Vouvray – a tasting of 2011s

Vouvray's Espace du Vin

 The tasting room

Jean-Michel Pieaux, president of the Vouvray producers 

In early April Marie Thomas of the Syndicat des Producteurs de Vouvray kindly arranged a tasting of the 2011 Vouvrays at the appellation's Espace du Vin. The building that houses the Espace previously belonged to M. Musset, who was formerly president of the Vouvray Syndicat des Producteurs.

Before we started the tasting we talked briefly about the 2012 vintage, especially the frost of April 16th/17th when Rochecorbon was more affected than further east in the appellation around Vernou and the valley of the Brenne. Catherine Dhoye-Deruet.

2011 in Vouvray was a rather easier vintage than 2010 when rained arrive at the wrong time in late September/early October provoking rot and forcing the vignerons to pick very quickly.  

In the tasting there were 22 Vouvray secs, eight demi-sec and seven moelleux. The wines were tasted blind.

Coup de Fougue, Florent Cosme in Noizay

2011 sec

Favourites

Coup de Fougue, Florent Cosme  

Florent is the brother of Matthieu (Domaine de Beaumont) and has only recently set up his domaine in Noizay. Vibrantly citric, fresh style with good length.

Cuvée de Silex, Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet

Attractive weight, texture and complexity with a touch of sweetness and then a typical hint of bitterness in the finish that is so characteristic of Chenin Blanc.

Francis Mabille

Lean, austere style with very clean flavours - just a touch of sweetness mid-palate. Will be interesting to see how it ages.

Also showed well:

Domaine de Beaumont, Matthieu Cosme

Jean Michel Gautier

Clos de Nouys

Le Peu Morier, Domaine Vincent Carême

Denis Breussin

Vignoble Brisebarre

Domaine de la Fontainerie, Catherine Droye-Deruet

Le Clos de la Meslerie, Peter Hahn

 Les Jours Heureux, Alain Robert

**

Demi-sec

Favourites

Les Jours Heureux, Alain Robert

Clean, citric aromas, quite complex although will benefit from further time in bottle for all the elements to come together harmoniously.

Cuvée Marcus, Clos de l'Epinay, Luc Dumange

  

Cuvée Marcus, Clos de l'Epinay, Luc Dumange

Good concentration and texture, quite a taut, austere style for a demi-sec  but with good length and should age well.  

Also showed well

Domaine de la Rouletiere, Jean-Marc Gilet

**

Moelleux

Cuvée Lubin Grand Liquoreux, La Croix des Vainqueurs, Laurent Bonneau

Discreet aromas but rich, concentrated fruit on palate, complex flavours – honey and rich dried apricot, barley sugar and baked apple.

Also showed well

Les Perruches, Domaine de la Poultiere

Cuvee Beauclair, Christian Blot

Souvenirs d'Automme, Caves Cathelineau, Jean-Charles and Frédéric Cathelineau

2011 Vouvrays@Espace du Vin

 Sign@the Espace du Vin, Vouvray –

The home of the Syndicat des Vignerons de Vouvray

Jean-Michel Piéaux, the new président of the Syndicat des Vignerons de Vouvray

Marie Thomas, who is in charge of PR in France for the Syndicat des Vignerons kindly organised a tasting of 37 Vouvrays from the 2011 vintage – mainly sec but some demi-sec and a few moelleux. It was the first time that I had visited the Espace, which opened in 2010. The wines were tasted blind which produced an intruiging and interesting idea of the vintage. Notes on my favourite wines to be published shortly.

  

Map of the appellation as a tiled floor in the entrance to the Espace. 

The brown for the vineyards is copper. (Above and twice below)

 Publicity about the different styles of Vouvray

The modern and well equipped tasting room

Sign for the Espace du Vin