Delicious 2017 Nathalie, Reuilly

2017 Nathalie, Reuilly, Domaine Claude Lafond 

The 2017 Nathalie Reuilly (100% Sauvignon Blanc) from Domaine Claude Lafond is just simply delicious – clean citric flavours with strong notes of grapefruit. Nathalie Lafond is the daughter of the late Claude Lafond, who built both the reputation of this domaine but also played a major role in rescuing Appellation Reuilly, which had been in apparent terminal decline.   

2014 Cuvée André, Reuilly (Rouge), Claude Lafond

2014 Cuvée André, Reuilly (100% Pinot Noir)

Claude Lafond 

Cuvée André commemorates André Lafond, the father of the late Claude Lafond and grandfather of Nathalie who now runs the domaine. In the 1960s André, who worked in the vineyards, saved up and bought a few hectares in Reuilly. At that time Reuilly, like nearby Quincy, was close to disappearing entirely. 

Due to the efforts and vision of Claude, who took over when his father died in 1977, the fortunes of Reuilly were turned around. From around 48 hectares then, when Claude was instrumental in transforming Reuilly, to today with 225 hectares in production with a much more vibrant and optimistic appellation – albeit still small in the grand scheme of things. 

Sadly Claude died suddenly of a heart attack in October 2015. 

Cuvée André is mid-weight with the typical Pinot Noir red fruits and characteristic Loire freshness in the finish.    

 

The late Claude Lafond 

 

 Natalie Lafond

The Claude Lafond winery in Reuilly    

Claude Lafond @Chai de Reuilly 6th October 2008

Photos posted in memory of Claude Lafond, who died over the weekend, sorting grapes from his vineyard at Argentan in the Chai de Reuilly, where Reuilly producers share winemaking facilities while keeping their wines separate. In 1992 after the local Quincy/Reuilly cooperative collapsed Claude was instrumental in creating the winery, which was built on his land.   

Claude Lafond: saviour of AC Reuilly dies aged 63

Claude Lafond (October 2013) 

in his winery at Reuilly

I am very shocked and sorry to learn this afternoon of Claude Lafond's sudden and unexpected death during the night of Saturday/Sunday. He died in his bed of a heart attack.

When Claude took over the family domaine in 1977 on the death of his father, André, the small appellation of Reuilly was close to disappearing with only 48 hectares in production. Bored with school Claude was 14 when he started working in his family's vines which amounted to just 3.5 ha at the time. His father was a farm labourer who acquired 45 ares of hybrids when he married and started on his vinous career in the early 1960s.

As well as expanding his own domaine, which had grown to 6.5 hectares when he took over aged 25, Claude persuaded new vignerons to come to Reuilly. The appellation now has some 230 hectares in production with Domaine Claude Lafond with 43 hectares – 35 ha in Reuilly, 3ha Valençay and 5ha on Vin de Pays.   

One of the last times I saw Claude was during the 2013 harvest. With Carole and Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor) we were on our way to Sancerre and stopped over to see how the harvest had gone. Claude was very welcoming and we tasted the still fermenting 2013s, admired his new winery and we were invited to lunch with him and his winery staff. During the lunch Claude recounted the fascinating history and renovation of the Reuilly appellation.

Claude had an engaging and mischievous sense of humour. I well remember Benôit Roumet, director of the Vins du Centre Loire, telling me that Claude had invited him to eat at the canteen. The 'canteen' turned out to be the starred restaurant in La Cognette in neighbouring Issoudun!   

Natalie Lafond (October 2013)    

 Claude Lafond's winery at Reuilly

(above and below)

  

My sincere condolences to Natalie and to the rest of Claude's family and friends.
 
Claude remembered here, here and here. 

Excellent meal @Auberge du Mail in Cormery for Martin's pre-80th lunch

 In the private room @the Auberge du Mail, Cormery

Last Sunday (31st May) our house group (Les Huîtres Pétillantes) held our annual lunch at the Auberge du Mail in Cormery. We were fortunate enough to have the private room – the same room where we held our first annual meal back in February 1998. This time we had a pre-celebration for Martin's 80th birthday which he will formally celebrate on 13th June. 

We all chose the Meni Mozart at 35€, which offered very good value. 

 Santé! Martin with a glass of sparkling Vouvray 

 Martin characteristically in full flow 

 

 2013 La Raie, Reuilly Claude Lafond

Classy Sauvignon Blanc from Reuilly

 Rabbit 

 2011 Le Vau Jaumier, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, Gérard Vallée 

Gérard's rich 2011 showing very well now but has potential to age further

Three more from a Majestic weekend

2004 Les Varennes du Grand Cru, Chinon, Charles Joguet

Three more from the Loire selection from Majestic Wine that we enjoyed over the first weekend of December.. See first post here.   

It is relatively easy to make good wine in favourable vintages much more tricky to make good wine in difficult vintages. For many producers 2004 in the Loire was a vintage of quantity rather than quality, especially in reds, so a success in 2004 is a mark of a good producer. Certainly this 2004 Les Varennes du Grand Clos, Chinon, Charles Joguet (£14.99 but currently unavailable), which comes from a vineyard on the southern side of the Vienne to the east of the Joguet headquarters and winery in Sazilly and just to the east of the better known Clos de la Dioterie, showed impressively well. Still youthful with considerable concentration of red and black fruits, it doesn't have the opulence of 2005 or 2009 but it does have a slightly austere structure and acidity that makes it a good food wine. This bottle is an example of the improvement shown in the Joguet wines following the return of François-Xavier Barc to the domaine in 2003.

   

2010 Coteaux du Giennois, Domaine de Villargeau

This crisp and citric white – 2010 Coteau du Giennois, Domaine de Villargeau (£9.99 or £8.99 per bottle when you buy two)– made an excellent aperitif. White Giennois is always made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and has the typical freshness of the 2010 vintage. This comes from a family domaine in the commune of Pougny, just over 10 km to the east of Cosne-sur-Loire.  

2009 Clos du Château, Valençay, Claude Lafond 

Claude Lafond is a leading grower in Reuilly but he also looks after vines in Valençay with a three hectare parcel facing the château of Talleyrand. Sauvignon Blanc makes up the majority of the blend of the 2009 Clos du Château (£8.99 or £7.99 when buying two bottles but currently out of stock) with some Chardonnay to round it out. This is quite a bit softer than the Villargeau – partly due to the presence of the Chardonnay but also because the 2009 is a riper more opulent vintage.

Claude Lafond checking fruit in Reuilly during the 2009 vintage 

Claude Lafond's new winery@Reuilly built for the 2011 vintage

    

Le Comptoir Saint Kerber: a small selection of oysters

Selection of three different types of oyster

Pierre Pichot opening an oyster

On Wednesday after tasting some 2009s at the nearby La Maison des Vins de Tours (25 Rue du Grand Marché) we headed into Les Halles to have a quick lunchtime snack of oysters at Le Comptoir Saint Kerber run by Pierre Pichot, who used to work for InterLoire and is now fully involved in the family oyster business.

Cancale

We shared 12 oysters – three different kinds: Cancale, Belon and Tsarskaya. We tried several wines to see how they matched. The three types of oyster were very different. Pierre told us to start with the Cancale – tasting very much of the sea and iodé (iodine). The lemony 2009 Clos de la Clarelière Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine from Domaine Luneau-Papin was a good match here.

Tsarskaya

Tsarskaya is one of Saint Kerber's special oysters. It is rounder, fatter and quite citric in the finish – a lovely oyster which went very well with the soft and creamy 2009 La Raie, Reuilly from Claude Lafond, which has a nice citric touch at the end. 

Belon (flat oyster similar to a Colchester native)

The Belon was quite salty and citric with an attractive soft, creamy aftertaste. Again the Lafond Reuilly was the best match here.

We also tried the ripe and mineral 2009 Les Romains, Sancerre from Domaine Fouassier with good length, power and complexity. Attractive wine but not the best match with the oysters.  

 2009 La Raie, Reuilly, Claude Lafond

 

Le Comptoir Saint Kerber

Halles Centrales 

37000 Tours

Tel: 02.47.38.38.78

2009 vintage – Touraine, Reuilly, Quincy

Vineyards above the small town of Reuilly (above and below)

We have had another good day out in the vines with the weather still set fair, although there was a little more cloud around Reuilly and Quincy. Everyone, who was spared the hail, is very happy – even delighted with the quality of the harvest so far. In Reuilly and Quincy the vintage will be over next week.

We started at the Clos du Porteau (Saint–Georges-sur-Cher) as I wanted to take photos of several grape varieties that I had never photographed – Grolleau Gris, Pinot Gris (also known in the Loire as Malvoisie) and Menu Pineau (also known as Arbois). These will be posted separately.

Pickers in Reuilly

Sign for Le Chai de Reuilly

Immediately after this we headed for Reuilly. Firstly to have a look at the vineyards – they can be a little difficult to find at Reuilly as it is only a small appellation. Then dropped by Le Chai de Reuilly and had a quick chat with Claude Lafond and tasted some juice and some fermenting must. "We've done about two thirds of the harvest. It has been very dry but the rain at the beginning of the month was very good for the grapes. The Sauvignon Blanc is around 13.5% potential alc, Pinot Noir is around 13˚% and the Pinot Gris – 12.5%-13%. For all three varieties the acidity is between 4-5g per litre. I've now started to relax and the last two nights I have been sleeping better." All the samples of 2009 I tasted were gras but appeared to have balancing acidity and certainly no hint of false flavours as the grapes are so clean and healthy.

Denis Jamain in Les Pierres Plates

Next we went to see Denis Jamain and his partner Anne and their Villa Camille on the southern outskirts of Reuilly on the road to Issoudun. Denis is absolutely delighted by the quality of the 2009 grapes from his 16ha. "We have been able harvest each parcel at the optimum moment. He has only a small amount to finish including his Pinot Noir in Les Pierres Plates vineyard, which is in conversion to organic viticulture.

Denis Jamain: Pinot Noir in Les Pierres Plates

Then we drove the 10 kilometres north east from Reuilly to neighbouring Quincy (Sauvignon Blanc is the sole permitted variety here). First a brief stop in the village of Quincy to watch a couple of picking machines working in the vineyards of Gérard Bigonneau, who is based in nearby Brinay. About two thirds of the harvest in Quincy is now finished and there are plenty of picking machines either in the vineyards or on the roads heading to their next assignment.

Picking machine in vineyards of Gérard Bigonneau (AC Quincy)

Close up of the machine

Then we headed up to Brinay to see Jean Tatin, who was harvesting just to the south of the village by the cemetry. Jean was less happy: "We had hail in May and this was followed by the worst attack of mildew for 20 years. After the hail there was a drying wind from the east and I thought it wasn't necessary to spray against mildew. Big mistake! When we did spray 10-12 days later it was too late. We lost about 20% to hail and about the same to mildew. Overall the yield is about 40-45hl/ha but it is very variable with some parcels at 60hl/ha and some at 20hl/ha."

Jean Tatin with a bunch of 2009 Sauvignon Blanc – the browny patch on one of the grapes is acid rot

Jean: "Fortunately the grapes are big this year and full of juice, so this is helping to bring the yield up. There was plenty of rain in July, so although August was dry the vines haven't lacked water this year. There are still about 7-10 hectares to pick. We have finished at Domaine de Tremblay and we will finish Ballandors early next week. We can't wait any longer because the pourriture acide (acid rot) is starting to develop. Anyway despite the problems this year 2009 is a good vintage."

Picking machine@Ballandors

Sign for Domaine des Ballandors, Brinay