Sydneys' Loire tasting London – 22nd January 2014

Severine Branchereau, Domaine des Forges  

After the French Wine Discoveries tasting a week before the Sydneys' tasting was a second opportunity to see how the 2013 Loire vintage is shaping up. As the vintage was late – some four to five weeks later than 2011, which was decidedly early, the 2013s have had less time to develop. 

I tasted only whites from 2013. Some of the Sauvignon Blancs showed high acidity – fine for Loire fanatics but more problematic for anyone would finds high levels of acidity diffiult to take. The Muscadets were clean and lemony. The Muscadets Côtes de Grandlieu from Jérôme Choblet (Domaine des Herbauges) looking promising. There were too few 2013 Chenin's on show to draw any conclusions.     

Emmanuelle Mellot, Domaine Alphonse Mellot 

Among the wines poured by Emmanuelle Mellot were the 2011 and 2012 Génération XIX Sancerre Rouge. The 2011 is very seductive and silkily textured, while the 2012 is powerful and massive – two very different wines.  

 Jérémie Mourat, Vignobles Mourat

Jean-Sébastien Marionnet, Domaine de la Charmoise

Jean-Hubert Lebreton, Domaine des Rochelles

Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor

Photos from the Sydneys' Loire benchmark tasting: 18.01.2012

Jean-Philippe Blot: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups and Domaine de la Butte (Montlouis, Vouvray and Bourgueil)

Charles and Philippa's 'benchmark' Loire tasting held yesterday in the vaults of the Royal Society of Arts – just off London's Strand largely featured the wines, although there were a few producers over as well. It was noticeable that the younger generation were to the fore with Jean-Philippe Blot, Emmanuelle Mellot, René Papin and Anne-Charlotte Genet all representing their respective domaines.

René Papin (Château Pierre-Bise, Anjou) with 2010 Clos de Beaupréau

Emmanuelle Mellot (Domaine Alphonse Mellot, Sancerre and Coteaux Charitois)

Anne-Charlotte Genet (Domaine Charles Joguet, Chinon) serving Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor)

Also present were Marielle Henrion, François Lieubeau and Olivier Mouraud.

Marielle Henrion (Château de l'Aulée, Touraine and Crémant de Loire)

François Lieubeau (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine) who joined the family business in 2010

Olivier Mouraud (Bougrier)

This tasting underlined that 2011 is a vintage where careful selection will be essential, most obviously in Muscadet on yesterday's evidence but also for Sauvignon Blanc both in Touraine and in the Central Loire vineyards. In contrast the overall quality of the 2011 Chenin Blancs shown were higher and more consistent probably showing how Chenin benefitted from being a late ripener in 2011 so catching the fine weather at the middle and end of September. A note of caution, however: it is still very early to judge as few 2011 wines are in bottle, so the finished article may well show differently.

Château de l'Aulée's fine Touraine Brut 'Intense' was my bargain of the tasting. A blend of 80% Chenin and 20% Chardonnay this Touraine sparkler spends 18 months sur latte and retails at the property for a mere 4.95 €.

Chris Hardy, buyer for Majestic Wines