2011 Finca Antigua Crianza, La Mancha

 

 2011 Finca Antigua Crianza,  La Mancha  

Although 2011 this Crianza from La Mancha is still youthful. A blend of 50% Tempranillo, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah, this is quite typical of a certain style of Spanish red with good concentration and some sweet American oak notes, although it is aged in old barrels – a mix of French and American. A good red for the winter. 

Another good value red from The Wine Society. 

1970 Château Musar, Lebanon

We enjoyed a real treat – 1970 Château Musar – on Sunday at a dinner to celebrate a 64th birthday. I was pleased that the cork came out cleanly and the wine was in good form. Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. It had a lovely warm, soft texture with spicy notes and that characteristic exoticism of Musar.

Sadly this I think is our last bottle of 1970 bought probably from Les Amis du Vis at the end of the 1970s or early 1980s when we bought some 1967 and 1970 Musar. This was at a time when the UK had only recently discovered the wonders of Musar. Sad that this is the last survivor from that time but good that it was still showing so well.

 

2016 La Cerisaie, Domaine de la Bergerie: simply delicious

La Cerisaie is Domaine de la Bergerie's Anjou Rouge. Made from 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Bottled after a minimum of nine months in vat it is everything an Anjou Rouge ought to be – soft delicious fruit, little structure, no harsh tannins. In a word – just simply delicious, pure pleasure! At just under 7€ from the domaine this is a bargain. Drink young to enjoy the lovely fresh fruit. Vin des copains....

There is a place for structured reds from Anjou but that should be reserved for Anjou Villages with a longer maturation, more structure and aging potential.   

The adventure (3): two fine wines – one Chinese, one Russian

Two fine wines:

Although we didn't drink a bad wine while we were away in China and Russia, there were few highlights in China. Here is the best wine we drank in China and one of the best we had in Moscow.  

Tasya's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Grace Vineyard 
Our best bottle of Chinese wine 
drunk in a Hong Kong restaurant

2014 Cabernet Franc
Villa Victoria, ANAPA Valley 

In Moscow we chanced upon the excellent Wine & Crab restaurant, not far from Red Square. Here we had to try this very enjoyable Cabernet Franc.   

2005 Loire vintage in the Layon, Anjou – some photos from that October

 Pickers' vehicles in the Layon 

 Looking west along the Layon towards Château Soucherie 

from Pierre Bise 

In October Nigel Wilkinson (RSJ Restaurant) I spent a week or more in the Loire seeing how the 2005 vintage was coming. Because of the ideal conditions during the autumn of 2005, the vignerons were very relaxed during the harvest. They were able to choose exactly the moment when to pick. I suspect that the 2016 harvest is unlikely to be as relaxed – still it is some way off so we will have to see.  

Ripening Chenin Blanc at Château Pierre Bise
(above and below)

A steep slope overlooking the River Layon 

Cabernet Sauvignon – if I remember rightly

Claude Papin (Château Pierre Bise)

making a point

Looking westward along the Layon 

Château de Breuil on extreme left

Nigel Wilkinson with Vincent Ogereau 

in a parcel of Vincent's vines in 

Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay 

Cabernet Sauvignon – Côte de la Houssaye

(Domaine Ogereau)

above and below 

 In Les Bonnes Blanches 

ripening Chenin Blanc destined for Coteaux du Layon

above and below   

Vincent Ogereau checking on progress of his Chenin 

Celebrating London's first Muslim Mayor – Sadiq Khan

Crémant de Loire Rosé, Lamé Delisle Boucard

Last night we opened a bottle of the Crémant de Loire Rosé from Lamé Delisle Boucard to celebrate the election early on Saturday morning of Sadiq Khan as the new Mayor of London and the first Muslim to be elected to the post. Sadiq Khan was elected by a landslide despite a very unpleasantly racist campaign by the Conservatives that has been subsequently widely criticised by various senior Conservative figures. Khan has been impressively dignified.  

Lamé's Crémant Rosé is made from 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and spends 24 months sur latte. Lovely delicate strawberry and raspberry fruit.

Proud to be a Londoner!     

Rochelles' L' Ardoise + 100 AWEsome Wines

Following on from my Saturday post on the 2014 Les Chiens Chiens, Chinon from Domaine de la Noblaie, I tried this softly delicious L'Ardoise (AC Anjou) from Domaine des Rochelles. Deep coloured with dangerously attractive black fruits, this 2014 is already extremely seductive. Admittedly this cuvée, which is mainly Cabernet Franc with a small part of Cabernet Sauvignon, is intended for early drinking. At the moment it is certainly hitting the spot!  

••• 

100 AWEsome Wines 2016  – Association of Wine Educators 

The Association of Wine Educators (AWE) has just launched its 2016 selection of Awesome Wines. As Heather Doughty, AWE Chairman explains, 'this of our 2016 100 AWEsome wines showcases our members' expertise, while at the same time helping consumers towards some of the best value wines available in the UK.'

More information about the AWE from www.wineeducators.com; 01753-882320; admin@wineeducators.com 

#2015Loire: nearing completion apart from sweet wines

Alexandre Cady with a bunch of botrytis grapes 

destined for 2015 Coteaux du Layon St Aubin 

The 2015 Loire harvest, which started for some early varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc in the Cher Valley, is now beginning to near completion with the exception of sweet wines in Anjou. 

The good news is that the forecast for the at least until Tuesday 20th October is good, except for some occasional showers on Thursday afternoon and during Friday. Assuming that the showers are light a little rain could help the spread of botrytis. Temperatures are predicted to be in the low teens.

On Thursday afternoon (8th October) we dropped in on Domaine Cady to see them doing a tri from a parcel destined for Layon Saint-Aubin. 

The Cadys started picking on 10th September so their harvest has already extended over a month and their are further tris to be done for their Layons including a parcel in Chaume.    

 Promising looking grapes in the Domaine Cady parcel

Grapes in the trailer 

 

Philippe Cady before his Les Varennes 

parcel with vines between 60-70 years old 

where he has done at the end of last week 

a small tri at 19.5% potential  

 A developing bunch of Chenin in Les Varennes

 

Les Varennes, Domaine Cady 

•••

 A trio of Lebretons – Pierre-Emmanuel, Yves and Jean-Hubert 

(Domaine des Rochelles)

 Domaine des Rochelles: sorting Cabernet Sauvignon 

from La Croix de la Mission (Anjou-Villages Brissac)

Very clean fruit - little to discard 

(above and below)

After the Cadys we had another look at the Quarts de Chaume (post to come) before heading to the Aubance. After a brief stop at the Domaine de Bablut we went onto to see the Lebtretons at Domaine des Rochelles at Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets. 

 

Jean-Hubert Lebreton: "Grapes from La Croix de la Mission are coming in at 14.2% potential with 4.3 acidity. This year we are picking La Croix two weeks early. Unusually our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are ready at the same time."

 

Next post – Saumur and Chinon.

Couple of Loire Cab Francs – a rosé (with a smidge of Cab Sauv) and a red

2014 Bourgueil Rosé, Lamé Delisle Boucard 

2014 Bourgueil Rosé, Lamé Delisle Boucard is made from 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon with a slight maceration to give it a delicate pink colour. This has the usual 2014 ripeness and balance with soft, attractively textured fruit and crisp acidity in the finish.  

 2011 Saumur-Champigny, Château de Targé 

Bought from Majestic Wine Warehouse in Inverness the 2011 Saumur-Champigny (£9.99 a bottle) from Eduouard Pisani-Ferry's Château de Targé has typical fragrant, sweet Cabernet Franc fruit with just a touch of sootiness like a bar of coal tar soap. Softly structured there is vibrant raspberry fruit and some spice. Drinking well now, the 2011 should show well for another three or four years but is probably not for long-term keeping. The 2010 would be a better bet to age.    

It looks like Majestic is moving onto the 2012, so I would snap up any 2011s that remain.   

Astonishing! Bourgueil through three centuries: 2011 back to 1893

 A glass of 1893 Bourgueil

L to R: The vignerons: Denis and Thomas Gambier,  

Eric Degaugue and Philippe Boucard 

On Saturday 9th June 2012 I was privileged to have been present at one of the  greatest tastings I have ever experienced – an opportunity to taste three centuries of Bourgueil in the cellars of Lamé-Delisle-Boucard. The weekend of 8th-10th June 2012 was the second time we had managed to get all of Les 5 du Vin together in the same place and at the same time. We haven't managed this feat since then.

Our hosts were Eric Degaugue and Philippe Boucard of Domaine Lamé Delisle Boucard and we were joined by Denis and Thomas Gambier of Domaine des Ouches, who kindly included some of their wines. 

This post originally appeared on Les 5 du Vin when our blog was hosted by Overblog. When we moved to Wordpress, this post disappeared, so certainly time to repost!

••

Astonishing! Bourgueil through three centuries: 2011 back to 1893

It was on all counts a remarkable experience. To sit in that treasure of a cave deep in the limestone at Domaine Lamé-Delisle-Boucard and taste such a range of wines starting with 2009 and ending with the legendary 1893. Undoubtedly this was the stand-out event of les 5 du Vin’s visit to Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in early June.

We started on ground level in the chai of Lamé-Delisle-Boucard (LDB) tasting the promising 2011s from vat as well as a 2009 showing the typical concentration from this warm year.

Then we headed underground – leaving the 21^st century for the 20^th. First we tasted two 1989s – one from LDB and one from Domaine des Ouches. The two Gambiers ­ – Denis and Thomas – had joined us for the tasting.

1989: LDB – rich, sweet ripe fruit with good colour. The hot summer and autumn of 1989 is evident from the level of maturity in the fruit. 
1989: Ouches – still keeping well but lighter. The Gambiers say they think they picked a little too early. Prolonged hot summers like 1989 were rare then, so difficult to get the picking date right. 
1975: Sweet cherry fruit, less rich than the more famous and more seen 1976 but attractive. In the Chinon tasting from 1934 to 2005 last September the 1975 Domaine Spelty showed very well. 
1976: the famously hot and very dry across northern Europe. The weather broke in September soon after UK Prime Minister appointed Denis Howell as the Minister for Drought. I remember flying into Heathrow from Corfu in late August and being struck by how brown the UK looked. The LDB still had rich fruit with an opulent texture. Showing very well. 
1969: The 60s were a mixed bag with some fine vintages like 1961 and 1964 but also some very poor ones – 1963, 1965 and 1968. Curiously this 1969 had a touch of apricot, lovely texture and some light acidity. Unsurprisingly not as rich as the 1976 but again lovely texture and good length.
1964: This is a famous vintage in Chinon and the 1964 from Domaine Dozon showed brilliantly at last September’s Chinon tasting. The LDB was a little less impressive – softly textured but quite marked acidity. (Update: The 1964 tasted on 10th June 2015 was more impressive but needed time to open.) 
1961: There were two 1961’s one from Domaine des Ouches and one LDB. Both were impressive with the fruit on the Ouches still remaining remarkably fresh, while the LDB had wonderful delicacy and balance.

 1947 to 1893

1961-1948

All the remaining wines came from Lamé-Delisle-Boucard: 
1959: This is one of the fabled Loire years of the 20^th century – possibly not quite the level of 1947, 1921 and perhaps 1989. However, there are some that put 1990 above 1989. This Prestige was very impressive with rich, concentrated dried fruits and a very longfinish. 
1955: Less rich than the imposing 1959 but still sweet fruit, delicate and fine. 
1949: Along with 1947 a great vintage from the 1940s. This 1949 had quite a mushroomy character and again a delicacy to this bottle. 
1948: This was a surprise as 1947 and 1949 have high reputations but little is heard of 1948. I don’t remember tasting a 1948 before but was impressive. Again some mushroom character but less marked than the 49. Attractive red currant fruit with quite marked acidity. Also famous for being the birth year of Michel Smith of Les 5 du Vin. 
1947: Some fungal character – a blend of rich, powerful fruit and finesse. 
1947 rosé: The great surprise of the tasting – a dry rosé from 1947. Although I have drunk a range of Cabernet d’Anjou’s from the 1940s, I have never tried a Loire dry rosé of this age. Onion skin colour, remaining wonderfully fresh with peach and apricot flavours and a touch of moka in the finish. Remarkable! 
1934: I first tasted a 1934 Loire red (Domaine René Couly) at the Chinon vertical tasting last September and was amazed by its quality and freshness. This 1934 Bourgueil wasn’t as splendid as that bottle but it still had fruit. 
1933: This was better than the 34 with delicate sweet wild red fruits. 
1906: Slightly fungal but with a lovely Pinot Noir colour and still an extraordinary finesse.
1893: With what other Loire vintage could such an extraordinary vertical tasting conclude? It had to be 1893, still the earliest Loire vintage known. Picking here at Lamé-Delisle-Boucard began on 2nd September. My guess is that picking 2012 won’t start until early October. This 1893 had attractive fungal, sous bois aromas and still wonderfully opulent, sweet fruit and length. Still a bottle to enjoy and savour 119 years on!

This was a real demonstration that Loire reds, as well as its whites, can indeed age and age attractively. Not all Loire reds are fresh and fruity needing to be consumed when young!

Our grateful thanks to the amazing generosity of the Lamé-Delisle-Boucard team!

1947 Bourgueil Rosé – remarkably fresh!

Part of the amazing LDB's cave