Jim's Loire: Bonnezeaux

Showing posts with label Bonnezeaux. Show all posts

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

2016 DWWA results – Loire: bests and golds

2016 DWWA and the red coats @Tobacco Dock

In addition to the Platinum Award – best Sauvignon Blanc over £15 – going to the 2015 Sancerre from Villebois, the results for the Loire 2016 edition of DWWA are easily the best since the competition started in 2004. This reflects the quality of the 2014 and 2015 vintages.

The Best:

Best Loire red over £15: 2014 L'Ancestrale, Chinon, Domaine de Jourdan & Pichard

Best White Loire under £15: 2014 Les Coudraies, Vouvray demi-sec, Domaine d'Orfeuilles

Best sweet Loire over £15: 2014 Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru Chaume, Domaine de la Roche Moreau, André Davy

Golds:

Saphir Brut, Saumur Mousseux, Bouvet-Ladubay, mid-range sparkling, £8-£14.99

2014 Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, Château Bellerive, Super-Premium £30.00-59.99

2014 Bonnezeaux, Château la Varière, Super-Premium £30.00-59.99

2014 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie, Domaine Clair Moreau, Mid-Range £8.00 - £14.99

2015 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Salmon,
Mid-Range £8.00 - £14.99

2015 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie, Domaine de la Tourmaline, Gadais Père et Fils, Entry Level Up to £7.99,

2015 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie, Manoir de la Hersandière, Mid-Range £8.00 - £14.99

2015 Menetou-Salon Blanc, Domaine de l'Ermitage, Géraud de la Farge

2015 Pouilly-Fumé, J de Villebois, Premium £15.00 - £29.99

2014 Sensi, Saumur-Champigny, La Source de Ruault, Premium £15.00 - £29.99

2014 La Terre des Anges, Sancerre, Laporte, Premium £15.00 - £29.99

Friday, 14 September 2012

Touraine Jazz Festival (Montlouis) + le Relais de Bonnezeaux reopens

Jazz Touraine in Montlouis from 13th-23rd September

The 26th edition of the Festival Jazz Touraine is being held in Montlouis from 13th through to 23rd September. Details here.

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Vines above the small town of Thouarcé

Le Relais de Bonnezeaux will reopen

The well known restaurant, the Relais de Bonnezeaux which closed at the end of June when Robert Touchet, the longtime owner and chef retired, will be reopening. Touchet had been unable to find someone to take over from him. However, he has now found a young chef from Cholet who will take over. The deal was signed on Wednesday. The restaurant is on the hill out of Thouarcé in the heart of the Bonnezeaux vineyards. For some bizarre reason the Google map link doesn't work properly. Google can find the restaurant, provide a link but then can't find it again! Anyway it is on the D24 heading towards Angers and before you get to the hamlet of Bonnezeaux.

I don't know when the restaurant is due to reopen – details will be posted when I have them.

The news was reported in the Cholet edition of maville.com:

'Un Choletais va reprendre le restaurant de Robert Touchet, véritable institution angevine basée à Thouarcé. Après deux mois et demi de fermeture. Soulagement pour le chef qui avait pris sa retraite, la mort à l'âme.

Read the rest here.

Vines in Bonnezeaux

Le Moulin de Bonnezeaux

Thursday, 2 December 2010

Brilliant 2007 Bonnezeaux: Les Melleresses, Château la Varière

Golden label ... golden wine

Decided that we could do with a warming apéro this evening (yes I know Bob that the UK is still hot compared to Alberta but all things are relatives), so selected the single vineyard 2007 Les Melleresses, Bonnezeaux from Jacques and Anne Beaujeau's Château la Varière (37.5cl) . It underlines what a great sweet wine vintage 2007 is because it has such a thrilling balance of opulent fruit – very ripe peach and apricot and and zinging, mineral acidity. This is really a wine to sip on its won either before a meal or after. Worth considering serving it instead of a dessert.

Jacques Beaujeau

Thursday, 3 September 2009

Coteaux du Layon 2007 tasting@Decanter

Have been at Decanter magazine today at a Decanter panel tasting looking at the 2007 vintage in the Coteaux du Layon including Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. The results will appear in the January 2010 edition of Decanter. There were some superb wines in the tasting, showing both the quality today of what can be made in the Layon and how good the best sweet wines from the 2007 vintage are – miraculously precise with a really thrilling balance of sweetness and acidity.

View from Decanter's dining room next to the tasting room

Decanter magazine is now housed in IPC's Blue Fin Building with a spectacularly sited tasting room overlooking St Paul's and the City of London with the Tate Modern in the foreground.

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Report on yesterday's lunch with Keith Prothero now finished here.