A journey to precision: vertical of Closel's Clos du Papillon

Evelyne de Pontbriand tutoring the vertical tasting 

Tasters in the magnificent surroundings of the Château des Vaults
(Domaine du Domaine de Closel)

On the evening of Monday 6th February – the second day of the 2017 Salon des Vins de Loire – we were invited to a vertical tasting of the Domaine du Closel's Clos du Papillon. The vertical ran from 2001 through to 2015 but without 2012 as none was made due to frost. We tasted from oldest to youngest, which made perfect sense as we could see the evolution in the purity and precision in the wines. At the end we were treated to two older bottles – 1992, which was not a very auspicious vintage, and 1989, which was a great vintage.

2001 was the first vintage that Evelyne took over from her mother –Michèle Bazin de Jessey. The Clos du Papillon overlooks the small village of Savennières sited just to the north.

Although the vineyards were grassed over when Evelyne took over  over, the vineyards were farmed and the wine made in a traditional manner. The wines tended to have a short fermentation and be given high doses of SO2. The period of fermentation has been extended and the vinification is now down in 400-litre barrels when before it was done in vat. Using cover crops.

Since 2001 Evelyne has taken from being traditional to firstly organic and now to being farmed biodynamically.  Conversion to organic viticulture began in 2006 with full certification in 2009, while biodynamic status was achieved in 2015. 

Yields have been reduced from 35/40 hl/ha down to 15-20hl/ha today. From 2009 using a software system to analyse the right time to pick the grapes. 

The vertical:

2001:
Light golden colour, honey and truffle, some texture but a little short.

2002:
Light to mid-gold, clearly taken on a lot of colour, honeyed evolved flavours, rich with fair balance. Loire wines from 2002 tend to be well-balanced. 6.4 gms of residual sugar. Among my favourites.

2003:
Honey and quince, rich but less interesting than the 2002 – an effect of this heatwave year?

2004:
Delicate honey aromas, attractively finely textured wine although a little dilute in the finish but considerable charm. 

2005:
Deep light gold colour, richly textured, botrytis – this is a rich oxidative style.
Hot dry summer and autumn.

2006:
Light gold colour, attractively textured wine with honeyed evolution, good length and nicely balanced. Among my favourites.

2007: 
Light gold, honey and quince flavour with a touch of caramel, textured wine, the richness hides the acidity but the finish is a little short. 

2008:
Vineyard frosted. Honey and quince on nose and palate,some truffle too, texture, quite austere long finish. Aromas persist in the empty glass.Among my favourites.

2009:
Clean and precise with attractively vibrant texture, some honey character, noticeable acidity in long finish. There is a growing precision in the Papillon wines.  

2010:
 Richly and seductively textured with honey and quince character, lovely balance and length. Certainly amongst my favourites.

2011:
Still youthful wine, attractive texture and complexity, some toasty flavours along with a touch of caramel with good balancing acidity in the finish.   

2012:
Not made – severe April frost

2013:
Citric aromas and palate, quite austere finish reflecting this difficult vintage, precise but the wine falls away in the finish.

2014:
Floral and ripe fruit nose and palate, some barley sugar notes, very good length and very clean purity with some delicate wood notes. Still young but with impressive potential. Certainly amongst my favourites and shows the progress that has been made with the Papillon wines. 

2015: 
Floral and citric – obviously still very youthful.

The two additional vintages:

1992
This was a big vintage after the very severe frost of 1991. Wines were often dilute. Light gold, very oxidative style, nutty character but dilute in fish. Certainly reasonable for the vintage.

1989
Showing the hallmarks of a great vintage. Ironically this wine shows the precision and vibrancy that Evelyne has to working for since she took over Closel. There is a little oxidative character but it is very restrained. Amazinly fresh – stunning wine! 

Many thanks to Evelyne and her team at Closel for a fascinating and most instructive tasting.

Ben Llewelyn of Carte Blanche Wines studying 
a carte of the vineyards of Savennières

2013 Loire Vintage: various photos from our vintage travels

Pinot Noir stems being ejected - Henri Bourgeois

 Sorting Pinot Noir@Henri Bourgeois

View from Clos de la Poussie down to village of Bué

 Picnic above Bué: CRM and Chris Kissack

with provisions mainly bought from charcuterie in Bué

Ubiquitous vans to transport pickers: Alphonse Mellot

It takes a lot of water to make wine! 

Cleaning up equipment@Domaine Vacheron

Amphores are definitely trending..

Without one where is your winery cred?

Part of the Clos du Papillon, Savennières 

above the Château des Vaults  (3.10.2013)

 Clos du Papillon (3.10.13): bunches (above and below) from vines inside walled part

As far as I know no grapes yet picked here on this date.

Vignerons in Anjou were just getting started on early varieties: Grolleau etc.

 

Rot has been a feature of 2013 throughout Loire 

but without (to date) rotten tastes or much concentration

Clos du Papillon: vines to right of the track (as u face the Loire) 

that leads past the Moulin de Gué to the Clos du Papillon 

Richard Kelley has a very good map of the AC here 

Château du Nozet, Ladoucette

Following special request from Eric Florkin dog bite on right calf pics taken a couple of days after event (18.9.13) – now healed up, fortunately. 

Beware the badlands of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher also rampaging braques de weimar!  

Savennières tasting (27.3.13): the wines I picked out

On Wednesday 27th March I tasted 47 Savennières ranging from 2011 to 2007, although the vast majority came from the 2011 and 2010 vintages. I tasted the wines blind at Domaine du Closel where Evelyne de Pontbriand (président of the Syndicat) had kindly organised the tasting for me. Here are the wines that most impressed me, ordered by vintage.  

2011 Vintage
Almost all the 2011s tasted would benefit from more time in bottle. If served now best decanted.

The most impressive wines: 

Le Hu Boyau, Château d'Epiré, Luc Bizard 
Good weight, power and length, citric with a touch of austerity in the finish

Also the Epiré Cuvée Speciale - described by Luc as his ideal notion of a Savennières, although I preferred Le Hu Boyau.

La Croix Picot, Domaine de la Bergerie, Yves Guégniard
Richer and fuller style to Epiré with good length. La Croix Picot is vinified in stainless steel, while the Clos le Grand Beaupréau, which I tasted next, is vinfied in wood. The 2011 Grand Beaupréau showed its potential but it needs time (probably one or two years) for the wood to marry with the fruit and for it to show its best. 

Clos du Papillon, Domaine des Forges, Stéphane Branchereau 
Vibrantly clean, attractive weight, long, well made, a touch tight in the finish – needs more time.

I also noted Domaine des Deux Vallées, Philippe and René Socheleau.

2010 Vintage

Overall impression: considerable variation in styles and quality. many would benefit from further bottle age. If drunk now best put into a carafe before serving.     

The most impressive wines:
Bel Ouvrage, Damien Laureau
Some honey on nose and palate, generous concentration of fruit and good length. 

Clos du Papillon, Domaine du Closel
Light gold, beeswax aromas, quite rich fruit, well balanced with lovely clean acidity. Could be drunk now but tight in the finish and would benefit from further time in bottle. 

L'Enclos, Eric Morgat
Floral and honey aromas, lovely ripe fruit in a good counterpoint with a quite austere finish though the fruit runs on through. Potential to age well.

Le Clos, Château de Plaisance  
Ripe honeyed style, good concentration but still quite tight in the long finish. 

        
I also noted La Croix Picot, Domaine de la Bergerie, Yves Guégniard; Clos des Perrières, Château Soucherie; two cuvées of Loïc Mahé – Equilibre and Les Fougeraies; Schistes, Pithon-Paillé

2009 Vintage
There were four wines from this ripe vintage. The wines, however, showed good balance.   


The most impressive wine:
Patrick Baudouin

Seamlessly balanced wine with floral and honeyed notes. Although Patrick has now planted vines in Savennières with the first vintage due this year, his impressive 2009 is made from bought-in grapes from three different parcels that are cultivated organically.

I also noted:
Clos la Royaute, Vignobles Laffourcade 

2008 vintage
There were two wines from this vintage.

The most impressive wine:
Clos du Papillon, Domaine de Closel 
Honey and beeswax, some rich fruit but not a heavyweight rather delicacy and finesse. 

I also noted:
La Croix Picot, Château de Bellevue  

2007 vintage
There were two wines from this vintage.
The most impressive wine:
Château de Chamboreau, Domaine FL

This was one of my favourite wines in the tasting – harmonious with delicate honeyed flavours and showing some evolution. The wine's initial richness is attractively balanced by a fine, austere finish. Demonstrates the benefit of giving Savennières time in bottle. 

My thanks again to Evelyne de Pontbriand for organising this tasting and to all the producers who kindly submitted samples.