The Real Wine Fair and other treats this week

the Real Wine Fair: 17th and 18th April, Tobacco Dock

Now back from my Scottish sojourn, which included the memorable beach wedding on Colonsay, I'm now back in London and looking forward to a busy week of tastings.

The Real Wine Fair opens tomorrow with its public day. This year I am unable to make the Sunday but look forward to Monday but first a quick visit to the Thorman Hunt tasting in the city as they have a good list of Loire producers including Yannick Amirault and Château de Villeneuve. 

Tuesday sees the launch of a book on the wines of India as well as J&B's tasting, who again have some interesting wines on their list – including Lucien Crochet, Vincent Pinard and Jacky Blot. 

Thursday will be a day of fizz – a tasting of Bairrada (Portugal) sparkling wines made from grape variety – Baga – followed by Crémants from the Loire. 

There are several Crémant Loire producers showing at the event: Bouvet-Ladubay, Langlois-Chateau, Veuve-Amiot, La Guillaumerie and Domäne Vincendeau.    

The week closes with the Big Fortified Tasting, which is a highlight as the tasting year. I suspect as usual I will tend to major on the Sherries but I should also take a look at some Madeira.     

Liv Vincendeau

A young Crémant producer showing 

her wines in London this week.

   

2016 Renaissance tasting, Angers – two Loire débutants: Liv Vincendeau and Adrien de Mello

It was good to meet at this year's Renaissance two new Anjou producers just launching their new domaines: Liv Vincendeau of Domaine Vincendeau and Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur in Saint Aubin de Luigné. Neither Liv nor Adrien come from a family of vignerons – both have created their own domaines. 

 Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur

Liv Vincendeau of Domäne Vincendeau

Liv started out in 2014 buying 7 hectares of land with 4.5 hectares planted with vines. The remaining 2.5 hectares are fields which which Liv is keeping to provide biodiversity. Previously the vineyard had been farmed 'conventionally' and she immediately started to convert to organic viticulture. This process will take until 2017 when, if she passes the various controls, her wines will be organic.

I was impressed with her clean, precise and quite austere 2014 Raguenet (100% Chenin) Anjou Blanc. This is made from vines whose ages range from 10 to those planted in 1941. Although unfinished the 2015 Raguenet also looks promising. She is also making several sparkling wines including the creamy 2014 Gold and the clean and long Crémant de Loire.

Very good to see that she has bravely opted for Stelvin Lux for her Raguenet, despite the unfortunate conservative attitude towards screwcaps in France.  

On this early evidence Domäne Vincendreau is one to follow. 

Adrien de Mello of Domaine de la Petite Soeur

Breton by birth Adrien is even more recent than Liv Vincendreau as he only started in 2015. He used to manage the vinification at Prior to that he did the harvest in France in 2001 and 2002 before leaving for Quebec, where he learnt how to make wine. From 2011 he was at the biodynamic Domaine Duseigneur in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where he looked after the winemaking.

Then in 2015 he started his domaine, which currently has 3.5 hectares in one block, in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. He uses a horse to cultivate his vines and has six different grape varieties: Chenin, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gamay. Of the wines I tasted I preferred the whites – a pure Chenin and a pure Sauvignon Blanc –to the reds. However, I should really wait until they are fully finished and have had a little time in bottle.