Four or five festive sparklers... and where to enjoy them

One English sparkler

Sugrue Pierre South Downs: The Trouble with Dreams
by Dermot Sugrue   

Unlike British politics which has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons for best part of three years now, English or more precisely English and Welsh wines, have been garnering headlines for excellent reasons. We are now making some very good sparkling wines, which account for around two thirds of our production. The area under vine here is predicted to reach 3000 hectares by 2020. This is still small – similar in size to Sancerre (2987 in 2017) but given that vine growing only restarted here in 1952 this is a fair change. Plantings have tripled since 2004. Of course all this pales into insignificance if you consider how much the Chinese have planted over the past decade or even, on a lesser scale, the way wine production in New Zealand has increased and changed since the 1970s.

Wine has been made here since the Roman times but following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536 vineyards in the UK gradually declined until they disappeared altogether just before the First World War. It wasn't until 1952 that vines were replanted for commercial production and there was a gradual revival during the rest of the 20th Century. 

Irish wine-maker Dermot Sugrue has been an important influence on English wine, in particular sparkling. His precise and thrilling Sugrue Pierre South Downs: The Trouble with Dreams (Chardonnay 60% Pinot Noir 40%) can be best enjoyed at The Harrow in Little Bedwyn – a brilliant Michelin starred restaurant.

Just out a quick monograph - 70 pages – to English wine
Copies from International Wine & Food Society

•••

Four Loire favourites: 

Pure Chenin Blanc from Château de L'Aulée, Azay-le-Rideau. No added sugar and 24 months minimum on the lees. Brilliant value, which makes it our house fizz.

Also pure Chenin Blanc with no sugar added at any stage hence the name – Triple Zéro, which has been a great success for Jacky Blot. Triple Zéro can be best enjoyed at Jacky's Le Bistrot des Belles Caves (Tours).

A Saumur fizz – Chenin Chardonnay – from Bouvet Ladubay – zero dosage. Zéro can be best enjoyed at La Route du Sel (Le Thoureil).

Lamé's delicate Crémant de Loire is a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon with 24 months sur latte. This Crémant can be best enjoyed at Vincent le Cuisiner de Campagne  (Ingrandes-de-Touraine).

 

A Giant e-bike – recommended to assist in fighting off the extra calories and weight over the Christmas period. 

(This post was first published on Les 5 du Vin. This is one of a week-long series on festive sparkling wines.) 

Some recently enjoyed Loire bottles .....

We opened the 2005 Mi-Pente, Bourgueil from Domaine de la Butte to welcome one of the new members of our French group. She had first visited us in the Cher Valley in 2005. her stay included a visit to Jacky Blot and she was very struck by Jacky's explanation of the terroirs of La Butte. Naturally it felt appropriate to mark the occasion with the 05 Mi-Pente, which is currently drinking very well. Lovely soft, developed fruit, supple structure – all in all the 2005 Mi-Pente seems much younger than its 13 years.

Château de l'Aulée's Crémant de Loire Crémant de Loire Brut Zéro is our house Loire sparkler. Made from 100% Chenin it is very clean, pure and precise. Despite having no dosage, the finish is attractively austere but never acidic. A fine sparkler, which spends between 24 and 36 months sur latte, for less than 10€ from the domaine!

Bought on Sunday at the latest edition of the Bios Jours de Bourgueil attended by organic producers from the Pays Nantais, Saumur and Touraine. This well-made 2017 Bourgueil cuvée printemps from Domaine du Rochouard offers great value at 6.50€ the bottle.  Ripe fruit, some fairly soft structure, this entry level Bourgueil can be drunk now with pleasure but should improve over the next two or three years in bottle.

In contrast with many of the other wines on sale at the Bios Jours Jean-Luc Duveau's Bourgueil was offered at a very good price. Many of the other exbibitors had wines that started at around 10€ without the quality found in this 2017.

A magnum of 2012 Negrette bought from Jérémie Mourat's domaine in the Fiefs Vendéens. A magnum is an ideal size if you have a number of people around the dinner table. Negrette is the majority grape of Fronton, to the north west of Toulouse. It is also found, however, in the Fiefs Vendéens. Mourat's Negrette has lovely juicy black fruits – the 2012 slipped down without a struggle. Time to buy some more!

The 1989 Grande Année is a lovely classic from Bernard Fouquet's Domaine des Aubuisières and it was wines from this great Loire vintage that established Bernard's reputation. Less rich than his 1989 Le Marigny, Grande Année has lovely delicacy, finesse and balance with potential to continue to age brilliantly as on close to 30 years old it has lovely freshness.

Pure Loire by Bougrier

 

Maison Bougrier's Crémant de Loire is a blend of Chenin and Chardonnay. This Crémant is well made. Although I suspect that with its striking label it is a popular choice I find that although I enjoy a glass the second is cloying. I would prefer a low dosage but my guess is that the current level is to many people's taste. It is available in Sweden for 16€.

Happy Christmas everyone! Joyeux Noël ! Small selection of Loire fizz to assist in celebrations

 Crémant de Loire, Brut Zéro, Château de l'Aulée

 Triple Zéro, AC Montlouis, Jacky Blot 

 Crémant de Loire Rosé, Lamé Delisle Boucard 

 Miss Eugénie, Méthode Traditionnelle, Extra Brut, Grolleau Gris 

Domaine des Herbauges

(above and below)

#2016 Loire harvest: two vendange princesses star in Marchais' family Crémant récolte

 Louise and Noémie 

(above and below)

Louise

Today in Epeigné-les-Bois the Marchais family held their traditional family Saturday picking of their Cabernet Franc destined for Crémant de Loire. Naturally Louise and Noémie had starring roles. 

L'equipe Marchais 

 L'equipe au travail

 James Marchais

Not a big crop but good looking Cabernet

Last year's harvest here on 19th September 2015 – 19 days earlier than 2016. 

2016 Loire harvest – Chardonnay @Epeigné-les-Bois

Harvesting the Chardonnay for Crémant de Loire 

Before heading the Pays Nantais to get an impression of 2016 in Muscadet, we stopped off quickly to see James Marchais and his equipe picking the Chardonnay for Crémant de Loire.

Unfortunately as in many places in the Loire this year James was hit by frost at the end of April, so this is a decidedly small harvest. Each vine has only two or three bunches – if you are lucky.

 Some good quality grapes but few 

and far between – tiny yield

 James picking

 Matching shoes and trousers