Renaissance tasting, Angers: photos and comments from Sunday

 Morning light on a building just by 

the Greniers de Saint-Jean

 

 François Plouzeau, Domaine de la Garrelière, AC Touraine

on sparkling form!

(above and below)

The whites of François were on austere form today – perhaps they had closed up because of the cold weather. Liked the sparkling – Milliard d'Etoiles.

 The hat is from Paul Smith, Louis-Jean Sylvos is from 

Savoie and has a château in Azay-le-Rideau 

A feather in Louis-Jean's cap!

 

 

Florence Sylvos

Tried their intriguing 2010 Sous Voile Azay-le-Rideau, which spends 18 months – sous voile.  

Olivier Bellanger, Domaine de la Piffaudière, 

Monthou-sur-Cher (AC Touraine)

Picked out his 2013 Nuit Blanche – ripe Sauvignon Blanc (malo fait). Olivier's grandfather was a vigneron. However, the calling skipped a generation as his father was a baker. Olivier has nine hectares in production mainly between Monthou and Thésée. His first vintage was 2009.  

 Paul Gillet, Domaine les Maison Brulées, Pouillé

 Corinne Gillet, Domaine les Maison Brulées, Pouillé

Their 2013 Sauvignon Blancs showing well with intriguing flavours. 

Stéphanie Deboutbertin, Domaine Deboutbertin, Faye d'Anjou 

Tasted two Chenins from 2013 in quite an austere but precise style.   

 Damien Richou, Domaine Richou, Mozé-sur-Louet, Anjou

Range of dry whites impressive as usual – 2014 Chauvigné, 2013 Rogeries and 2013 Savennières  

Stéphane Rocher, Fermé de Montbenault, Faye d'Anjou

Kenji Hodgson

Only had time to taste the attractive 2013 Faia (100% Chenin Blanc), which has good concentration and length.100% Chenin Blanc from vines planted on schist in the commune of Faye-sur-Layon.

 

Mark Angeli remains very suspicious of email but 

now coming round to the idea of an electronic pigeon

Range of the Angeli's whites showing well, especially 2013 La Lune.

2014 Renaissance tasting - Saturday 1st February 2014

Lunchtime@Renaissance 

Jean-Noël Millon, La Source du Ruault

Kenji Hodgson (above) and Maï Sato (below), Champ-sur-Layon 

I liked their clean and concentrated 2012 Faia, 100% Vin de France

 

Benjamin Joliveau, Domaine Huet, Vouvray (above and below)

I tasted the 2012 Le Mont Sec, which hadn't been released when I bought the bottles of 2012 Le Haut-Lieu and the Clos du Bourg towards the end of September last year. I was much more impressed with Le Mont than I had been with the 2012 Le Haut Lieu and Clos du Bourg. It is a success for the vintage with more weight and complexity than the other two were showing in October 2013. I plan to taste Le Haut Lieu and Clos du Bourg, which have now sold out, at the end of April. It will be interesting to see how they have developed and whether they have taken on more weight. 

Jean-Bernard Berthomé, Domaine Huet, Vouvray (above and below)

Vincent Carême, Vouvray – I particularly liked his Ancestrale Pet Nat

Thibault Ducleux of Les Roches Sèches

Paul Gillet was has taken over Les Maisons Brulées

from Michel and Beatrice Augé

Mme Gillet

Mark Angeli, Ferme de la Sansonnière, Thouarcé

Philippe Delesvaux, St Aubin de Luigné – lovely range of sweet wines 

including a delicate 2012 Passerillé

15%-16% potential picked 29th-30th October

Joël Menard, Domaine des Sablonnettes

Renaissance tasting 29th January 2011: some photos

Mark considering that Sarkozy may force him to bring forward the launch date of the Martial Lore cuvée 

Some photos taken at this morning's session of the Renaissance tasting@Les Grenier de Saint-Jean, Angers.

'Adoration': Joseph and Wendy Paillé

Stéphane Bernadeau (Anjou) interrogated by The Wine Detective

Renaissance tasting: Aymeric Hilaire – Clos Mélaric

31 January 2010

One of the highlights of the Renaissance tasting last Sunday in the Greniers de Saint-Jean in Angers last Sunday was meeting Aymeric Hilaire and tasting his wines. I had initially missed them when tasting at a nearby table but Sarah Ahmed said I should go and taste them and it is a good thing that I always follow the Wine Detective's advice and instructions.  I had also previously been  told about the Clos Mélaric wines, so it was good to be reminded.

Originally from Saumur Aymeric is an oenologue and worked for a number of years in Côte Rotie and in Banyuls before returning to Saumur in 2005. He spent three months working for Bernard Baudry in Chinon. Initially he and his partner Melanie had 3 or 4 hectares in Saumur-Champigny but that didn't work out, so in 2006 they bought 4 hectares in Le Puy Notre Dame. They have 2.5 ha of Chenin Blanc and 1.5 of Cabernet Franc.

We started with the Chenins. The recently bottled 2008 Bulles de Roche was the first. This is aged in 400 litre barrels that have been already used for three to six wines. The 2008 went through malo and has 5 gms of residual sugar. It has attractive rich fruit and balance. The 2008 Clos de Chesnaie is a step up. The vines in the Clos are 45 years old and the yield in 2008 was between 20-30 hl/ha. The Clos has more clay and produces strong wines – the 2008 has a rich concentration of quince fruit and good length. It still needs time but it has a lot of potential.The 2009 picked on 25th September is quite austere at present but the fruit and acidity are all there, so they should all come together.

As an interlude I tried the Globules Rosé – a pet nat, which has easy, agreeable strawberry and raspberry fruit. Then onto two reds from 2008 – both 100% Cabernet Franc. Firstly Tandem, which has recently gone through malo, that has some plummy fruit and length. Then the more impressive Belles de Roche from 45 year old vines planted where there is less soil before reaching the limestone. This has powerful concentrated, supple black fruits and promises to be a good bottle.

Not everything is completely successful but it is early days both for the domain and the wines. However, definitely a name to follow.    

Salon trip: Day 2: Renaissance: photos from a Salon 'off'

Mark Angeli: le vedette de Thouarcé devant les étoiles

 

Nadège Lelandais

 

Aymeric Hlaire: very promising new producer from Le Puy Notre-Dame 

 

 Sylvain Martinez and his Goutte d'O

Another two promising young vignerons: Catherine Roussel (Clos Roche Blanche) and Mark Angeli (La Ferme de la Sansonnière)

Joseph Landron (Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine)

Eddy and Mileine Oosterlinck-Bracke, Domaine de Juchepie: Eddy pouring 2002 Le Quinressence

A new direction for Jo Pithon – Languedoc?

Notes on the tasting to follow.