Deux régales – 2005 Côt, Clos Roche Blanche + 2014 Saumur Champigny, Château de Villeneuve

 2005 Côt, AC Touraine, Clos Roche Blanche 

2014 Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve 

2005 Côt, AC Touraine, Clos Roche Blanche 

Last night we opened a bottle 2005 Côt, also sometimes called Malbec outside the Loire, from the Clos Roche Blanche in Mareuil (Cher Valley), Catherine and Didier have now retired but this 2005 is a great testament to them. Over time the tannins of the Côt have softened, the 2005 has richness, floral notes – violets and in the finish a freshness – the hallmark of the Loire. 

It matched perfectly the wonderfully good calves liver from the Criée de la Boucherie in Bléré. 

Too presumptuous to hail this 2005 as a Grand Vin de Loire?  

2014 Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve 
Very different in approach to the 2005 Côt, this domaine Saumur-Champigny from the always impressive Jean-Pierre Chevallier is definitely ready to drink now. Unlike the Côt it doesn't need time in bottle to show its best. The 2014 has  softly textured black fruits, very soft tannins and a lovely balance. The level in the bottle or decanter falls so quickly that you fear that the container is cracked and leaking.

Jean-Pierre also makes a Vieilles Vignes and his Grand Clos. Both are more structured and need time to show their best. Equally they are likely to age a long time. I suspect that the straight Saumur-Champigny will age well but why not enoy its delicious fruit now?       

Clos Roche Blanche, AC Touraine – historic last vintage for Catherine & Didier

  Catherine Roussel rallying the pickers for nearly the last time

 

Didier Barouillet down in the cellar

2014 is the last vintage for Catherine Roussel and Didier Barouillet at the Clos Roche Blanche (AC Touraine@Mareuil-sur-Cher). Retirement beckons for them. Over the past few years some of their vineyards have been sold off, in particular to Noëlla Morantin. The remaining vineyards, including a small parcel of Côt (Malbec is a synomym) where the vines are celebrating their 120th birthday this year, will be split between Laurent Saillard and Julien. Laurent and Julien will each be making their own wines.  

 

Picking Sauvignon Blanc on a misty late September morning

Catherine picking

 

 Another small crop of Sauvignon Blanc in 2014: 15-20 hl/ha 

There were a large number of spiders' webs this morning

 Picker amongst the vines

Laurent Saillard@Clos Roche Blanche 2011 harvest

 

Mid-morning break

Didier in the cellar pouring a sample of 

2014 Sauvignon Blanc coming in at an average 13.3%, 

5.4 acidity and 3.28 acidity 

Quality is good but quantity is again low  

2000 Chardonnay from Cher Valley and 2004 Mi Pente, Domaine de la Butte

15th November 2009

2000 Terres Blanches, Clos Roches Blanches
(apologies for lack of focus)

Over lunch following the SCI Les Huîtres Petillantes meeting we drank the 2000 Terres Blanches from the Clos Roches Blanches. Terres Blanches is Catherine Roussel and Didier Barouillet's Chardonnay. John hadn't intended to keep the bottle so long – a question of it being forgotten in a cupboard. Any concern that it might be past it were rapidly dispelled with its soft, rich, slightly buttery fruit with crisp acidity in the finish. A fine bottle and more reminiscent of Chablis/Coteaux Charitois than the Côte d'Or.

2004 Mi Pente, Domaine de la Butte

For the main course of casseroled rabbit the 2004 Mi-Pente, Domaine de la Butte, Jacky Blot with its classic Loire balance of fruit and acidity was a fine match. No sign with the rabbit of an angular tannins that one might expect from 2004. Mi Pente is the best parcel of Jacky's 16ha Domaine de la Butte.

Weather and vine update plus a health scare

As is so often the case there have been considerable variations in the Loire weather depending upon the sector – meaning that some vignerons are happy, particularly in Anjou and the Pays Nantais, while others especially in the Cher are cursing what a year with 13 moons has thrown at them.

As a friend said yesterday – "Distances are SO big in the Loire!" Therefore, although it is tempting to generalise, it is dangerous.

Here is quick but not comprehensive round up:

Cher Valley

Conditions have been difficult in eastern Touraine with alternating fine weather and rain, so unfortunately a promising year for mildew. Furthermore there have been heavy but localized hail storms – one on the evening of 16th July and one last week on Friday 24th. The storm of the 16th produced some spectacular hailstones – the size of golf balls. See here.

There was some damage in Pouillé but probably more in Angé and then on the north side of the Cher between Monthou and Thesée. I understand that Jean-François Merieau (Vignobles des Bois Vaudons, Saint-Julien-de-Chédon) was amongst those hit. It was mainly his Gamay with some blocks suffering 80% damage with the overall damage estimated at around 20%. Fortunately the Sauvignon Blanc wasn't affected.

Thierry Delaunay

Thierry Delaunay (Domaine Joël Delaunay) reports:

Effectivement, il a grélé sur la commune de Pouillé le jeudi 16 juillet vers 20h 20h30. Il y avait beaucoup de vent aussi. Chez nous à la Tesnière, il est tombé quelques gros grélons gros comme des oeufs de pigeons ( j'en ai compté un dizaine, c'était à la fin de l'orage ). Donc pas de dégâts mais je me suis douté que l'on était en limite de l'orage de grêle et donc qu'il y avait surement des dégâts quelque part. J'ai pris ma voiture après manger vers 10h le soir pour aller voir mes parcelles les plus éloignées et ouf, rien quelques gros grélons aussi d'après des voisins qui discutaient dehors.

Mais apparement, le gros de la grêle n'était plus très loin. Effectivement un peu plus loin sur la commune de Pouillé vers Angé les dégâts étaient spectaculaires dans certaines parcelles de mes collégues. Comme en hiver!! L'orage de grêle était donc de Saint-Julien de Chédon jusqu'à Pouillé "Ouest" en passant par Angé. Il a traversé le Cher et a frappé entre Monthou et Thésée.

Vendredi dernier, il y a eu un nouvel orage avec une petite grêle très courte mais virulente. Nous avons eu des impactes sur certaines parcelles mais rien à voir avec l'orage du 16.

Voilà, vivement les vendanges ! Sans oublier un peu de vacances d'ici 15 jours !!

Didier Barrouillet

Didier Barrouillet (Clos Roche Blanche)

Mildew and black rot have been a problem this year with mildew on the grapes. Fortunately we didn't suffer much damage from the storm on 16th but we were more affected by last week's hail. Like 2007 and 2008 it has been a tough tiring year – due to the 13 moons?

Vincent Roussely

Vincent Roussely, Clos Roussely
(Vincent reports that his vines in Angé suffered 40% damage from the hail, while those in Saint-Georges weren't affected. He hopes that 2009 will see the end of the trio of three difficult years.)

'Les vignes situées sur la commune d'Angé ont malheureusement été touché à 40%. Celles de St Georges non rien, le millésime 2009, je l'espère terminera une trilogie assez difficile. En effet, la pression mildiou est, depuis le début de cette campagne, assez forte. Il faut rester également vigilant en regard de l'oidium puisque les nuits sont fraiches même en ce mois de juillet. '

Anjou
The news from Anjou – at least from Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay and Brissac-Quincé – is very different as here there has been virtually no rain since early June.

Christophe Daviau

Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut
The vines are looking superb and the grapes are very homogeneous – all about the same size. It is very dry here – a little rain would be good just 10-15 mm. This would help the grapes to ripen because if it stays dry like this there is a danger that the vines will shut down and the grapes will stop ripening. I expect the véraison (when the grapes begin to change colour) to start in about 15 days. Most of the grass has gone all yellow – as though we had used weedkiller. Not the case of course as Christophe is bio-dynamic.

It is still too early to tell but the harvest for the early ripening varieties will probably start around 15th September – a little bit earlier than last year.

Vincent and Catherine Ogereau

Vincent Ogereau, Domaine Ogereau
The vines are beautiful – our team of workers finished working on them yesterday before the summer holidays – deleafing and thinning out. We don't have any bunches touching each other – all are spaced out. The vines are very healthy as we have had no rain since early June – 40mm fell that month and much of this on Monday 8th June. There have been storms but they have all been to the north of Angers. It was important to thin out the Chenin crop as some of our parcels had too big a crop – not surprising as last year was a small vintage. The harvest will probably start around mid-September but we will have to see.

While we chatted Vincent revealed that he had had a brain tumour removed in May and is now recovering. Fortunately it wasn't malignant and Vincent is now making a good recovery and hopes to be fit for the harvest.

Luc Choblet (Jérôme's father)

Pays Nantais
Jérôme Choblet, Domaine des Herbauges
Another happy vigneron reporting that although mildew has been a problem this year it is under control, although everyone has had to work very hard in the vineyards. Recently there has been a little oidium in the Chardonnay but again this is under control. They are continuing to expect a normal sized harvest and to start picking around 10th-15th September depending on the weather.

Didier Barrouillet and a cure for esca? – Wine Terroirs

Following on from the end of my last post with some small, high-quality Loire producers deserting appellation contrôlée because of its perceived failure to incorporate environmental concerns within its rules, Bertrand Celce has another excellent article on his blog – Wine Terroirs. It's an interview with Didier Barrouillet of the Clos Roche Blanche. Didier explains how he uses plants to build micro-diversity in his vineyards and micro-bacteria in his soils. He claims success against esca, which is a grave threat to the Sauvignon Blanc vines. Didier is convinced that there is a link between esca and the widespread use of Roundup that in time leaches down to a vine's roots killing the micro-bacterial life that can protect a vine. Typically the INRA (France's vine research institute) considers Didier to be a 'lunatic'!

... and this is sane!?

I was aware, and Bertrand's article confirms this, that Didier, like Claude Papin and others, has grave doubts about turning the soil over and thus destroying its profile.

Didier is nearing retirement – he and Catherine Roussel have reduced the size of Le Clos Roche Blanche to nine hectares – and he intends to concentrate on his work in the vineyard. It would be good to see Didier set up a website or a blog to spread his ideas and findings to a wider audience.

See also here comments on Bertrand's article on the Clos du Porteau blog – Aynard is very concerned by the threat that esca poses to his Sauvignon Blanc.

Also a very brief report here on the Porteau blog on Esprit Vif held yesterday at Château des Couldraies in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. It appears to have been a success.

(This post was originally tacked onto the my previous post but I think it makes more sense to post this separately.)

Leeks and esca

Didier Barrouillet

Very good post on Peter Liem's Besotted Ramblings about Didier Barrouillet's experiments of growing leeks at the Clos Roche Blanche in Touraine to counter the fungal disease esca.

Dialogue of the deaf?

On Monday I phoned Charles Sydney, the long established Loire courtier, to see whether he had any reds form the Central Vineyards that were being sold in the UK. The call rapidly turned to the quality and value of these reds with Charles maintaining that there were few decent reds from this part of the Loire and even fewer worth the money – a view that I certainly didn’t agree with, especially having tasted over 160 of them just before Christmas.

We did agree that we approached this from very different perspectives – Charles trying to interest British retail buyers that these wines are good and worth the money, which is particularly difficult as the UK market is increasingly price-driven. I may or may not have crosses to bear but I’m extremely glad that I don’t have to sell wine to UK supermarkets for a living. Charles and Philippa, his wife, have been doing this for over 20 years now. Amazingly they are still reasonably sane.

Salon des Vins 2008: cake to celebrate Charles and Philippa's
20 years in the Loire

I’m in the fortunate position of being able to approach wines from the perspective of whether they are interesting and well made. Price is, of course, a factor but it isn’t dominant and I certainly don’t have to worry whether I can persuade a grower, who has already proposed a fair price, to give a lot more in promotions, BOGOFs and to take the pain each time the UK Chancellor of Exchequer raises excise duty or sterling crashes throw the floor against the Euro. No wonder many fine producers are increasingly happy to ignore the UK market.

Over the past month I have posted a number of comments on Central Vineyard reds. The 2006 Sancerre from Domaine Serge Laloue is further evidence that there are a number of very enjoyable Pinot Noirs now being made in Sancerre and elsewhere in the Central Vineyards. Made by Franck Laloue from a reasonable 45 hl/ha and costing 9.20€ this has attractive, soft vibrant red and black fruits and definite Pinot Noir character. Looking for something comparable in Burgundy, I would suggest something from the Côte Chalonnaise.

The Laloue Pinot Noir was picked by machine. Perhaps this would be even better if picked by hand. Talking to Didier Barrouillet just before New Year he said that Chardonnay and Cabernet – both Franc and Sauvignon – were the two varieties that could best support machine picking, whereas thinner skinned varieties like Pinot Noir are best hand picked.

Mark Angeli's Anjou Blanc 1998: the answer to the fiendish quiz

This remarkably deep coloured wine is Mark Angeli's 1998 Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies, Anjou Blanc. The colour suggests that it is completely oxidised and probably undrinkable. Fortunately this is certainly not the case, although tasted blind I fancy I would guess a Palo Cortado or an Oloroso from Jerez rather than an 10 year old Anjou Blanc – certainly from the nose. This Anjou Blanc comes from Mark's no sulphur period. Wisely he now adds a little sulphur at the time of bottling. Whatever the 1998 is a fascinating and complex wine that will probably continue to age well, while getting darker and darker. Ending up the colour of a PX?

This wine, Alice Fiering's The Battle for Wine and Love, Sylvie Augereau's carnet de vigne Omnivore 1er Cuvée les 200 vins 100% raisin, which is a guide to 'natural wine' in France, and the forthcoming 2009 Renaissance des Appellations tasting in Angers all put the spotlight on 'natural wines'.

People, who know about Mark's often wonderful wines, will proably have no problem with this 1998 Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies. But what of someone who unsuspectingly orders this from a restaurant wine list? The chances must be that they will reject the wine as being out of condition.

How would the wine have tasted and developed with a small dose of sulphur at the time of bottling. Would it have had that almost painful austerity of a long aged dry Oloroso? It surely would have had a more golden colour and different aromas.

Which brings me to the Renaissance des Appellations tasting in Angers. I expect that the 2009 edition (1st February) will again provide some of the most fascinating but equally some of the worst wine that I will taste during 2009.

It seems to me that the current fashion or accent on 'natural' wines leads to a tendency to accept anything from a 'naturally made' wine. A little oxidation can give a wine additional interest but too much will make it undrinkable. Shouldn't the first criteria when assessing be – is this wine drinkable – is it enjoyable or will it be enjoyable in future with a bit more age? Not is this wine 'natural'. Instead too often the apostles and disciples of 'natural wine' applaud that it is 'natural' first and last.

I have no doubt that once again at the Renaissance tasting there will be wonderful wines from Loire producers like Richard Leroy (Anjou Blanc), Thierry Michon (Fiefs Vendeens), Eric Nicolas (Jasnières) and others. Equally there will be some horrors – unclean, impossibly oxidised wines where the producer, blinded the non-intervention, non-sulphur religion will have sacrified their fine grapes on the altar of neo-othodoxy and instead of making something delicious will proudly display crap wines that undermine the serious purpose of the Renaissance des Appellations.

Today everyone claims that wine is made in the vineyard. You can't make good wine without good grapes. Too true but not the end of the story as you can certainly stuff up your grapes royally in the winery as some Renaissance producers demosntrate too well and that was also apparent in the large tasting of reds from the Central Vineyards I did on the 19th December.

Didier Barrouillet

The fine wines of the Clos Roche Blanche will also be available at the Renaissance tasting – but not at the Salon des Vins de Loire this year. When we visited them on Tuesday Didier explained the various techniques including a lengthy cold stablisation he had used to lower the naturally high acidities of the 2008s. At the end of the tasting, once Didier had left to finish the row of vines he was pruning, Catherine spoke with admiration of the measures and care Didier had taken over the vinification of the 2008s – an on-going care as many of the ferments are not yet finished. Non-interventionalist winemaking? Probably not but surely an example of a fine and thoughtful winemaker using whatever techniques he can to modify what 2008 has thrown at him as naturally as he can.

2008s tasted@Le Clos Roche Blanche

(30th December 2008)

2008 vendange: Catherine and other pickers

To the Clos Roche Blanche (AC Touraine) yesterday afternoon to taste the 2008s with Catherine Roussel and Didier Barouillet. As usual the welcoming committee – the dogs Margot and Pif – were already out as we arrived. Sécotine, the very friendly striped cat, and Pélagie, the wild black one, were also in attendance – Pélagie only briefly. Before tasting we chatted with Catherine and Didier, who was getting a consignment ready to go to the States. Around 50% of the Clos Roche Blanche’s production now goes to the States. Although with the current economic crisis, sales are dropping fast everywhere.

We talked about retirement – Catherine and Didier are cutting back from 18ha to 9ha, also about Joe Dressner and his amazing Captain Tumour Man blog. Apparently Joe is hoping to get over for the Salon des Vins de Loire at the beginning of February as his course of treatment will have finished by then. We also talked about the recent 4th edition of the Fête du Coin, featuring 20 vignerons, held this year at Chitenay over the weekend of 6th/7th December. Depsite la crise this edition attracted 700 visitors who bought a total of 6000 bottles.

We started the tasting of the 2008s with several Sauvignons at various stages of development with several still fermenting. The 2008 whites have high alcohols, which has made Didier’s winemaking job difficult along with the need to lower the high acidities of 2008. The still high levels of acidity at the end of September meant that alcohol levels were high by the time the grapes were ripe. One of the Sauvignon vats is at 14.5˚.

Didier tasting 2008 Pif and doubtless wondering
what proportion of the 2008 vintage this glass represents.

Didier: “Sugar levels on white grapes always go up more quickly than they do in red varieties.”

Of the four vats I tried I liked the first one best. It had finished its alcoholic fermentation but hadn’t been through malo. 13.8% alc and 5.5 acidity, it had very attractive grapefruit flavours – very precise. Didier explained the various methods he had used this year to reduce the high acidities. These included maceration carboniquee, 15 days of cold stablisation and allowing a ‘voile’ to develop on the surface of the Sauvignon, as they do in the Jura. I thought this might be the same as the flor that occurs in Jerez but apparently it is different.

Next up a lemony and quite weighty Chardonnay followed by a slightly fuller coloured than usual Pineau d’Aunis rosé, which still has some 10 gms of residual sugar.

Next onto the Gamay, which at 22 hl/ha, was the most generous yielding variety in the very small harvest of 2008. The 2008 Gamay has lovely spicy, black fruits and will be delicious. The second and last red was the rich, concentrated, deep coloured and spicy Pif – 50% Cabernet and 50% Côt. Sadly due to the penurious vintage there will be no Pineau d’Aunis Rouge, no pure Côt or Cabernet.

Before leaving Catherine lent me her signed copy of Alice Feiring’s The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the World from Pakerization, which I am now enjoying reading. Catherine also kindly gave me a bottle of Pascal Potaire’s Piège à filles pétillant naturel. (Both will doubtless be subjects for future postings on the blog.)

Two weekend stunners

Clos Roche Blanche Côt 2007 AC Touraine
Vacheron Les Romains 1996 AC Sancerre
Good wine is even better when it confounds conventional wisdom and two wines drunk over the weekend certainly did that.

I discovered the excellent wines of Catherine Roussel and Didier Barrouillet’s Clos Roche Blanche back in September 1989 on a press trip to the Loire looking at red wines. They are probably the closest I have to a house wine. Catherine is not convinced that her wines age. Due to demand, especially from the US, they sell all that they make rarely managing to squirrel away any bottles to see how they age. Didier is more convinced of their aging potential.

The dark and still brooding 1997 Côt (called Auxerrois in Cahors and Malbec elsewhere) with its lovely soft black fruits with is a potent witness that Catherine might want to reconsider her opinion on their ability to age. Some of the fruit is from vines that are over 100 years old – amazingly gnarled, fragile looking vines. Côt is probably the best red variety of eastern Touraine. The 1997 also helps to demolish the popular idea that all Loire wines are light, fruity and should be drunk as young as possible. The Roche Blanche 1997 showed no signs of decline and may well last another 8 to 10 years or perhaps more.

Vacheron Les Romains 1996 Sancerre Blanc – golden, richly textured, a little honeyed with a backbone of acidity. Wonderful – slightly opened in error as it was an unlabeled bottle from a box of oddments. From the cork I could see it was Vacheron but didn't clock the vintage until it was pulled. My first reaction was to push the cork back in but on a nano-second's reflection pulled it out again. I was spot on – excellent Sunday night apero and Sancerre is currently featuring on this site with our Vacheron visit the next one to write up. It underlines that top quality Sancerre ages well and gains complexity.

Clos Roche Blanche, 19 Route de Montrichard, 41110 Mareuil-sur-Cher. Tel: 02.54.75.17.03
Domaine Vacheron, Rue du Puis Poulton, 18300 Sancerre.
Tel: 02.48.54.09.93
Email: vacheron.sa@wanadoo.fr