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

2012 Chez Marionnet

Gamay de Bouze: a cépage teinturier  

We also saw Jean-Sébastien Marionet (Domaine de la Charmoise, Henry Marionnet) briefly last Wednesday on our way back from Sancerre. Jean-Sébastien: "We started picking on Monday 17th September. We have still to pick the Chenin, Romorantin and the Côt. The grapes are very healthy but like everywhere around here the harvest is small. We have around 30hl/ha across our red and white grapes."    

Deep coloured juice from the Gamay de Bouze.