Off to the Salons + some recent bottles

 

 

On Saturday I'm off to Montpellier for Millésime Bio and its associated events. I shall look forward to meeting up with Marco and Marie Louise (Les 5 du Vin) and probably Michel Smith, our distinguished retired founder member. This will be the start of a busy ten days for me as once the three days (27th-29th) of MillyBio are over I'm off up to the Loire for the Salon des Vins de Loire/La Levée and and the Renaissance tasting.

It is a testament to the growth in the number of organic and biodynamic producers that Millésime Bio has become a monster. The 2020 is the 27th edition of the fair that started with I believe some 40 producers from the south of France in 1993. There will be well over 1300 exhibitors from 20 different countries at this edition, which is an increase of 15% on last year. It will be nearly double the 700 exhibitors that were at the 2017 edition.

This edition will be spread across five enormous halls at Montpellier's Parc des Expositions. The photos above give a flavour of the size of MillyBio. Egalité continues with all the simple tables being the same size. No possibility of bling stands here aka Vinexpo etc.  However, unfortunately the organisers are continuing with their policy of mixing all the exhibitors up. The policy has always been to mix up the exhibitors, so encourage visitors to make fresh discoveries. This doubtless made perfect sense when Millésime Bio was still small but now with 1300 exhibitors it is surely boneheaded.

This means, for example, that the 85 Loire producers are scattered across the five halls. It must be best part of a kilometre from one end of the fair to the other. Great for easily getting in your 10,000 daily fitbit steps but otherwise a complete waste of time. Little wonder that the smaller Salons-Off like Biotop, Les Affranchis and Le Vin de Mes Amis are popular.

•••

A few recent bottles 

2018 Froggy Wine, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie,
Domaine Luneau-Papin 

This is a fun, easy drinking Muscadet from the renowned Domaine Luneau-Papin, which is intended to be drunk young with friends and some shellfish. This 2018 has the print of 2018 with weight and rich ripe fruit. The style of the wine is captured by the label.

 

2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Domaine de la Combe,
Pierre-Henri Gadais 

This is an ambitious and fine Muscadet from Pierre-Henri Gadais, who has taken over the wine making for the family domaine in Saint-Fiacre but is also making wine from his own vines. It also has the ripeness of 2018 with attractive texture along with good balancing acidity. It can certainly be enjoyed now but has the potential to last and develop over a number of years. I am not convinced, however, that the label really does the quality of this wine justice.

2001 Château Petit Village, Pomerol

Pomerol has been somewhat controversial on Les 5 du Vin recently so I thought it was time I tasted and drank a bottle from this appellation. This 2001 has been sitting under our bed in an AXA six-bottle presentation box for a number years. This 2001 was delicious - fully ready to drink with luxuriously evolved soft fruit with an inviting spicy aroma, well balanced with a long finish. It was a good partner for poached ham.

A few days prior to pulling the cork on the Petit Village we had also tried the 2001 Margaux Cantenac Brown that unlike the Petit Village was not at all memorable merely dull – perhaps it was the bottle? It wasn't obviously corked but .....

2018er Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir Edition trocken, Kabinett

Brought by some friends to us to try this is an intriguing white Pinot Noir from Baden. Although it has a little residual sugar (6 gms per litre) it has good balancing acidity so it has attractive citric mouthfeel without being in any way cloying. Good as an apéro it would probably partner grilled fish or scallops well.

Charles Sydney Loire Benchmark Tasting, London + Loire's @2019Millésime Bio

 2018 Gamay in the Côte Roannaise

Last Thursday (24th January) was the annual Charles Sydney Wines Loire Benchmark tasting in London. Charles Sydney Wines, offering a courtier service, was set up by Charles and Philippa Sydney in 1989. They have now retired and Chris Hardy, previously of Majestic Wines has taken over. Chris has now been joined by Alex Meunier.

Although I did taste the 2018 wines at Domaine Belargus and some at the sparsely attended French Wine Discoveries (15th January) where the ripe and concentrated 2018 Muscadets from Alexandre Déramé stood out, the Sydney tasting was my first chance to taste more than 100 of these wines following their fermentation. 

My overall impression – bearing in mind these white wines (Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc forming a substantial majority) are still very young and many of them were quite cold – is that they are very clean and precise wines. I suspect that they will tend to take on considerably more weight over the next few months. Chris Hardy emphasised that growers should take their time before bottling this vintage to give it a chance to reveal its potential. Of course if you are short of stock following frost in 2016 and 2017 this may well not be easy. Tasting at Millésime Bio (Montpellier) today it is clear that a number producers, who are very short of stock following the successive frosts of 2016 and 2017, have already started bottling some of their 2019, especially some whites and rosés. Fortunately 2018 is a generous vintage and it may only be necessary to bottle a small amount of stock now. 

Tasting whites today at Millésime Bio they seemed more generous than in London probably due to being mainly tasted at slightly warmer temperature. It also be that the wines when in London were adversely affected by the misery of Brexit.... Amongst the 2018 whites I tasted today I was impressed by Bonnet-Huteau – their Muscadet but also a Gros Plant in very limited quantity – only 1500 bottles.

Vincent Pineau, who has joined his 
Domaine de la Roche with Bonnet-Huteau

For the first time I met and tasted with Michel Delhommeau, Les Vignes Saint Vincent and was impressed by his 2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, especially the Clos Amand from old vines. It was good to taste with Denis Jamain (Reuilly) – fine 2018s in all three colours including a richly textured Reuilly Rouge (Pinot Noir).  

There are some lovely ripe, rich Loire reds in 2018 – most, of course are not in bottle yet. I have yet to taste many 2018 Cabernet Francs. One of the few I tasted today was the 2018 Clos de Bienboire, Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve – ripe concentration of delicious black fruits – very recently bottled. In London I was impressed by the Saumur Champigny from Domaine des Sanzay and and the Chinon from Noblaie. I have now tasted rather more 2018 Gamay than Francs including some wonderfully seductive  Gamays from Touraine – Domaines Sauvété and Domaine L'Aumonier – and the Côte Roannaise – Domaines Sérol and des Pothiers. 

Back in London I tasted a few sweet wines from 2018 – from this limited evidence there could well be some great sweet wines to enjoy. 

Note to myself – I must drink more sweet Loire Chenins in 2019! 

One half of Hall B2 

Millésime Bio continues to expand:

This year there are some 1100 organic/biodynamic producers exhibiting at the 2019 edition with four large halls now in use to cope with this expansion. It shows the marked increase in the number of domaines, who are now either organic or biodynamic. As all regions and countries are mixed up it is now a considerable feat of organisation to get to see producers in the most efficient way possible. I guess that from one end of Millésime Bio to the other is not far off the distance from Rablay-sur-Layon to Champs-sur-Layon. 

Doubtless one of the shows' sponsors is Fitbit......   
 

      


   

I should be in Montpellier this evening .....

Place de la Comedie, Montpellier 

But for my slip on black ice on Tuesday 2nd January I would be in Montpellier ready for the Outsiders; tasting tomorrow followed by the three days of the 2018 edition of Millésime Bio. 

 

Above my left knee following the slip that detached my quads from my left knee cap. Fortunately following the operation I am slowly recovering but staying in Newtonmore, Scotland instead of the South of France.

 

Fortunately there are compensations as the Cairngorms is a beautiful part of the World. I'll just have to make plans to be in Montpellier this time next year for Millésime Bio 2019!

Black ice 6 Millésime Bio and Le Salon des Vins de Loire 0

Following my operation on my knee yesterday I will have to have a rigid splint on my left leg for the next 12 weeks. For the first six weeks my leg has to be kept straight. This means that I cannot travel so no visit to Montpellier for Millésime Bio and very sadly no Salon des Vins de Loire this year. I had hoped it might be possible to go to Angers for the Salon but there is no way it can be done.

I am so grateful for the outstanding care I received from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and the ambulance crew from Kingussie who took me from Newtonmore to Inverness.

So it goes......!!

Off on an adventure: Day 31 – Trevor Gulliver

Trevor Gulliver @Outsiders 2015 Montpellier 

St John

As I suspect there will be limited time to post on Jim's Loire while we are away – there are posts prepared in advance that feature pics of Loire producers and may be from elsewhere plus some recently enjoyed bottles.

2017 Millésime Bio 4 – Vinisud 0

Millésime Bio 30.1.2017

All the reports coming out of Vinisud suggest that the organisers of Vinisud made a bad mistake in deciding to go virtually head to head with Millésime Bio. These reports come from people who have been at both fairs. Apparently Vinisud (Sunday 29th to Tuesday 31st) had its busiest day on Sunday even though it was pretty quiet with people thinking that Monday would bring more visitors. This proved to be a false hope with even fewer visitors reported on Monday. In contrast Millésime Bio has seen a good crowd, except on the opening morning when security checks meant that it could take an hour or more to get in. The much smaller BioTop also attracted a good number of visitors on both its days – Monday and Tuesday.   

Whether producers who have paid for their stands and accommodation, unless they happen to live in or near Montpellier, will decide to go to the 2018 edition of Vinsud remains to be seen. 

La mort de Vinisud ? Vincent Pousson's take on Vinisud

2016 Tour de France – sprint in Montpellier, Ventoux awaits

Michael Matthews won his first Tour de France stage yesterday beating Peter Sagan and Evald Boasson Hagen in the sprint. However, this was another success Green jersey raid by Sagan who picked up maximum points at the intermediate sprint and took over the Green Jersey from Mark Cavendish. Sagan has 242 points to Cavendish's 204. 

 

No change overall as the peloton had another quiet day after the initial climb out of Andorra. 

Stage 11: Carcassonne to Montpellier 

 

I expect a big bunch sprint in Montpellier, which has a flat and wide finish. Another win for Cav or Marcel Kittel or a first win in this edition for André Griepel? I fancy the GC contenders will continue to rest up for tomorrow's stage finish on the top of Ventoux.

2016 Millésime Bio - Wednesday 27th January 2016

 'Amphore maestro' Fred  Niger Van Herck and his wines

Rémi Branger, Domaine de la Pépiére, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine

 Alliance Loire: Hugues 

 Alain Reynaud: photographer 

'Police records!' - Thierry Delaunay, Touraine  

 Arnaud Lambert, Domaine St Just, Château du Bréze  

Saumur and Saumur-Champigny  

It was very good to taste again with Arnaud – something I have been intending to do for some time. An impressive range of both whites and reds from the two domaines and very interesting to hear from Arnaud what a lamentable state the vines of Château de Brèze were in when he took it over. This was a project that he expected to work on together with his late father – Yves – who sadly died of cancer far too young – leaving Arnaud to carry on by himself.   

 Gilles Bonnefoy, Les Vins de la Madone, Côtes de Forez

A number of attractive wines here: good vibrant 2015 Roussanne and 2015 Migmatitic – Gamay sur Granite – as well as 2014 Mémoire de Madonne – juicy fruit and nicely balanced.

  Estelle Clavel, Domaine Clavel, Languedoc 

  Pierre and Estelle Clavel, Domaine Clavel, Languedoc 

makers of powerful and characterful reds from the Languedoc

2016 Millésime Bio – a few mug shots

 Michel Bedouet, Bedouet Vigneron 

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

La fille de Michel: Floria Bedouet, Bedouet Vigneron

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 

Julien Fournier Domaine FL

 

Pierre, who represents Domaine FL
in Paris and elsewhere  


 Sophie Chardon, Domaine de l'Aumonier, Touraine


Thierry Chardon, Domaine de l'Aumonier. Touraine 

From small beginnings Millésime Bio continues to grow
Just under 900 exhibitors and a waiting list 

 

Sedlescombe Vineyard @Millésime Bio

The Sedlescombe team L-R: Thomas Tabor, Justine Cottenceau,

 Irma and Roy Cook 

 

Roy Cook 

2016 is the first time that Roy and Irma Cook have had enough stock to make the journey to Montpellier worthwhile to show their wines. Sedlescombe Vineyard in Sussex was established in 1979 when Roy and Irma planted 2000 vines on 1.5 acres. They now have over 20 acres (8 hectares) – six of these are at Bodiam Castle. 

The Cooks got organic certification from the Soil Association in 1982 and in 2010, after long consideration, moved to being biodynamic and are certified by Demeter. After Montpellier the Cook equipe will meander and potter their way up to the Loire Valley. Here they will be one of the exhibitors at the Demeter Salon that will be at the Parc des Expositions at the same time as the salon des Vins de Loire and La Levée de la Loire. 

I tasted their range – 2013 sparkling (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), white, rosé and red. I liked the clean, fresh, easy drinking 2014 Orion – a white disease resistant variety. Also the vibrant sparkling wine, which is nicely austere in the finish, and the easy drinking red 2014 Corýmbus – a blend of Rondo, Regent and Dornfelder.        

Irma Cook

 Justine Cottenceau originally from Angers 

Thomas Tabor