Chinon and Bourgueil: Portes Ouvertes: 5th-8th May 2012

Bucolic idyll in the centre of Panzoult

Some more diary dates – open days in Chinon and Bourgueil for next weekend that includes the May 8th holiday:

Chinon 

Sunday 6th-Tuesday 8th May  

Domaine de la Marinière - Renaud Desbourdes à Panzoult.

C'est avec plaisir que nous vous invitons à venir découvrir notre Chinon 2011, à l'occasion de la 20éme édition de nos Portes ouvertes, (du dimanche 6 au mardi 8 mai 2012, de 10h à 19h). Nous nous retrouverons autour de produits authentiques lors d'un moment convivial. Nous vous reservons de nombreuses animations et de nombreuses surprises! 

Suivez le domaine sur facebook: www.facebook.com/DomaineDeLaMariniere ou sur son blog : http://domainedelamariniere.viabloga.com

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Bourgueil

Christophe Pitault – Domaine des Pins 

Samedi 5 mai 10h à 19h

Domaine Les Pins 

Pitault-Landry et Fils

8 route du Vignoble - 37140 BOURGUEIL

Tel: 02.47.97.47.91 email: philippe.pitault@wanadoo.fr

La famille Pitault-Landry vous accueille sur leur domaine. Nous vous proposons la dégustation de nos différentes cuvées avec projection des différentes étapes de la vigne. A votre arrivée, le verre du domaine vous est offert et des fouasses cuites dans notre four ancestral sont proposées le samedi tout au long de la journée afin de compléter la dégustation des vins.

Une promenade de 2 km dans notre vignoble en calèche clôturera votre journée.

Du samedi 05 au mardi 08 mai 10h à 19h:

Domaine des Geslets 

Sylvie et Vincent Grégoire

12, domaine des Geslets - 37140 BOURGUEIL

Tel: 02.47.97.97.06

www.domainedesgeslets.com

C’est avec plaisir que nous vous accueillerons au domaine des Geslets.

Nous vous ferons partager notre passion et notre amour de la vigne et du vin. Dans les vignes, nous vous expliquerons les différentes étapes du cycle végétatif, nous poursuivrons dans le chai par la formidable magie des fermentations et bien évidement nous terminerons cet échange lors de la dégustation de nos différentes cuvée de Bourgueil et Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil et Crémant de Loire.

A tout de suite !

Nau Frères Portes Ouvertes 2011

Du samedi 05 au mardi 08 mai 10h à 19h:

Domaine Nau Frères 

Bertrand, Patrice et Abel

52, rue de Touraine, 37140 INGRANDES-DE-TOURAINE

Tel: 02.47.96.98.57

Email: naufreres@wanadoo.fr

Nous recevons nos amis clients et tous visiteurs pour partager notre dernière

récolte 2011 que nous présentons en avant-première lors de nos portes

ouvertes, autour d’un sympathique buffet. Aussi, promenades dans les vignes

sur le thème de la plantation et de la jeune vigne.

We were at the Nau Frères portes ouvertes last year with not only the 2010 vintage to taste but also a range of wines going back to 1996. Some of the early vines were already flowering then. Despite the warm end of March and beginning of April I very much doubt if it will be the same this year with the wet, cool weather recently.

 CRM and Abel in the vines: May 2011 

Lundi 07 et mardi 08 mai 10h à 19h:

Domaine Nathalie et David Drussé 

1, impasse de la Villatte sur la D35

37140 SAINT NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL

Tel: 02.47.97.98.24 

Website: www.drusse-vindeloire.com

Au chai, en tant que Vignerons Indépendants, nous vous proposons une découverte du terroir et des vinifications. Dans le caveau, labellisé Bienvenue à la Ferme, vous pourrez déguster les millésimes médaillés et du jus de raisin, pour les gourmets et les enfants.

Pour conclure votre visite, une balade souterraine vous sera proposée jusqu’à notre cave troglodytique de tuffeau, du Xème siècle, avec une dégustation à la pipette des vins en tonnes.

Rural Kent joins Third World

Staying on the Kent and Sussex borders this weekend. Already had two power cuts today – one just before 11am which lasted about half and hour and one around 1.30 pm that last 20 minutes. Apparently in these parts this is quite a regular occurence when it rains!

Late flash (or would be if we had power!): third power cut of day just before 6pm for about another 20 minutes. Dinner delayed!

Loire: some bottles enjoyed sur place – March/April 2012

2002 demi-sec Le Haut-Lieu, Domaine Huet

 Wonderfully well balanced vintage, some evolution, delicate sweetness matched by precise acidity 

Some bottles drunk and enjoyed during our three week stay in Touraine from mid-March to early April. 

2004 Sancerre Rouge, Domaine Vacheron 

 2004 was not the easiest of vintages – some attractive fruit but toughish tannins from a time the domaine used more wood for their reds than they do now. Admittedly a different vintage but the emphasis in their 2010 Sancerre, drunk at the La Tour restaurant in Sancerre, is much more on the fruit.     

2005 Éclipse, Saint Nicola-de-Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau 

A couple of 2005 reds – one from Frédéric Mabileau and the other from Château Pierre-Bise. Both showing well with the potential to age further. The Pierre-Bise is the more ready to drink as Frédéric's Éclipse really needs more time.      

2005 Gorges, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Auguste Bonhomme

2005 Gorges, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Martin-Luneau

2009 Jubiliation Le Pallet, Vignerons du Pallet

We tried another three examples of new Muscadet crus communaux with two from Gorges and one from Le Pallet. Of the three Le Pallet was the least complex. Dangerous, I know, to draw any conclusions from just one bottle but I wonder whether the slightly shorter minimum aging on the lees for the wines from Le Pallet – 17 months compared to 24 for Clisson and Gorges – plays any part here.  Of the two 2005s from Gorges the Auguste Bonhomme was especially fine. Once again you have to forgot your traditional ideas of Muscadet and be prepared for a much fuller and more complex wine that will show best with more elaborate fish dishes than customary fruits de mers or moules marinières. 

2005 La Moussière, Sancerre Blanc, Alphonse Mellot

Les Alphonses 'basic' Sancerre is developing nicely and was served at a dinner with friends with a small selection of cheese including some local goat.

2006 Côt, AC Touraine, Clos Roche Blanche

Rich, delicious black fruits showing that Côt (Malbec and Auxerrois as in Cahors are synonyms) is probably the best red variety in the Cher Valley. As far as I can make out it will still be possible to sell 100% Côt under the insane new Touraine AC rules fashioned by bureaucracy and probably marketing conditions, while ignoring tradition, true 'typicity' and terroir in its widest sense. 

Sadly this next wine will be outlawed under the new AC Touraine Fou régime: 

    

2008 Cuvée de Fié Gris, Vieille Vigne, AC Touraine, Domaine Jacky Preys

Still quite difficult to find, Sauvignon Gris is often more interesting and complex than its more assertive cousin – Sauvignon Blanc. Jacky Preys has long made an excellent Fié Gris and has been instrumental in its revivial. The 2008 was a lovely bottle with weight, spice, delicacy with some floral notes, too, and more complex than many Touraine Sauvignons. Under the new Touraine regulations Sauvignon Gris can only make up 20% of the blend for AC Touraine Blanc. I hope the Preys family will continue to make this and sell it as a vin de pays or as a Vin de France. My guess is that they have built a sufficient reputation for this wine not to need the new fatally flawed Appellation Touraine Contrôlée label.

2009 petites grappes sur Basalte, Côtes d'Auvergne, Caves de Verny

2011 Enjoy, Côtes d'Auvergne Rosé 

Two impressive wines from the Caves de Verny, a cave co-operative at Veyre Monton in the Côtes d’Auvergne, kindly given to me to try by Fabrice Dagaut at the excellent Bon Laboureur hotel restaurant in Chenonceaux. Fabrice has recently started to list these wines.  2011 Enjoy (a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir) is an ideal pale rosé for a summer apéritif – red fruits and a fresh clean finish, while the Basalte is a concentrated Gamay coming from low yielding vines – only 25 hl/ha. It will surprise people used to drinking (or avoiding) dilute Gamays that often give this variety a poor reputation.

    

2011 Les marcottes, Gamay AC Touraine, Lionel Gosseaume

Another example of a delicious Gamay, this time from Touraine in the commune of Choussy, just to the west of Oisly and made by Lionel Gosseaume. Not a wine to analyse rather one to enjoy with friends. I hope Lionel hasn't been too badly hit by the frost in mid-April.  

 2010 Pinot Noir Marigny-Neuf, Ampelidae, Frédéric Brochet

2010 Sauvignon, Marigny-Neuf, Ampelidae, Frédéric Brochet

Two wines (samples) from Frédéric Brochet's Ampelidae: both from 2010 – a Pinot Noir and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Noir is exuberantly juicy in a modern style made to drink young, while the Sauvignon is more restrained and more classic.    

Cuvée JM Monmousseau, Touraine

Ackerman bought the Touraine sparkling wine producer, Monmousseau, in the autumn of 2010. Cuvée JM (sample) is a creamy, pure Chenin aged for between 24 and 36 months in the cellars on the eastern side of Montrichard. Available direct on-line for customers in France for 45€ for six bottles. 

2009 Vent d'Anges, Pouilly-Fumé, Régis Minet

An impressively fine Pouilly-Fumé from Régis Minet with lovely racy, minerality. Added to the list of producers that I need to visit. Profile by Kermit Lynch here.