Some recently tasted bottles – Loire and elsewhere

 

2011 Fié Gris, Eric Chevalier 

A quick round up of some recent bottles tasted, drunk and enjoyed mainly but not exclusively from the Loire.  

2011 Fié Gris, Eric Chevalier, Domaine de l'Aujardière 

I'll happily admit to having a fondness for Fié Gris, otherwise known as Sauvignon Rose or Sauvignon Gris and, in particular, for the Fié Gris from Eric Chevalier. The 2011 certainly didn't disappoint as my notes suggest:

'Shape of bottle is much more Alsace or Austrian than Loire, so in a way is the wine. Softly textured, lightly spicy rich fruit. Has none of the aggressive assertiveness sometimes shown by its near relation Sauvignon Blanc. Soft agrume in finish. Attractive stylish wine.'

 

 2008 Sancerre Rouge, François Crochet (above and below – back label)

Delicious and delicate red fruits with a lovely fresh finish, this is a fine example of Pinot Noir from Sancerre. This is François Crochet's domaine cuvée with the emphasis on the fruit and is I think typical of 2008 that touch of austerity in the finish that is unlikley to be found in 2009.    

2011 Sancerre Blanc, Domaine La Croix Canal, Tinel-Blondelet  

Stocked by Jascots in the UK, this Sancerre has an attractively opulent texture, good length and in common with many 2011s light acidity.  

 

2011 Tradition, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, Les Grands Presbytères

Nicely zippy Muscadet from the Gadais family with a real sur lie prickle in the finish. 

 

 2009 Rasteau, Domaine de Pisan (above and below)

As you would expect from the Southern Rhône this Rasteau has powerful black fruits with a slightly baked character – quite heady stuff! The back label is more poetic than informative.  

 

2012 Mes Vignes de Saint Paul, Jean-Louis Denois

A couple of wines from Jean-Louis Denois from vines in the Fenouillet. Jean-Louis established his reputation with Domaine de l'Aigle, part of which he sold to Antonin Rodet, who then subsequently sold to Gérard Bertrand.  

The white is soft, very clean and fresh with honeysuckle fruit and fair length, while the red is juicy and easy drinking with bright red fruits.

Loire: some bottles enjoyed sur place – March/April 2012

2002 demi-sec Le Haut-Lieu, Domaine Huet

 Wonderfully well balanced vintage, some evolution, delicate sweetness matched by precise acidity 

Some bottles drunk and enjoyed during our three week stay in Touraine from mid-March to early April. 

2004 Sancerre Rouge, Domaine Vacheron 

 2004 was not the easiest of vintages – some attractive fruit but toughish tannins from a time the domaine used more wood for their reds than they do now. Admittedly a different vintage but the emphasis in their 2010 Sancerre, drunk at the La Tour restaurant in Sancerre, is much more on the fruit.     

2005 Éclipse, Saint Nicola-de-Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau 

A couple of 2005 reds – one from Frédéric Mabileau and the other from Château Pierre-Bise. Both showing well with the potential to age further. The Pierre-Bise is the more ready to drink as Frédéric's Éclipse really needs more time.      

2005 Gorges, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Auguste Bonhomme

2005 Gorges, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Martin-Luneau

2009 Jubiliation Le Pallet, Vignerons du Pallet

We tried another three examples of new Muscadet crus communaux with two from Gorges and one from Le Pallet. Of the three Le Pallet was the least complex. Dangerous, I know, to draw any conclusions from just one bottle but I wonder whether the slightly shorter minimum aging on the lees for the wines from Le Pallet – 17 months compared to 24 for Clisson and Gorges – plays any part here.  Of the two 2005s from Gorges the Auguste Bonhomme was especially fine. Once again you have to forgot your traditional ideas of Muscadet and be prepared for a much fuller and more complex wine that will show best with more elaborate fish dishes than customary fruits de mers or moules marinières. 

2005 La Moussière, Sancerre Blanc, Alphonse Mellot

Les Alphonses 'basic' Sancerre is developing nicely and was served at a dinner with friends with a small selection of cheese including some local goat.

2006 Côt, AC Touraine, Clos Roche Blanche

Rich, delicious black fruits showing that Côt (Malbec and Auxerrois as in Cahors are synonyms) is probably the best red variety in the Cher Valley. As far as I can make out it will still be possible to sell 100% Côt under the insane new Touraine AC rules fashioned by bureaucracy and probably marketing conditions, while ignoring tradition, true 'typicity' and terroir in its widest sense. 

Sadly this next wine will be outlawed under the new AC Touraine Fou régime: 

    

2008 Cuvée de Fié Gris, Vieille Vigne, AC Touraine, Domaine Jacky Preys

Still quite difficult to find, Sauvignon Gris is often more interesting and complex than its more assertive cousin – Sauvignon Blanc. Jacky Preys has long made an excellent Fié Gris and has been instrumental in its revivial. The 2008 was a lovely bottle with weight, spice, delicacy with some floral notes, too, and more complex than many Touraine Sauvignons. Under the new Touraine regulations Sauvignon Gris can only make up 20% of the blend for AC Touraine Blanc. I hope the Preys family will continue to make this and sell it as a vin de pays or as a Vin de France. My guess is that they have built a sufficient reputation for this wine not to need the new fatally flawed Appellation Touraine Contrôlée label.

2009 petites grappes sur Basalte, Côtes d'Auvergne, Caves de Verny

2011 Enjoy, Côtes d'Auvergne Rosé 

Two impressive wines from the Caves de Verny, a cave co-operative at Veyre Monton in the Côtes d’Auvergne, kindly given to me to try by Fabrice Dagaut at the excellent Bon Laboureur hotel restaurant in Chenonceaux. Fabrice has recently started to list these wines.  2011 Enjoy (a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir) is an ideal pale rosé for a summer apéritif – red fruits and a fresh clean finish, while the Basalte is a concentrated Gamay coming from low yielding vines – only 25 hl/ha. It will surprise people used to drinking (or avoiding) dilute Gamays that often give this variety a poor reputation.

    

2011 Les marcottes, Gamay AC Touraine, Lionel Gosseaume

Another example of a delicious Gamay, this time from Touraine in the commune of Choussy, just to the west of Oisly and made by Lionel Gosseaume. Not a wine to analyse rather one to enjoy with friends. I hope Lionel hasn't been too badly hit by the frost in mid-April.  

 2010 Pinot Noir Marigny-Neuf, Ampelidae, Frédéric Brochet

2010 Sauvignon, Marigny-Neuf, Ampelidae, Frédéric Brochet

Two wines (samples) from Frédéric Brochet's Ampelidae: both from 2010 – a Pinot Noir and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Noir is exuberantly juicy in a modern style made to drink young, while the Sauvignon is more restrained and more classic.    

Cuvée JM Monmousseau, Touraine

Ackerman bought the Touraine sparkling wine producer, Monmousseau, in the autumn of 2010. Cuvée JM (sample) is a creamy, pure Chenin aged for between 24 and 36 months in the cellars on the eastern side of Montrichard. Available direct on-line for customers in France for 45€ for six bottles. 

2009 Vent d'Anges, Pouilly-Fumé, Régis Minet

An impressively fine Pouilly-Fumé from Régis Minet with lovely racy, minerality. Added to the list of producers that I need to visit. Profile by Kermit Lynch here.   

   

2011 Tour de France: Eric Chevalier is the Loire vigneron for Stage 3

I'm delighted to announce that Eric Chevalier has been chosen as the Loire vigneron for Stage 3 of this year's Tour de France.

Today's stage starts in Olonne-sur-Mer and heads northwards avoiding the coast, which featured on Saturday's opening stage. As reported yesterday the route passes the winery of Thierry Michon (Domaine de Saint Nicolas). It then heads north east – ducking to the east of Challans – on a level to Nantes before heading north west towards Le Pont de Saint-Nazaire to cross La Loire and the race's entry into Brittany. It finishes at Redon.

As the race heads north west to La Loire it will pass through the small town of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu. The talented Eric Chevalier is based just a few kilometres to the south of Saint-Philbert at the little hamlet of L'Aujardière. Eric's winery is just off the D70 used by the race but I am sure that he will be able to set up a table on the main road to allow the passing riders to sample his fine Fié Gris (Sauvignon Rose/Sauvignon Gris) and his equally good Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu. With the intermediate sprint at Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons some 20 kilometres further on I'm sure a glass of either would be an ideal preparation!

My guess – not a very difficult one! – is that this stage will end in a sprint. It would be good to see Mark Cavendish open his account for the 2011 Tour here.

Fié Gris: the wine that made Eric famous

2008 Fié Gris, Eric Chevalier, Domaine de l'Aujardière

22nd September 2009

Rather forgot that I hadn't posted a note on Eric Chevalier's 2008 Fié Gris that at tasted at the stand of Swig Wines Ltd at the Boutique Wineries tasting held in London on 22nd September 2009. The tasting was held at the headquarters of the BMA (British Medical Association), who rather ironically had recently issued a warning about the perils of drinking alcohol.

Given the theme was 'boutique wineries' you might anticipate that the Loire would have a strong showing. Not the case at all – just three wines: the Fié Gris and a Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé from Pascal Jolivet, which will be the suject of a separate post.

Eric's 2008 Fié Gris (also called Sauvignon Rose or Sauvignon Gris) VDP Val du Loire confirmed the good impression I had of this wine from the tasting of the Sauvignon Blanc Project wines in Tours in February 2009. It has delicious crisp, refined grassy and gooseberry fruit, good weight with an attractive touch of bitterness in the finish.

Available from Swig Wines Ltd (020-8996 2950) for £13.95 a bottle.

See mention of Eric Chevalier here.

Clos du Porteau and Jacky Preys

Aynard and Isabelle with their 2005 Vanneau Huppé

I have finally finished the report on my March 2009 visit to the Clos du Porteau in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. See here.

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Last evening came across a really excellent feature from Bertrand Celce (Wine Terroirs) on Jacky Preys and the saving of the Fié Gris (also known as Sauvignon Gris or Sauvignon Rose. Bertrand doesn't update his blog every day but his work is consistently a must read along with his fine photos.