Benoît and Matthieu Fleuriet@2012 London International Wine Trade Fair
Some brief notes on four recent reds: three from the Loire and one from the Bekka Valley in the Lebanon.
Silky, sweet red fruits with quite marked acidity – a hallmark of the 2008s. Attractive finesse from a 'classic' Loire vintage naturally without the opulence of 2005 or 2009.
2011 Pied de la Butte, Bourgueil, Domaine de la Butte. Jacky Blot
Le Pied de la Butte (8€ from the domaine) is always Jacky Blot's easy drinking cuvée of Bourgueil and always bottled first and ready to drink some six months or so after the harvest. It will usually keep a while but it is better to enjoy the youthful fruit – red fruits in 2011 – and, if wanting wines capable of aging well, to wait for the more structured and concentrated cuvées like Les Perrières and Mi-Pente. This 2011 is delicious drinking (12.5% alc) and should be served cool.
2005 Comte de Bellefonds, Anjou-Villages, Château de la Genaiserie (above and below)
2005 Comte de Bellefonds, Anjou-Villages, Château de la Genaiserie
When I tasted the 2005 Comte de Bellefonds at Château de la Genaiserie a few weeks ago I was impressed by its opulence and soft structure. Drinking it last night with a pot roasted chicken I was less struck – another example of what stands out in a tasting can sometimes be less enjoyable when drunk. The fruit is certainly opulent – prunes and figs – but the wine (14% alc) is rather heavy and lacks freshness in the finish. It does, however, remain good value at 9€ a bottle from the château.
2010 Reserve du Couvent, Château Ksara, Lebanon
From one of the Lebanon's longest established producers, this is made from 40% Syrah and 30% of both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon this is attractively soft and easy drinking with spicy fruit and good freshness in the finish.
