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Vincent Carême

Finding an unsung domaine is a rare treat, but happily it is one that perhaps occurs more often in the Loire than Bordeaux or Burgundy. This is a landscape where vineyards are still relatively cheap, and where enthusiasm and energy can count for much. Young start-ups, often gathering together just a hectare or so, perhaps a mix of inherited and rented vines, can quickly find themselves turning out top quality Savennières, Vouvray or Sancerre. A similar story in Burgundy would of course quickly become an international news story; here it can go unnoticed for what might seem like forever. Too many people remain blinkered by the allure of Margaux and Montrachet to pay any attention to what is happening in the Loire.

Vincent Carême is one such story. I discovered this eponymous domaine and its owners (shown below) at the 2010 Salon; Tania, Vincent's South African wife, poured his wines whilst I tasted and scribbled. Vincent is not from a background of intense viticultural experience it seems, his parents having been vegetable farmers, although they did have 5 hectares of vines. This little vineyard was the nidus around which the present-day domaine formed, although not before Vincent studied and gained the requisite New World experience which seems de rigueur these days, working in South Africa (where he and Tania met), as well as Champagne, Alsace, Sancerre and Muscadet.

Vincent Carême: Vines & Viticulture

Vincent and Tania started up in Vouvray in 1999, renting and then buying vineyards, adding another 10 hectares to those inherited from his parents, taking them up to their current total of 15 hectares (7 hectares owned, 8 rented). Perhaps the jewel in the Carême crown is Le Clos, a small vineyard added to the portfolio in 2003 when he and Tania purchased their house; the first vintage they made from these vines was 2004, and in the line up of wines I tasted this cuvée was certainly the strongest.

When Carême isn't teaching viticulture in Amboise he looks after their vines, which are tended along organic lines, the whole domaine being certified. They allow grasses and other natural vegetation to grow between the rows and around the vines, and control yields with hard pruning, typically achieving between 35-45 hl/ha. The harvest is by hand, the pickers passing through the vineyard in several tries, facilitating selection for quality and also for the production of sweeter cuvées, including première trie examples. The temperature-controlled fermentations rely on the indigenous yeasts without chaptalisation, and they limit the addition of sulphur to the absolute minimum.

The wines themselves are very true to the appellation, and although I have already extolled the virtues of Le Clos above all others, the sparkling wines are also worth a specific mention. There are two styles to choose from, starting with the Brut, a méthode traditionelle wine made with the addition of yeast alone (no sugar) to the bottle for the second fermentation, and zero dosage thereafter. Then there is the Ancestrale, a méthode ancestrale obviously, where the bottling interrupts the first (and only) fermentation so that there is continued carbon dioxide production in bottle, delivering the iconic pétillant style that the appellation is justly famous for. I must confess, I prefer the latter style in general, and I remain true to my preferences with Carême's wines. With the still wines there is a very solid range of cuvées, from sec through tender demi-sec up to the aforementioned moelleux and première trie cuvées, all worthy of tasting, buying and drinking. These latter two activities in particular seem very appropriate with these wines, and I intend to be doing just that as soon as possible. (22/6/10)

Contact details:
Address: 1 rue du Haut Clos, 37210 Vernou-sur-Brenne
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 47 52 71 28
Fax: +33 (0) 2 47 52 01 36
GPS: 47.417351, 0.850627

Vincent Carême - Tasting Notes

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Vincent Carême Vouvray Cuvée T Brut 2009: A négoce wine made using purchased grapes. This was once sourced sur lattes but in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Vincent and Tania have bought grapes in preference. The fruit is of good quality they say, although not necessarily organic. It has a fresh, mineral, lemon-fruit nose. A good style, precise, attractive, quite firm in its acid core, with plenty of lively mousse to back this up. There is plenty of good structure to this, and it is full and mineral on the palate, with a good vigour. Perhaps not the exuberance, definition and lift of the home-grown wines though. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 16/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Brut 2009: Residual sugar 8 g/l. A very fine minerality on the nose here, zesty lemon and thyme, this seems full of vigour. Disgorged only in the preceding week following 12 months on the lees. A full, fresh, broad style in the mouth, with a great acid core giving it a firm, crunchy feel. Good substance, a little crunchy honeyed fruit coming through in the middle. Fresh mousse. Nothing out of place and despite the vivacious acid backbone this all comes together in an appealing whole. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 17.5/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Ancestrale 2009: Residual sugar 13 g/l. Bright minerality on the nose here, lemony and fresh, full and open. The palate is more restrained than the 2008 tasting so many times last year, with the vibrant acidity and fresh mousse most apparent at first, but then the very light residual comes through a little. This is lovely, with great breadth, balanced, very elegant and rich. More 'correct' and less seductive than the 2008 but just as appealing, albeit in a style that perhaps more closely resembles the brut. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 17.5/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2009: A wine which when I first tasted it at the domaine seemed to me rather bright and fresh, a wine more reminiscent of the bright scents of spring or summer than the sometimes more golden, autumnal, apple and pear nuances offered up by many examples of Vouvray. More recently though it has shown a somewhat deeper, more structured nuance, and I think it is a wine with more to offer than I first thought. This most recent tasting seemed to confirm this. It has a rather pale hue in the glass, and aromatically it still seems precise and restrained, with lightly lemony fruit, perhaps softly floral and minerally on the nose, but above all else full of citrus tones. Nevertheless, there is a really full substance in the mouth, much more than I recall, giving the wine a firm, grippy and substantial feel although this is nicely offset by the wealth of fresh, pithy fruit that sits alongside. It has a very confident energy underneath the softer fruit layers, and as the nose suggested is quite minerally, with lots of lovely grip in the end. This cuvée has a dry and pithy character and clearly has a lot more to offer yet. I suspect with time that underlying energy will come to dominate, taking control from the softness and flesh that currently hides the substantial grip here. This is long and fine; I'm looking forward to my next bottle already. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17/20 (October 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2009: From a flint terroir, bottled in May. Usually sees out ten months before going into bottle but bottled earlier this year due to commercial pressures (the 2008 had sold out). A floral and mineral nose. Full-on flower-tinged palate, with fresh tangerine zest and plenty of citrus fruit characteristics which do tend to show more in the silex/perruches cuvées than those from limestone or other soils. Lively indeed, showing its terroir nicely. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2009: Residual sugar 4 g/l.  Lovely fresh aromas here, restrained and attractive, a harmonious blend of light minerality and light fruit. The palate shows a very fine definition, a lovely softness to it at first, then showing more structure through the middle. A good grippy style, but with a citrus freshness to it. It comes across as more firm and composed then I recall from my tasting last summer, and there is perhaps more aging potential in this than I first thought. A very classic composition which belies the warmer nature of the vintage. Stylish and classic. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 17.5/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Tendre 2009: Residual sugar 20 g/l. Although there is a slightly more gentle feel to the nose here this is subtle, and there is a lightly stony character with some polished, balancing fruit which brings plenty of interest. A lovely polished palate follows, full and broad, with a really fine acid backbone to it. This has suppleness and bright acidity combined, and is showing a wonderfully balanced style here. Great precision and poise but with a supple cushion of fruit and flesh behind. Very impressive. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 18/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Moelleux 2009: The residual in this cuvée, which includes 50% botrytised fruit, is approximately 65 g/l. Aromatically a fresh style, with notes of minerals and citrus fruits, all very open and appealing. On the palate it has some softly polished tones, rich and broad but with a very fresh and light-footed elegant style, composed and appealing with a fresh acidity at its core, although it has a subtle presence within the substance of the wine. Moderately long. Very good but it doesn't seem to possess the vigour that the sec cuvées have in this vintage. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 16.5/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Moelleux Première Trie 2009: Residual sugar not yet ascertained. This cuvée is not made every year, but when it is the processes are as for the moelleux, only with more botrytis. More minerally, and just a little more expressive and certain of itself on the nose, showing a slightly deeper and more golden quality to the fruit. And the palate is true to this impression with a very polished, deep, rich and golden style. A great sweet tangible substance to it but in a very elegant style. There are light tinges of sweet botrytis already evident here, with great substance, and yet despite this it is bright and fresh. Top quality here. Only 1200 bottles. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 18+/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Brut 2008: Every time I pull another bottle of this from the cellar I love it just a little more. Immediately after releasing the cork it shows an array of sweet fruit, pineapple and other tropical fruits with a dried edge, tightening up into scents of lemon zest  but always with a supple, warm, welcoming feel to it. Quite richly styled on the palate, with a svelte and creamy feel to the texture of the wine, perhaps reflecting the wine's rather low pressure, as it has a rather creamy, crémant feel. It is increasingly broad and yet seductive, with peppery and gingery-spicy grip at the back, with some lovely acids. This is just delightful, and has to be one of the most delicious examples of the appellation I have tasted. From a tasting of Loire Valley Fizz. 18+/20 (August 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Brut 2008: Residual sugar here between 8 and 10 g/l. Great nose, lithe and elegant with sweet dessert apple fruit, minerals and white pepper. The palate has a very gentle style, at the very low end of the brut style with just over 4 atmospheres pressure, giving the wine a lovely, creamy feel in the mouth, with sweet citrus notes and even a hint of nut. Broad, fleshy, although with good acidity, this is a fine effort and is much better than I recall from the Salon in February. A triumph in the Brut Vouvray arena. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 18+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Brut 2008: This is a méthode traditionelle wine, a secondary fermentation in bottle being the source of the fizz, brought on with added yeast only. There is no added sugar at this point, and no subsequent dosage. Lovely freshness on the nose, vibrant, full in the mouth, rich with lively acidity. Great mousse, fabulous poise, ebullient and full of mineral character. A very well styled sparkling Vouvray rich in typicité. 17.5/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray L'Ancestrale 2008: The residual sugar here is between 17 and 18 g/l. A fine golden hue with a very fine swirl of bubbles in keeping with this wine's ancestrale method. The nose is open and expressive, and rather richer than I recall - the benefit of a few more months in the bottle perhaps. Plenty of crystalline, rich, honey-tinged citrus fruits here. Just as seductive as ever on the palate, floral and citrusy, and certainly lifted up by the rich seam of residual sugar which seems quite apparent on this taste, perhaps as the wine relaxes into a slightly more honeyed, golden character. It has a creamy edge, but with a pithy-sherbetty vigour, the backbone of the wine bitter and grippy, and this persists into the finish and lingers on and on as the flavours fade. As this wine evolves more honeyed flavours it seems to be displaying its sweetness more prominently, perhaps this was previously hidden behind the zesty acidity and lively mousse, both now fading. Both of these components still give the wine a lovely cleansing edge though. From a tasting of Loire Valley Fizz. 18/20 (August 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray L'Ancestrale 2008: Residual sugar here between 17 and 18 g/l. A pale straw-gold in the glass, with a very gentle bead of fine bubbles. The nose is lovely, all bittersweet fruits, orange zest and blossom, alongside that honey-mineral partnership that you only ever really find in Vouvray. Gorgeously seductive on the palate, that residual sugar making an immediate impact, but there is a lovely citrus-sherbet vivacity to it as well. Full, creamy, yet crisp and lively, this has a delightful presence. There is a polished gras to it originating with the sugar, but also a very precise character giving it definition, a quality that comes from the wine's needle-fine acidity and tight little mousse. Powdery-chalky minerality sits behind it all. In the finish, long and appealingly bitter. What more can I say? This is just divine; I could drink this by the bucket-load. 18+/20 (November 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray L'Ancestrale 2008: Residual sugar here between 17 and 18 g/l. Honey and minerals on the nose, floral. Intense and full of aromatic character. The palate is divine, rich and fleshy, the residual bringing a fine mouthfeel to it, along with some wonderful flavours of citrus and stone. This makes me smile whenever I taste it - what more can you ask of a wine than that? Wonderful. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 18+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray L'Ancestrale 2008: The méthode ancestrale involves bottling during the primary fermentation, thus fostering the fizz. Again, no added sugar here. Disgorged just 10 days ago. A lovely style, fresh and floral, sweet and dried fruits here, the winey characteristics are much more prominent here, the bubbles seeming incidental. I really like that! Beautiful clarity on the palate, certainly a more lifted pétillant style, but creamy too. Superb. 18+/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2008: From an clay-flint terroir, fermented in barrel and then aged 8 months in wood, none new. A floral nose, pure, with a lightly dried fruit character. Rich and stylish on the palate, good acidity and a nice substance, well balanced and fresh. The fruit at this point has a gently honeyed character, preceding a flourish of firm acidity at the end. Good. 16/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Peu Morier 2008: Residual sugar 25 g/l. This has spent 12 months in oak, of which 10% was new, all 400-litre barrels. It is expressive, with polished fruit on the nose. Gently expressive, attractive, no oak showing here despite its use. A very attractive palate, fleshy, polished, really very composed. There is a grip to it, fine acidity, lots of appealing structure here behind the supple fruit layer. Beautifully balanced and approachable. Very expressive and in keeping with the 2008 vintage. From a tasting at the 2011 Salon. 17.5+/20 (January 2011)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Tendre Demi-Sec 2008: This cuvée sees 12 months in oak, 10% new, and has 28 g/l residual sugar. A sweet and fat style here, dried fruit character, lovely character. On the palate a fleshy richness, minerally, good acidity, a gently composed substance. Finely polished style here in the finish. Overall this is a very attractive wine. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Clos 2008: Not yet bottled, so a barrel sample. About 30 g/l residual sugar. Rather flashy style on the nose, appealing, and on the palate plenty of substance, with a polished and broad character. Good structure, good depth to it too, with plenty of style. I prefer this to the 2006. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Moelleux 2008: This time I am told the residual sugar here is 65 g/l. A floral and minerally nose, with fine definition, flashy with good substance. Importantly there is lots of good acidity behind it too. There are pretty, floral elements to it. Overall a very fresh and clean style. Very good indeed. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Moelleux 2008: This cuvée has 72 g/l residual sugar, which for the 2008 vintage is pretty impressive (it is not a vintage that gave birth to many prodigiously sugary cuvées). Fresh white fruit on the nose, light honey too. A lovely, elegant, sweet fruit style. A fine character, very typical of the appellation, fresh and broad and expressive. Expansive and elegant, lots of fresh cut, within the context of the vintage it has a beautiful and very high quality style. 17.5+/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Peu Morier 2007: Again from a flinty terroir. This has seen 12 months in barrels and 6 months in tank. An interesting nose, certainly not fruit-driven. Seems a little chemical-painty today. Good structure on the palate though, good minerality here too. The palate shows a lot more appeal than the characteristic found on the nose which I hope will evolve. A rather vague score here. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 15-16+?/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Peu Morier 2007: From a 3-hectare plot, fermented in oak before 12 months in barrel, 10% new. An interesting style here, dried fruit again, a tinge of volatility to the fruit. Very fresh on the palate though, vibrant, stony-edged, the fruit less dried than the nose suggestion. A good acid structure, well textured, firm edges, with a flourish of well defined fruit at the finish. A fine style. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Tendre 2007: In 2008 a demi-sec with 28 g/l, but in this vintage more of a sec-tendre style - as the name suggests - with about 18 g/l residual sugar. Rather a toasty nose, with tinges of caramel too. Good flesh and substance on the palate, elegant, broad, backed up by good acidity. Very nice style overall. Would benefit from a little cellar time I think. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Clos 2007: From a limestone terroir, produced from 50-60 year-old vines, harvested at a typical 24 hl/ha. Fermented in oak using 400-litre barrels, where the wine rests for 18 months, with 15% of the wood being new. A good, vibrant, lightly honeyed style on the nose here, white fruit, very harmonious in character. Fresh, rich but balanced, vigorous and yet restrained at the same time. A very fine quality here through to the finish, which has a polished feel. My favourite of the three drier styles tasted here today. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Clos 2006: The sugar concentration is rising here, this now has 28 g/l residual. This has spent 18 months in 400-litre barrels. Quite mature and evolved on the nose, with lovely flesh on the palate, with a fine yet broad character. Quite toasty at times, with interesting complexities. Good wine. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17+/20 (July 2010)

Domaine de la Haute Borne Vouvray Moelleux Première Trie 2003: The old label, from before the domaine name was changed to focus on Carême. A wonderfully rich hue, and a great aromatic intensity, with notes of beeswax, minerals and crunchy fruit elements which are attractive and very welcome taking into account the vintage. Just moderate acidity though, as we would expect, but there is great depth and overall a fairly fresh, lively, stylish character. Very good indeed. Tasted during a visit to the domaine in 2010. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)