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Thierry Puzelat and Clos du Tue-Boeuf

The story of the Puzelat brothers, Thierry and Jean-Marie, begins with the family estate in Les Montils, in the Cheverny appellation just to the south of Blois, upriver from Tours. At the heart of the domaine is Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf; inherited from their father, this is an old vineyard which dates back to at least the Middle Ages. It may be that the Puzelats have a similarly lengthy association with the area, as the name crops up in local documents as long ago as the 15th century.

Although there is clearly much history here, the modern story of the Clos du Tue-Boeuf begins in the early 1990s when Thierry joined his older brother in the running of the family domaine. The two had inherited a vineyard populated by esoteric Loire varieties, including Menu Pineau (Arbois) and Pineau d'Aunis alongside the more recognisable Cot (Malbec), Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir. Together they set about converting the vineyards to organic systems of viticulture, although there was perhaps less to be done here than at some other estates in the region; their father had never been one for aggressive use of chemicals, I suspect more for financial reasons than any ecological ideology. The soils were generally in good condition, and the vines healthy. Unfortunately the capriciousness of the Loire weather did not afford them an auspicious beginning; there was mildew and rot, sufficiently so to significantly impact on yields and income. Thierry's response was to expand and diversify, a venture which his brother was not eager to join, and so going it alone the Thierry Puzelat label was established alongside Clos du Tue-Boeuf. Setting up as a négociant, Thierry acquired winemaking facilities in nearby Monthou-sur-Bièvre and began establishing a network of local viticulteurs, many working organically and even biodynamically, to provide him with reliable sources of fruit. Today, the Thierry Puzelat wines are shown and sold alongside those of Clos du Tue-Boeuf.

The Vineyards and Vines

The vineyards of Clos du Tue-Boeuf amount to 10 hectares in Montils and the Puzelat brothers also rent another 6 hectares nearby. The vines planted are mainly those that relate to Cheverny, although others outlawed with the creation of the appellation in 1993 are still cultivated. White Cheverny is a blend largely comprising Sauvignon Blanc, with the rest usually Chardonnay, although Chenin Blanc and Menu Pineau (also known as Arbois) are permitted; Gamay and Pinot Noir are obligatory for the reds, with a maximum 15% Cot or Cabernet Franc. Whereas many of the local vignerons acquiesced and ripped out the varieties that didn't fit this new schema introduced in 1993, the Puzelat family carried on, in effect becoming guardians of an ancient part of the Loire's heritage, indigenous varieties such as Menu Pineau and Pineau d'Aunis. Although hardly indigenous they also maintain a few rows of Pinot Gris which was a permissible variety when Cheverny was a vin délimité de qualité supérieure; now excluded this variety must go into vin de table.

The vineyards are tended on organic lines, weed control being achieved by ploughing, and grass planted to provide further competition. The fruit is hand-harvested by a large and willing team, many of them part of the extended family - perhaps not that surprising when you consider that Thierry and Jean-Marie are just two out of seven children. Dead vines are replaced by tip-layering adjacent vines, an ancient method which avoids the over-representation of clones in the vineyard; it has the advantage of being very cheap, but the disadvantage of creating a vine which is franc de pied, on its own roots, rather than on a phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

Once picked the grapes are transferred to the winery, by refrigerated truck if necessary, and are fermented with absolute minimal intervention; the whites are pressed and the juice decanted off and transferred for fermentation into cask, where the wine remains on its lees until it is bottled straight from this vessel, without racking. As for the reds, whole bunches are fermented in open-topped 40 hectolitre wooden vats beneath a blanket of carbon dioxide, with occasional punching down of the cap. After pressing the wine is then transferred into casks where, like the white wines, they remain until they are bottled without further racking. For volumes less than this, Puzelat also has some 30-hectolitre fibreglass vats and some smaller vessels. The cellars are temperature controlled, although the vats themselves aren't; the refrigeration of the red fruit before fermentation and the environmental control helps a little in damping down the fermentation temperature.

The Wines of Thierry Puzelat and Clos du Tue-Boeuf

When it comes to the many cuvées offered by the brothers there is a lot of potential for confusion. The 16 hectares of Clos du Tue-Boeuf and the rented vines may yield a dozen different cuvées in each vintage, and there is potential for many more when considering the négoce wines bottled under Thierry's own label. As well as these two sources of fruit there is also a non-profit project overseen by Thierry in which 7 hectares of micro-plots are preserved and vinified. These tiny vineyards are typically backyard affairs consisting of a couple of rows of vines, usually planted to provide fruit or wine for personal consumption. When the owner gets too old this important part of the region's heritage - these vines are usually comprised off the old Loire varieties mentioned above - are often uprooted and lost forever, or simply left to grow wild. Thierry works to preserve these plots, with one full-time member of staff engaged in the process. It is no surprise that the cuvées produced here are many and so varied.

The Puzelat philosophy and commitment is one I admire very much. He is clearly thoughtful and considerate of the vine and the vineyard, and his work in maintaining tiny plots for the history they hold, rather than any motive of profit, is laudable. Natural winemaking can also be very exciting, producing fabulously vibrant wines with honest flavours and a sense of place. But there can be problems too, particularly when the addition of sulphur is reduced; push this too far and the dangers of refermentation or oxidation are never far away. I have seen many people rave about the wines of Puzelat, and so clearly there is something very valuable here. Some wines have received hugely positive write-ups from other critics. For me, though, I can only judge what I taste; I have found the small sample so far encountered to be intriguing although in one case the wine was too heavily marked with oxidation to really draw any conclusions. The wines are interesting, cerebral, capable of provoking thought and discussion, although not necessarily giving much immediate pleasure. I described them to Loire veteran Jim Budd as "wacky". "Not as wacky as they used to be", was his reply. I can only imagine how the wines he was thinking of must have tasted. I will never know; all I can do is look forward to tasting some more, and getting to know the wines of Thierry Puzelat and Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf a little better. (25/8/09)

Contact details:
Address: Les Montils, 41120
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 54 44 05 06
Fax: +33 (0) 2 54 44 03 09
Internet: www.puzelat.com

Thierry Puzelat and Clos du Tue-Boeuf - Tasting Notes

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Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Frileuse 2008: A blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Very cloudy in the glass, still very much an embryonic wine. An unusual nose follows, a mix of acetic and acidic fruits; it is certainly interesting. Crunchy fruit with a firm character on the palate, broad, pleasing, quite savoury and rich. It doesn't seem to be in keeping with that spiky nose. It is a very young sample though. 14-15+?/20 (February 2009)

Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Rouillon 2008: A light, strawberry-pink, really quite pale wine here, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Not very expressive on the nose, although it has some gentle, chalky red fruits. The palate has a nice substance, clean with a good depth, and some grip underneath. Rather peppery, quite sappy, pleasantly mouthfilling and fresh. This should make for attractive, easygoing drinking. 14.5-15.5/20 (February 2009)

Thierry Puzelat Touraine Gamay 2008: This 100% Gamay has a light red hue, and a good and bright character on the nose, with crunchy strawberry and raspberry-pepper fruit, edged with a little liquorice. Like the Frileuse there is an acetic edge here that worries me though. Gently fresh substance on the palate, with nice fruit coming through on the midpalate, and thankfully that acetic element doesn't follow it. A pleasing style; needs a little time but may well come good with it. 14-15+/20 (February 2009)

Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Le Brin de Chevre 2004: This is made from Menu Pineau (Arbois). A lightly oxidised nose here, and a similar character dominates on the palate. There is a lot of texture and nice acidity, so there was certainly once something good underneath it all, but to my palate this one is over the hill, dead and buried. As Puzelat and team were happily pouring this, I can only assume there were content with its oxidised condition. Strange. No score. (February 2009)