Jim's Loire: Château du Petit Thouars

Showing posts with label Château du Petit Thouars. Show all posts

Monday, 4 April 2016

More recently enjoyed Loires in late March

2014 Le Reinet Gamay Vieilles Vignes,

Domaine de la Grange, AC Touraine

Luckily last year we took the precaution of buying 24 bottles of Bruno Curassier's deliciously juicy 2014 Gamay, which has been drinking very well over the past year. Note that Bruno suggests serving this at 15˚C. Our stocks are beginning to run low so will have to invest in the 2015 when next out in the Loire.

During our three week stay in the Loire we enjoyed (avec modération) a number of good bottles. This is the second post. The first is here.

This post was uncompleted yesterday when we set off from Newtonmore for the Isle of Colonsay. It is now Tuesday morning and we are settled into the refurbished Avenue Cottage in the woods of the Colonsay Estate.

1996 Le Plan de Jean, Vouvray Moelleux,

Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet

Very lovely, mature sweet honeyed 1996 Vouvray from Bernard Fouquet with characteristic balanced acidity stopping it from being cloying. Sweet enough to match an apple dessert.

2010 Chinon Domaine du Raifault

One of two bottles of this very good 2010 Chinon bought at a bargain price from Ludo and Sophie's retirement wine sale at Café de la Promenade. Underlines what a good vintage 2010 is for Loire reds. Certainly ready to drink but will happily keep for a good number of years depending on how you like your Loire reds.

2014 Clos de Beaujeu, Sancerre, Gérard Boulay

This pure and crisp but still youthful Sancerre is from Gérard Boulay, one of Sancerre's top producers, and coming from one of Chavignol's steepest vineyards. I wouldn't like to guess whether the Cul or Clos de Beaujeu is steeper than the more famous Côte de Monts Damnés. Good to drink now but will surely gain extra complexity with time in bottle.

2014 Merci la vie, Bourgueil, L'Oubliée, Xavier Courant

Another bargain from Sophie and Ludo's sale, early drinking, wonderfully juicy Bourgueil from Xavier Courant. To enjoy rather than analyse. All of Xavier's wines are named after famous French films.

2014 Saint Louans, Chinon, Pierre and Bertrand Couly

Yet another example of a remarkably forward and attractive 2014 Loire Cabernet Franc red but with the potential to age well. Yes this Chinion from Pierre and Bertrand Couly has structure but this is well enveloped by the attractive black fruits.

It would be good if Jacques Couly's (Couly-Dutheil) very recent death is taken by both sides as a time to start to try to heal and resolve the sad schism within the Couly family. It may be too late but one can only hope!

2011 Touraine (100% Cabernet Franc),

Château du Petit Thouars

2014 Touraine (100% Chenin Blanc),

Château du Petit Thouars

Two wines from Château du Petit Thouars that were kindly sent to me by Sébastien du Petit Thouars as samples. The 2011 Cabernet Franc is well balanced, complex and showing again that the 2011 vintage is attractive to drink now and although there is no rush to drink this up it may well not keep as long as say 2010 and 2014. The 2014 Chenin is from young vines. Initially I serve this a little too cool and CRM commented that it was rather sharp. As it warmed in the glass it took on more weight putting the acidity into better balance.

2014 Pouilly-Fumé, Les Cornets,

Domaine Alain Cailbourdin

It is not just the 2014 red Loires that are showing well but the whites are attractive and well-balanced, too, as this Pouilly-Fumé demonstrates.

2010 Savennières, Clos Le Grand Beaupréau,

Anne and Yves Guégniard

Superb, rich, complex, lightly honeyed 2010 Savennières from Domaine de la Bergerie emphasising bot the quality of the wines from La Bergerie but also what a fine vintage 2010 is. This comes from the Clos that is shared by La Bergerie, Domaine Ogereau and Château Pierre Bise.

2015 Touraine Sauvignon, Moulin des Aigremonts

Cellier du Beaujardin

Crémant de Loire Cuvée Prestige, Cellier du Beaujardin, Bléré
50% Chenin, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Cabernet Franc

(pressurage direct), élevé 36 mois sur latte, vendange manuelle.

The last two wines are from the Cellier du Beaujardin – the Bléré Cave Co-opérative. Both offer good value – the crisp, ripe 2015 Touraine Sauvignon is 4.70€ and has attractive gooseberry flavours, while the full flavoured Crémant de Loire spends 36 months sur latte and retails for just 6.20€ from the co-op, which is remarkable value for a sparkling wine that spends three years on its lees.

Monday, 18 January 2016

Into the bowels of King's ....

The fine 2010 Pinot Noir Brut from Camel Valley,

Cornwall, England

Yesterday was my dry Sunday....

Not out of conviction mind you ... nor was it the start of a dry second half of January with plenty of piousness on my part. January in the UK can be miserable enough without facing the grey elements 24/7 stone cold sober.

No, I was under medical orders as today was Colonoscopy Day – an examination of the apparently endless corridors of my bowel.

I make no apologies that this post barely mentions wine – that will be back tomorrow – but, if it persuades a few of you to get a bowel cancer check before it is too late, it will have been worth it.

My father was in his mid-60s when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He had an operation and fortunately the cancer was caught in time but not without later painful complications. He had delayed going to the doctor as my mother was ill at the time. Had he gone earlier .... who knows?

My partner's family have been much less fortunate. On her mother's side three of the family in that generation have died through bowel disease, while her mother had a successful operation for bowel cancer at the age 89.

Although I had no obvious symptoms when I was around 60 I persuaded my GP and then the consultant at King's College Hospital to put me forward for a colonoscopy by citing my father's cancer.

Today was my third colonoscopy test – I got the all clear with an instruction to come back again in three year's time. The two previous tests were also negative, although each time a few small polyps were removed but not today. Harmless at the time there is a possibility that these might have become cancerous if left.

Back to dry Sunday. As the colonoscopy test involves the consultant inserting a small camera up through the anus and into the bowel, it has to be emptied before the test.

Sunday breakfast consisted a small slice of naked rye bread – no butter or marmalade – and black coffee – no milk or milk products allowed. The last solid food I would be allowed until after the test with my appointment set for 1pm Monday. From first thing on Sunday until 11am today I was urged to drink lots of liquids – water – still or fizzy, Bovril, tea or coffee without milk, clear soup, squash (not blackcurrant).

At 6pm it was time to take the first sachet of Picolax – a strong laxative. It took just under two hours to start to work. I will spare you the details but suffice to say that it isn't painful, unlike a dose of Montezuma's or Joe Stalin's Georgian revenge.

I took the second sachet at 6am this morning and continued to drink plenty of liquids until 11am when you have to stop if you have an afternoon appointment. Obviously timings are different for a test in the morning.

Today's colonoscopy was in the Hambleden Wing of King's College Hospital – appropriately down in the bowels of the building. Although I was called through to get ready very soon after I arrived I had a considerable wait before my test, so taking my iPad with me paid off. I had plenty of time to get started on Rick Bragg's very good Jerry Lee Lewis – his own story. Recommended if you are a fan of The Killer.

I chose not to have sedation – I had it for my first colonoscopy but not the second. I remember experiencing a little discomfort from the second test – mainly the embarrassing sensation that I was about to fart involuntarily at the eminent consultant. Fortunately I didn't!

For some reason I had a bit more discomfort today with some spasms of pain, although the consultant was extremely competent. However, the test was soon over taking no more than 15-20 minutes. One of the advantages of declining sedation is that you are fully conscious to watch the screen and see the camera exploring the amazing pink corridors and chambers of your bowel.

The other advantage of non-sedation is that you can leave almost immediately after you return to the recovery room, whereas with sedation you have to wait up to 45 minutes before the nurses agree that you can be discharged and go.

This evening I banished my dry January with a glass of the excellent 2010 Pinot Noir from Camel Valley followed by a glass or so of 2010 Reserve Cabernet Franc AC Touraine from Château du Petit Thouars.

Thanks to the NHS

My three colonoscopy tests, which have all been at King's College Hospital in Camberwell, London and the associated consultations haven't cost me a penny. Nor I have I had to wait a long time for an appointment. All credit and thanks to our often maligned National Health Service.

If you are 50 or over and have a history of bowel cancer in your family, or have symptoms at any age – blood in your stool – do go to your doctor and arrange to be tested.