Home > Producer Profiles > Loire Profiles > Domaine Ogereau

Domaine Ogereau

No account of the Coteaux du Layon, nor indeed of Anjou as a whole, would be complete without some mention of Vincent Ogereau. A graduate of the Lycée d'Agriculture in Beaufort, in Bordeaux, Vincent is an intellectual vigneron, never afraid to experiment and innovate. His abilities do not end with the vine though. When he is not tending to his vineyards, or overseeing operations or a tasting in his cellars, he may be found demonstrating his talents as a talented tuba player; having graduated from the Angers Conservatoire, today he plays in the Saint Lambert village band.

Vincent is a fourth generation vigneron, and he has charge over a family domaine established by his ancestors in 1890. Clearly there is talent running in this family, both musical and viticultural, as his son Emmanuel looks set to become the fifth generation at the helm of Domaine Ogereau in the not-too-distant future, although not before he has first gained some experience working a stage or two overseas.

The Ogereau Vineyards and Wines

Vincent has 24 hectares of vines, the domaine having expanded from the 12 hectares it covered when Vincent took control. From these vineyards, which have a predominantly schistous terroir (although there are also some areas of gravel), he fashions an array of high quality wines, dry white and red, and of course he also has a small portfolio of exciting sweet wines of a quality which can rival most others from the Coteaux du Layon appellation. Quality, of course, begins in the vineyard, and Ogereau begins with a strict green harvest in summer, followed in September with a sequence of manual harvesting by successive tries, even for the dry wines, before a rigorous sorting prior to fermentation.

Today Vincent (pictured right) has just one Anjou Blanc christened En Chenin, although until recently he produced two white wines under the Anjou appellation, a straight Anjou Blanc which was mostly Chenin Blanc with a percentage of Chardonnay (perhaps 20-30%) blended in, as well as an Anjou Blanc Cuvée Prestige which was 100% Chenin Blanc. The former was fermented and aged in temperature-controlled steel until bottling, whereas the latter, introduced in 1995, was handled very differently, with fermentation and élevage in 500-litre casks. That's all changed now, as Ogereau has decided to focus on Chenin Blanc alone, and to simplify into one cuvée, hence the birth of En Chenin. As the name suggests there is no Chardonnay in the blend, the fermentation remains in wood, although this does not really make any significant mark, and the wine rests on its less for up to 15 months prior to bottling. The quality is very high, the palate pure and unsullied, the overall style elegant and worthy of high praise. This has been a good move for Vincent, I think.

Alongside En Chenin there is an Anjou Rouge and an Anjou-Villages, both from Cabernet Franc grown on schistous soils and then fermented and raised in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The former sees a short maceration with six months en cuve prior to bottling, whereas the latter is different on both counts, with a longer soak and up to a year en cuve before going into bottle. The final wine in Vincent's red trio is quite different though; the Anjou-Villages Côte de la Houssaye is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from a single vineyard of 30-year old vines near St Lambert du Lattay, the vines themselves looking down onto the Hyrôme, a small tributary of the Layon. They have a favourable south-easterly aspect, exposing them to the sun's rays and protecting them from westerly breezes, and they dig their roots into a thin, gravelly, stony-schistous, nutritionally poor soil. The vineyard warms up admirably during the day, thanks to its aspect and the ability of the stony soils to soak up the heat, the ultimate benefit being that Cabernet Sauvignon ripens well here. This is something Vincent says is still rare in the region, although he does his best to help with leaf-plucking in the summer months followed by a green harvest later on; the ultimate yield is typically 30 hl/ha. Once harvested, the fruit sees a three-week maceration followed by fermentation with temperature control, a malolactic fermentation, and then an 18-month élevage in 500-litre oak barrels before bottling without filtration.

The two Anjou-Villages cuvées can both be structured and serious, and benefit from time in the cellar, although the Côte de la Houssaye has been, in my experience, streets ahead of the straight Anjou-Villages in comparative tastings. Note, however, that if shopping in older vintages you may encounter instead of these two wines the Cuvée Prestige, a now-defunct blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which was replaced in 2000 by the two wines described above. This decision reflected Vincent's desire to have his Cabernet Sauvignon represent the Houssaye terroir. Nevertheless the Cuvée Prestige can certainly hold its own and is surely worth a punt if you see one. The 1997, tasted at 13 years of age in late 2010, was just lovely.

As far as Savennières is concerned, Vincent has a small foothold in the appellation along with his compatriots Claude Papin of Pierre-Bise and Yves Guégniard of Domaine de la Bergerie. Together the trio own or rent vines in the Clos le Grand Beaupréau, a section of the larger Moulin de Beaupréau vineyard which altogether covers just short of 16 hectares. Nevertheless we should note that this is not Vincent's first foray into Savennières, as he began producing a wine from 1 hectare of rented vines as long ago as 2002. Nevertheless, today it is the wine from the Clos le Grand Beaupréau that should undoubtedly attract our attention.

There are 6.1 hectares to the Clos le Grand Beaupréau; Vincent has 2 hectares on schist and sand which he rents, while Claude Papin and Yves Guégniard look after 2.5 and 1.6 hectares respectively. The entire vineyard was previously exploited by Pierre Soulez up until 2004; both Claude and Vincent took over the sections he rented, beginning with the 2005 vintage, whereas Yves purchased his vines from Soulez.

Just as is the case for the Anjou Blanc En Chenin, the fruit for this cuvée is picked in tries, gently pressed, fermented in wood (using 400-litre casks this time) and then left to be nourished by the lees prior to bottling 15 months later. In fact it would be quite fair to consider both En Chenin and the Clos le Grand Beaupréau together; although the Savennières has the grander appellation, Vincent's Anjou vines are planted on similarly complex terroirs and the fruit is handled in much the same way. And, most importantly, Vincent's Anjou is of a very similar quality to the Savennières. In fact, this is true of the wines made by a number of locally-based vignerons, not just Vincent; never automatically dismiss an Anjou Blanc in favour of a Savennières from someone of Vincent's calibre!

Having said that, Vincent's efforts with the vines of the Clos le Grand Beaupréau are admirable. They are only a recent addition to the Ogereau portfolio of vineyards, and Vincent has only a handful of vintages under his belt so far, and sadly I have not tasted all of them. Nevertheless, the quality in what I have had the opportunity to assess has been very good, and this is clearly an exciting development for Vincent and his domaine.

The sweet wines, all bottled under the Coteaux du Layon Saint Lambert appellation, are exemplary. The range opens with the entry-level domaine wine, and although the next step up may once have been the Cuvée Prestige this now appears to have been made obsolete by the division of the Bonnes Blanches cuvées into two, the Harmonie des Bonnes Blanches and the Clos des Bonnes Blanches (shown right - the 1999 vintage). Both wines obviously originate in the Bonnes Blanches vineyard, which lies right next to the Layon as it courses past St Lambert du Lattay just to the south. The Harmonie cuvée is new to the portfolio in the 2009 vintage, and it is a label that Vincent will be using to bottle his Bonnes Blanches in lesser vintages, thereby dropping the use of the word clos in these years. Effectively therefore this becomes a second label, although the quality is certainly not second rate; my first taste of the 2009, the first vintage, came in early 2011 and I thought it delightful. So did the judges at the Concours des Ligers, the wine competition associated with the annual Salon des Vins de Loire it seems, as they saw fit to award the wine a coveted Ligers d'Or. In the best vintages, however, Vincent will focus on the Clos cuvée.

All of the sweet wines are 100% Chenin, as we should expect, originating from the schistous terroirs that characterise the vineyards of the Coteaux du Layon. They undergo temperature-controlled fermentation before going into more of Vincent's 500-litre casks until bottling. Even at the lowest level, these wines can be exhilarating, but step up to either of the Bonnes Blanches cuvées and they give even more pleasure. The style may vary with the vintage, sometimes crystalline and vibrant, sometimes richly botrytised and honeyed, but the quality is consistently superb. When stocking up on sweet wines for the cellar, you may buy here with confidence, I think.

There are a few other cuvées at least worth a mention, including a Rosé de Loire, a blend of 50% Grolleau, 30% Gamay and 20% Cabernet Franc, as well as a Cabernet d'Anjou, which as the name implies is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Clearly the varietal basis of the two wines is fundamentally different, but the wines are also phenotypically distinct, the latter having a much more obvious residual sugar than the former. Finally there is also a Crémant de Loire which I confess I do not ever recall tasting.

While Vincent Ogereau might not attract the sorts of plaudits that are heaped upon Anjou vignerons with higher profiles, such as Claude Papin or Florent Baumard, it is essential that anyone with even just a passing interest in the wines of the Loire should make an effort to become acquainted with these wines. The whites have a fine and polished elegance, and the red wines can be very impressive (and good value too), especially with an appropriate amount of bottle age, as a taste of the aforementioned 1997 Cuvée Prestige at the RSJ told me in late 2010. And as for the sweet wines, these show the same purity as the dry white wines, but with all the character to match. (13/9/07, updated 23/3/11)

Contact details:
Address: 44, rue de la Belle Angevine, 49750 St Lambert du Lattay
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 78 43 55
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 78 43 55
Internet: www.domaineogereau.com

Domaine Ogereau - Tasting Notes

Click to locate stockists.

Rosé de Loire

Domaine Ogereau Rosé de Loire 2009: A blend of 60% Grolleau and 40% Gamay, macerated for six hours. Quite a good depth of coral-pink colour. Fresh, delicate, gentle fruit nose. The palate has a surprisingly solid substance, but it is dry and fresh, with a solid core of slightly herby fruit. Nice. From an RSJ tasting. 14/20 (September 2010)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou En Chenin 2009: Fermented in 400- and 500-litre barriques. To be bottled in March 2011. A lovely, gently honeyed nose here, very relaxed in style, suggestive of a lovely soft presence of fruit. The palate doesn't disappoint, with its lightly honeyed, fresh and understated style. There is an oak influence here, not in terms of flavoury but surely this is behind the lovely polished style? This is, on the whole, absolutely delicious. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 18/20 (January 2011)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou Blanc En Chenin 2009: A schistous terroir, fermented en cuve. Lovely light and lifted freshness on the nose, A supple style on the palate, polished with a rather stony reticence to the very edge of the wine's texture, although inside I sense good fruit presented in a fresh style, although it has a welcoming ripeness to it. Fresh, appealing with not a hair out of place. From an RSJ tasting. 16+/20 (September 2010)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou Rouge 2009: The terroir is schist and clay, the assemblage 100% Cabernet Franc. There is just a one-week maceration; Vincent is aiming to keep the fruit and not extract too much tannin. Fermentation and élevage in cuve. Bottled September 2010. It has a lovely and very typical Anjou character on the nose, with light fruit notes. An attractive middle-weight wine here. It is quite softly structured, but composed, with some appealing midpalate tannins. Attractive freshness and fruit but moderate depth. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 15/20 (January 2011)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages 2009: This is 100% Cabernet Franc again, with fermentation and élevage in cuve (where the wine rests at the moment). Not so expressive on the nose here, with a very restrained and reserved character. An attractive style follows on the palate though, showing a very firm and fresh structure, bright and crisp, but with a fresher and cleaner style of fruit than the 2008. Full, but not fleshy, with a lovely depth of character on the finish. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 16.5-17.5/20 (January 2011)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages Cote de la Houssaye 2009: As for the 2008, this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon gown on pierre, harvested at about 25 hl/ha and fermented en barrique. The colour here is remarkably deep. The nose too is deep and reserved, and although there is a perceptible crystalline edge to the fruit this isn't to deny the darkness of the style. Very pure on the palate, more so than I expected. The start is elegant, but in the midpalate there is a lot more tannin. There is just so much supple fruit over the structure. This has a superb potential and could go for decades. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 18-18.5+/20 (January 2011)

Savennières

Domaine Ogereau Savennières Clos le Grand Beaupréau 2008: Fermented in 400- and 500-litre barriques. Two-thirds has undergone malolactic fermentation. To be bottled in March 2011. A lovely honeyed and crunchy style on the nose. The oak is showing here a little but it is not intrusive. A very harmonious character on the palate, honeyed and stylish, very approachable; it has structure but it still seems very harmonious. Lovely composed integration here. The structure does say it will keep but it doesn't demand it. This is really very exciting wine. Such lovely, polished-off harmony. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 18+/20 (January 2011)

Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon Saint Lambert 2009: The residual sugar is 82 g/l. A fine, bright golden hue here. Rather light but with undeniably sweet and golden fruits on the nose here. It has a relaxed style rather like the Anjou Blanc. The style on the palate is in the same vein, with toothsome, sugar-rich tropical fruits, especially pineapple and honey. The acidity feels perhaps just a little muted, but the style overall is very well judged, elegant and relaxed. Just a little botrytis here, Vincent is aiming for freshness and agrumes he says. Attractive if rather easy-going. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 16/20 (January 2011)

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon St Lambert Harmonie des Bonnes Blanches 2009: This new cuvée will be made in vintages when there isn't sufficient quality, in Vincent's eyes, to produce a Clos de Bonnes Blanches. The residual sugar is 140 g/l thanks to the fruit being harvested with a 21º potential. Just bottled. That this wine features more botrytised and riper fruit than the straight Saint Lambert cuvée is evident. Nevertheless there is beautiful purity on the nose, expressive, very pure and refined though. Like the preceding wine aromatically it majors on fresh tropical fruit, but on the palate it streaks ahead with a depth of character that betrays the underlying botrytis, with a wonderful crunchy acidity related to it as well. Delicious style, very fresh despite the richness here. And a fine balance too. I could definitely drink this. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 18+/20 (January 2011)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou Rouge 2008: This is 100% Cabernet Franc. A paler wine here, open and aromatic, ready to go on the nose. Slightly hot and spicy-stony here, very typical of Anjou. The palate is soft, easy going, supple, and gently polished. A light grip and fresh acidity carry the wine along. Quite simple in style, but easy-going and fresh as Vincent intends. From an RSJ tasting. 14/20 (September 2010)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages 2008: This is 100% Cabernet Franc, harvested at just 25 hl/ha, with fermentation and élevage in cuve. The nose here displays more elements of green, being a touch vegetal with celeriac and smoke in the nose. Nice appealing freshness in mouth. Supple and with good acidity. Still has that smoky, vegetal element coming through though. There is good substance here, and vibrant structure, but for me the fruit profile isn't right. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 14/20 (January 2011)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages 2008: This young wine has a vibrant hue, and on the nose it is still showing plenty of clean and very primary fruit. A supple style to it, stony-textured fruit within betraying its Anjou origins I think. A nice grip to it. An accomplished wine for straight Anjou-Villages. From an RSJ tasting. 16+/20 (September 2010)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages Côte de la Houssaye 2008: By contrast this wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Again a rather warm style of fruit on the nose though. A darker colour, but certainly not opaque. Softly textured, round and polished, supple with crunchy fruit tinges. Nice schistous elements, finely perfumed elements, too. Appealing although rather restrained in terms of extract and texture. More grip and spicy acidity towards the end. Nice style. From an RSJ tasting. 16-16.5+/20 (September 2010)

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages Cote de la Houssaye 2008: This cuvée is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon gown on pierre, a hard type of schist, harvested at just 25 hl/ha and fermented en barrique. It has an incredible nose, aromatic and very different to the Cabernet Franc cuvées. It has a beautifully pure style, with liquorice-laced black fruits, and just a little clove spice behind it from the schist. The palate is supple yet very well formed, lots of midpalate structure, there being piles of grip behind a very well judged layer of fruit. The tannins are firm but elegantly polished, showing very nicely in the finish. Lots of fine substance. This is lovely. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 17.5+/20 (January 2011)

Savennières

Domaine Ogereau Savennières Clos le Grand Beaupréau 2008: This has a really appealing character on the nose, little notes of cinder toffee or perhaps caramel alongside some very reserved golden fruits. A supple palate, straight and well-honed, with a fine polish to it. Rather weighty, certainly plenty of good substance here, although it is stylish and extremely elegantly integrated despite this texture. Great complexity to the flavour. Very fine potential here. From an RSJ tasting. 17-17.5+/20 (September 2010)

Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon St Lambert Clos des Bonnes Blanches 2007: There was passerillage at first, giving freshness and agrumes, then the whole vintage was botrytised. The residual sugar here exceeds 200 g/l. This is Vincent's top cuvée. In the glass it has a rich and golden appearance, but still pure, not showing the honeyed orange hues that can sometimes be obtained. The nose is all youthful botrytis reflecting Vincent's description of the vintage, with a fine golden character, with citrus fruits and pineapple alongside. The palate is just delightful, very liquorous, with impressive acidity, and a very pure style to it. Actually the acidity is quite buried - unsurprising with this wines towering composition - but it is there. This is so sweet and yet it holds on to a remarkable freshness, coming from the acidity and the minerality. Quality, depth, freshness and elegance all wrapped up into one. Wonderful. From a tasting with Vincent Ogereau at the 2011 Salon. 18.5+/20 (January 2011)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou Blanc Cuvée Prestige 2004: This has quite a deep, golden hue. The nose is honeyed and rich yet seems to suggest a dry style, with nuances of sea salt and dill. It has a very firm, compact character. Indeed, it is quite dry, with a big, full, very structured and grippy style. There is a firm backbone of alcohol which is present to the tune of 14%, and there is texture, and even a little tannin. A lot of the character here is oak derived, and it reminds me more of an old-style, top heavy Languedoc white and is not what I come to the Loire for. 13.5/20 (September 2007)

Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon 2004: An appealing mid gold colour, a sizeable chunk of potassium tartrate crystals considering this has only been in the bottle for a couple of years. The nose certainly has appeal, with notes of crystalline pineapple, peach slices and white pepper. The palate starts out delicate and fresh, but the creaminess builds, counterbalanced by a bitter, grippy presence of fruit. It opens and increases in density with time, showing more and more interest and also a lingering finish. Really very good indeed for an entry-level Coteaux du Layon. I suspect this would develop beautifully in the cellar over 5-10 years. 17+/20 (September 2007)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages 2003: This wine has a vibrant and glossy colour. Crunchy, dark, smoke-tinged fruit on the nose, with some bitter dark chocolate, aromas of dark woods, and a little mushroom. This is complex and intriguing. The palate is very dryly fashioned, rather like sucking a cherry stone. Slightly puckering, with smoky, dark, crunchy fruit and superb acidity. Firm, just a touch rustic, overall very attractive. 16.5/20 (September 2007)

Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon Cuvée Prestige 2003: A simply gorgeous colour when it hits the glass, a vibrant, golden hue with a peachy nuance. The nose just shouts Layon, being full of rock and mineral nuances, alongside notes of orange peel, honey and mint. The palate is fresh and lively, gently creamy, balanced and pure. It has plenty of divine texture through the midpalate, elegant and yet broad and coating. This is a pervasive and yet occasionally detached wine, rich and yet with finesse and a beautifully clean style on the finish, where there is a good length. All said, a beautifully composed wine which gives much pleasure now, but which will do well in the cellar. 18/20 (September 2007)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages Côte de la Houssaye 2002: This wine has a vibrant, shimmering hue, and the nose is just as enticing, with aromas of smoke, charcoal and burnt cherry. It is hard, crisp and precise, opening out to reveal a sandy minerality with complex notes of wet stones, rose petal tobacco, cordite, gunpowder and flint. The palate is just as lively, with a firm acidity juicy structure and fruit, and a bitter seam cutting through it all. A fine weight and incisive style. This is really nice. 16.5-17/20 (September 2007)

Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Ogereau Coteaux du Layon St Lambert Clos des Bonnes Blanches 1999: A vibrant, burnished, vibrant orange-gold hue meets the taster here. The nose is just delightful, with an intense, concentrated attack of botrytis characterised by notes of oranges, caramel and quince, with a little medicinal streak through it. Later it twists and turns to reveal layer upon layer of creamy, succulent peaches with a little roasted, baked feel. The palate is fresh, but with rather low acidity, yet fabulously rich with fruit, honey-coated quince, pineapple and peach. It glides in quite a gentle fashion, gently revealing a delicious crème brûlée character with a glorious midpalate creaminess. Simple divine. 18.5-19+/20 (September 2007)

Anjou Blanc & Rouge

Domaine Ogereau Anjou-Villages Cuvée Prestige 1997: An impressive nose here, elegant and showing good secondary development, with notes of black tea and perfumed mature fruit. Only top quality Cabernet Franc can get to where this wine is right now. Very stylish on the palate with a real depth of character, pure and perfumed but with no lack of substance or backbone, this is perfect for drinking now, although it still has sufficient spicy tannins and well-balanced acidity to keep it going for many years yet. Very good indeed. From an RSJ tasting. 17.5+/20 (September 2010)