Off on an adventure: Day 14 – Adrien de Mello

Adrien de Mello, Domaine de la Petite Soeur, 

Château de la Genaiserie, Anjou 

As I suspect there will be limited time to post on Jim's Loire while we are away– there are posts prepared in advance that will feature pics of Loire producers and may be from elsewhere plus some recently enjoyed bottles.   

2017 Renaissance – Saturday 4th February

Louis-Jean Sylvos, Château de la Roche, Azay-le-Rideau

modelling a fine hat. They also make good Chenin Blanc

Florence Sylvos, Château de la Roche 

Photos from the Saturday (4th February 2017) session of the Renaissance tasting:

Mark Angeli – the sage of Thouarcé 

 Pascale de Bonnaventure, Château de Coulaine, Chinon

Jean de Bonnaventure  

 Florent et Claire Bejon, Domaine Florent Bejon, 
Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne 

with two hectares of Cabernet Franc 

previous Appellation Touraine

but Chinon from 2016   

Claudine Tisserand, Domaine Terres de Roa, Saint-Pourçain 
Domaine of 18ha making attractively austere Tressalier.

Sébastien Riffault, Domaine Riffault, Sancerre
Continuing to make intriguing 
and very individual Sancerre

Anthony Robin, Domaine du Clos Frémur
St Gemmes sur Loire 5ha just 5km from Angers 
where Damien Laureau started before moving to Savennières 
Making attractive sparkling wine – Le Puits de Rèze,
juicy, easy drinking Grolleau.
Took over domaine in March 2015, so
2015 is Anthony's first vintage

Adrien de Mello, Domaine de la Petite Soeur
Château de la Génaiserie
badly frosted in 2016 – 7 hl/ha
2016 is his 2nd vintage 
Globule Rouge 2015 ((70% Cab Fr, 30% Cab S)  soft and rich

2016 Renaissance tasting, Angers – two Loire débutants: Liv Vincendeau and Adrien de Mello

It was good to meet at this year's Renaissance two new Anjou producers just launching their new domaines: Liv Vincendeau of Domaine Vincendeau and Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur in Saint Aubin de Luigné. Neither Liv nor Adrien come from a family of vignerons – both have created their own domaines. 

 Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur

Liv Vincendeau of Domäne Vincendeau

Liv started out in 2014 buying 7 hectares of land with 4.5 hectares planted with vines. The remaining 2.5 hectares are fields which which Liv is keeping to provide biodiversity. Previously the vineyard had been farmed 'conventionally' and she immediately started to convert to organic viticulture. This process will take until 2017 when, if she passes the various controls, her wines will be organic.

I was impressed with her clean, precise and quite austere 2014 Raguenet (100% Chenin) Anjou Blanc. This is made from vines whose ages range from 10 to those planted in 1941. Although unfinished the 2015 Raguenet also looks promising. She is also making several sparkling wines including the creamy 2014 Gold and the clean and long Crémant de Loire.

Very good to see that she has bravely opted for Stelvin Lux for her Raguenet, despite the unfortunate conservative attitude towards screwcaps in France.  

On this early evidence Domäne Vincendreau is one to follow. 

Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur

Breton by birth Adrien is even more recent than Liv Vincendreau as he only started in 2015. He used to manage the vinification at Prior to that he did the harvest in France in 2001 and 2002 before leaving for Quebec, where he learnt how to make wine. From 2011 he was at the biodynamic Domaine Duseigneur in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where he looked after the winemaking.

Then in 2015 he started his domaine, which currently has 3.5 hectares in one block, in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. He uses a horse to cultivate his vines and has six different grape varieties: Chenin, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gamay. Of the wines I tasted I preferred the whites – a pure Chenin and a pure Sauvignon Blanc –to the reds. However, I should really wait until they are fully finished and have had a little time in bottle.