Back in the Loire – back in the Cher Valley.

Back in the Loire this evening after driving down from Calais by way of Rouen, Le Mans and Tours. In the section from Le Mans to Tours we were treated to wonderful golden light that eventually turned to flame red on the still bare trees just before the sun slipped below the western horizon.   

Once installed in Epeigné-les-Bois we soon headed to Le Lézard Vert where we had a very enjoyable cooked veal tongue for our main course. We drank the 2014 Chinon from Domaine de la Perrière, Baudry-Dutour. This is the easy drinking 'basic' cuvée from Perrière – not complex but enjoyable black fruited wine.   

Cabernet Franc Day: 'A grape is for life, not just for Christmas!'

Cabernet Franc in Saumur-Champigny 2009

Much as I like the notion of highlighting the brilliance and charms of Cabernet Franc yesterday (1st September), I do feel that the conception is flawed: Cabernet Franc, like pet dogs, should not be for just one day. Here@Jim's Loire many days in the year are enriched by Cabernet Franc.

1989 Vieilles Vignes Chinon Domaine de la Perrière (Jean & Christophe Baudry)

About 10 days ago we drank a bottle of the 1989 VV Chinon from Jean and Christophe Baudry's Domaine de la Perrière (Cravant-le-Coteaux). Pure Cabernet Franc, it had wonderful perfume that just filled the large glasses we were using and had a brilliant harmony and freshness. This was certainly one of the best bottles of Loire Cabernet Franc from the famed 1989 vintage that I have ever drunk. This bottle may be at its peak – certainly it was full of life and gave the impression that it would have lasted considerably more years if we hadn't pulled the cork and had great pleasure in sharing it with friends.

I doubt this VV cost more than the equivalent of £4 or £5 when we bought it. Certainly demonstrating how age-worthy well-made Chinon can be, especially bearing in mind that this wine comes from vines planted on the gravel, not normally considered to be as well suited to ageing as those cuvées from the limestone coteaux.

This week I have received an invitation to go to a special tasting of 60 years of Chinon from 1945-2005. It will be held in mid-September and I'm delighted that I will be able to go. Should be fascinating!

Christophe Baudry

1996 Chinon Vieilles Vignes Domaine de la Perrière

1996 Vieilles Vignes  Domaine de la Perrière

Tasting of some 2010 Loires at the RSJ Restaurant (Waterloo, London) on Monday evening

For me one of the stars was the 1996 Chinon Vieilles Vignes from Christophe Baudry’s Domaine de la Perrière. Obviously not a 2010 wine but one we put in at the end of the tasting to show how the 2010s may evolve. Although a number of 1996s, such as Le Grand Clos and Vieilles Vignes from Château Villeneuve as well as the 1996 Bourgueil served at Vins et Livres, are still on very good form, I hadn’t tasted the 1996 VV Perrière for some time, so wondered how it would show.

The Baudry Vieilles Vignes comes from the gravel vineyards close to the River Vienne. In general the wines from the limestone Coteaux are longer lived. I shouldn’t have been concerned as this 1996 had complex and attractive aromas of evolved fruit and seductively soft, supple fruit texture. I doubt if it will get any better but it is likely to continue in this vein for certainly at least another three or four years.   

 

We opened two bottles of the 1996. There was a slight difference between the two with one being rounder and the other showing a little more acidity. Sometimes bottle variation can be very significant with wines of this age.  

List of 2010’s tasted:

Aperitif:

Sauvignon VDP du Val de Loire, Domaine de Bablut

Whites: 

Touraine Sauvignon, Clos Roussely, Vincent Roussely

Quincy, Domaine des Ballandors, Jean Tatin and Chantal Wilk

Chenin Blanc, Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

3 Coteaux, Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

Reds:

Anjou Rouge, Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

Clos de la Bienboire, Château de Villeneuve, Jean-Pierre Chevallier

Saumur Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Thierry Germain

1996 Vieilles Vignes, Chinon, Domaine de la Perrière

Comments on the 2010s to follow