Jim's Loire: Philippa & Charles Sydney

Sunday, 24 January 2016

Charles Sydney's 2016 London Loire tasting – my selection of dry whites

Harvesting Cabernet Franc in 2015

2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre

Here is my selection of wines from this large tasting. I am not going to attempt tasting notes mainly because many of the wines, especially the 2015s, have yet to be bottled. Also I have chosen a fair number so it would take a long time to compile my notes and Millésime Bio starts tomorrow. This year's tasting underlined the quality of the 2014 and 2015 vintages.

Favourites (UK stockists in brackets):

Whites

Muscadet

2015 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Domaine de la Chavinière,
Jérémie Huchet (James Nicholson; Stone, Vine & Sun)

2015 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Domaine de la Tourmaline, Christophe Gadais.

Also noted

2015 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Château de la Tarcière, Bonnet-Huteau,

(Majestic)

Pinot Gris

IPG Pinot Gris Le Chapitre, Christophe Réthoré

Sauvignon Blanc

2015 Touraine Blanc, Moulin des Aigremonts, Cellier de Beaujardin (Oddbins)

2015 Haut Poitou, La Tour Beaumont (Oddbins)
2015 Coteaux du Giennois Rive Droite, Quintin Frères
2015 Quincy, Domaine André Figeat (Laytons)
2015 Pouilly-Fumé, Les Papillons, Domaine de Bel Air (Liberty, Averys - domaine label)
2015 Pouilly-Fumé, Les Cris, Alain Cailbourdin (Enotria)
2015 Sancerre Cuvée Marnes et Calcaire, Domaine Jean-Max Roger (Majestic)
2015 Pouilly Fumé XXL, Domaine André Figeat
2015 Sancerre Cuvée Flores, Vincent Pinard (Justerini & Brooks, James Nicholson, Averys)

Oak fermented 2014 Sauvignon Blanc
2014 Sancerre Cuvée Nuance, Vincent Pinard (Justerini & Brooks, Averys)
2015 Sancerre La Côte de Bué, Domaine Jean-Max Roger

Sauvignon Blanc with some Chardonnay
2015 Cave de Mont-près-Chambord (Averys)

2015 Valençay Blanc, Le Clos du Château (Majestic)

(Other wines to be covered in a further post + another one to cover wines from The Famous Five.)

Friday, 23 January 2015

A first real sight of Loire 2014s: Philippa & Charles Sydney's tasting

Jérôme Choblet: just one of many happy faces of

Loire producers after the 2014 vintage

After having tasted 2014 juice and cuvées in the process of fermenting it was good to have a first opportunity to see how the evident promise of 2014 is being transformed towards finished wine. Philippa & Charles Sydney's traditional January tasting showed that there is plenty to look forward to in 2014.

It may be one of those fairly rare Loire vintages where it is successful, quality-wise, across the range – dry whites to sweet as well as red. Quantity is going to be an issue for a good number of Loire producers who are faced with the third successive small vintage.