bouju from the Domaine de la Bohème (video from wine terroirs ); François Dhummes (story here on Bertrand Celce's Wine Terroirs) and Fred Gounan of Vignoble de l'Arbre Blanc. Gergovie also list another Loire – Domaine Saurigny from Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné in the Layon. The indefatigable Bertrand has also posted a story on Jérôme Saurigny. and there is also this write up of an exciting visit last year on Wicker Parker.

Unfortunately we were pushed for time, so only had time for a quick glance round but as I don't know any of the four Loire producers listed I will have to go back soon.

Incidentally Trevor told me that the St John Hotel is due to open at the end of this month.

Mons the cheesemonger
This small outlet of the famous fromage affiner, Mons, has opened in Stanworth Street, next to Neals Yard Diary. Mons is based at the old fortified town of Saint Haon le Châtel, close to Roanne and within the Côte Roannaise appellation.

Today we have:

We opted for a piece of this deliciously creamy and flavoursome blue

Website for Maltby/Druid Streets here.

See also The Bermondsey Trail by Saffron Strands.

Haut-Poitou VDQS becomes an AC

On 16th November the INAO announced that the wine commission (actually Le Comité national des appellations d’origine relatives aux vins et aux boissons alcoolisées et des eaux-de-vie de l’INAO – should you need to know) had agreed to promote Haut-Poitou from VDQS to full appellation contrôlée status. They also agreed to the promotion of Côtes d'Auvergne. Both decisions need to be ratified by the French Minister for Agriculture. This is somewhat of a formality, although the process can take up to around six months.

By my reckoning this leaves three remaining VDQSs in the Loire – Fiefs Vendéens, Coteaux d'Ancenis and Gros Plant. My guess is that the first two are very likely to be promoted to AC status, whereas it is much less sure for Gros Plant, whose producers originally opted for vin de pays. The VDQSs are due to disappear next year.

'Wines of Haut Poitou granted AOC status

17 November 2010

The wines of Haut Poitou have been granted Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status, after decades of effort by the regions vineyards to meet the stringent criteria required.

Haut Poitou is an area of some 800 hectares situated to the north of Poitiers, covering some 40 communes (38 in the Vienne and 2 in Deux Sevres), where winemaking can be traced back to Roman times.

After WWII, wines from the region were marketed under the name Neuville du Poitou by the cooperative of wine growers, and in 1970 the product achieved the Appellation d'Origine Vins Délimités de Qualité Supérieure status, in recognition of quality of wines from the region.  Since 1989 the wines have been marketed under the brand ‘Vin du Haut-Poitou.’

White wines from the area can be made with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc grape varieties.   Red and Rosé wines can be made with Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Merlot Rouge, Cot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay de Chaudeney and Grolleau (according to the official Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) criteria).'

From the Guide2 Poitou Charentes.

AC Côtes d'Auvergne: not all gains

As expected the new AC rules come with some drawbacks for the producers in the Côtes d'Auvergne. Principally it is no longer possible to make pure Pinot Noir. As usual there is an insistence that it has to be blended with Gamay, despite all the evidence that this combination never makes really good wine.  If the INAO were ever to revise the Burgundian appellations whether they would insist on the Côte d'Or being a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir? The poor Côtes d'Auvergne producers are being invited to ride a three-legged horse!

Anne Sauvat

Anne Sauvat in her Les Journées d'une vigneronne gives the details:

'Bien sur , toutes les demandes et souhaits des viticuleurs Auvergnats n'ont pas été pris en compte par l'INAO et non pas aboutis dans le cahier des charges de la future AOC .

• Le plus grand regrêt de certains producteurs sera probablement pour le cépage Pinot Noir qui a été autorisé uniquement en assemblage avec le Gamay ( -de 50 % ). Le Pinot noir vinifié en pur est accepté en Vin de Pays du Puy de Dôme .

• Autre grand bouleversement au niveau des dénominations locales ( Boudes , Chateaugay , Chanturgue , Corent , Madargue ) consersées dans le future cahier des charges AOC, elles perdent deux des trois couleurs actuelles .

En effet :

• Boudes , Chateaugay , Chanturgue , Madargue seront uniquement des AOC rouge
• Corent sera exclusivement AOC rosé

Les couleurs ( blancs , rouge et rosé ) devriendront des Côtes d'Auvergne AOC génériques .

Bien sur , vous trouverez pas encore cette année , d'étiquettes Cotes d'Auvergne AOC car cette chartre rentrera en vigueur que pour le millésime 2011.'

Two items of Loire news: AC Côtes d'Auvergne and Translayon 2011

Terraced vineyards in the Côtes d'Auvergne

Last Tuesday the Cotes d'Auvergne (around 400 ha) was promoted to AC status. I need to check but I think this is another instance of the insistence that the red has to be a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir, whereas under the previous VDQS regime it was possible to have a 100% Gamay or Pinot Noir.

'Vingt ans que les viticulteurs auvergnats attendaient ! Le vignoble des côtes-d'auvergne a obtenu, mardi, l'AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée), devenant le deuxième vin auvergnat à en bénéficier, après le saint-pourçain, qui l'avait obtenue en mai 2009.

Lire la suite ici.'

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Translayon 2011: Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th June

Participez à pieds ou à cheval à la grande descente du Layon!!!!!

Pour la 1ère fois dans la Translayon, en partenariat avec le Comité Départemental de la Randonnée Pédestre et Equiliberté49, descendez à cheval ou à pied toute la Vallée du Layon!!Du 3 au 5 juin 2011, 3 jours de randonnées exceptionnelles, au coeur des Coteaux du Layon, de la source de la rivière à sa confluence avec...

More details here

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My thanks to tweets from Eva Robineau of http://www.oenos.net/ for alerting me to these two items.