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Loire: Odd Bottles

The Loire Valley was the first wine region of France which I visited and tasted extensively (and I returned again recently), and as such it holds a special place in my heart. Click to locate stockists.

Château du Breuil Anjou Blanc Clos du Frère Etienne 2007: Something of a coincidence encountering this wine, as we had driven past the Château du Breuil only a day or two before. A good presence of fruit on the nose, albeit with a peppery edge. Quite mineral on the palate, fresh and vibrant with lots of good acidity against a moderate weight of fruit. Lots of vigour and flesh. Straightforward but pleasing, so a good effort in light of the vintage. Touch of residual sugar lending some weight here I think. Tasted at the Brasserie du Théâtre in Angers. 15.5+/20 (February 2010)

Gratien & Meyer Saumur NV: A pale lemon-gold hue. A massively plentiful bead on inspection, and a bright, clean nose of apple and lemons. Vibrant acidity on the palate, firm and chalky, with a firm mousse. This is very typical of the appellation and delightfully unfussy to drink. Good. 16/20 (August 2007)

Gratien & Meyer Crémant de Loire NV: A pale lemon-gold hue, almost a non-existent bead, but a fresh and charming citrusy nose laden with chalky, mineral elements. A clean, dry and quite crisp palate, with refreshing apple-citrus character and just a bare hint of cream to the texture. Plenty of joyful mousse to fill the mouth. A nice style. 16+/20 (August 2007)

Gratien & Meyer Flamme d'Or Crémant de Loire NV: Current release. A 'golden flame' if the name is to be believed, but I am happy to write that this wine is much more typical of the Loire than that rich and exuberant title suggests. A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, the colour is pale, pale straw, and the bead plentiful, giving a bone-white head of bubbles. The nose is quite delightful, with elements of stone fruit, especially white peach and even mango. This carries through onto the palate, where there are notes of tangerine too. But what keeps it in the Loire is a dry texture, creamy minerality and fresh, vivacious acidity. There are even notes of vanilla, but reminiscent of a fresh seed pod more than anything effusively oaky. A very stylishly composed wine indeed. Drink now to get it at its best, I suspect.17.5+/20 (September 2009)

La Grille Classic Loire Anjou Barrel-Fermented Chenin Blanc 2009: The work of Gilles Bigot, winemaker at Château de Fesles, and Loire courtier Charles Sydney. No longer sweet-scented nor confected, aromatically now showing a ripe quality of fruit much more reminiscent of pear and apple, although with a fatter touch of melon to it as well. Nicely structured in the mouth, with a polished gras perhaps reflecting the oak treatment, and this latter element also brings a decent grip to the wine, which shows especially strongly at the end I think. Otherwise it is dry but fleshy, with a citrus twist although also a rather soft seam of acid, and a firm layer of wood over the fruit which gives the wine a long, rasping finish. An attractive if rather flashy wine. 15/20 (March 2011)

Sylvain Martinez Goutte d'O (VdT) NV: Not labelled with the vintage in keeping with vin de table regulations, although this is the 2008, and it is 100% Chenin Blanc. It has a good mid-gold colour in inspection, and a nose of bruised apples, overall dominated by the aromas of oxidation. The palate has a cool style, with a good substance, although the flavours are strongly oxidative. Underneath it is zippy with a good acid core, and good structure, and actually has an appealing vigour and definition in the glass. But ultimately I find it disappointingly dominated by its oxidative character. 13/20 (February 2010)

Domaine de Mihoudy Bonnezeaux 2009: From a 50cl bottle. Another very young example, with a light golden hue. Notes of orange blossom on the nose, elegant and floral, perhaps a touch medicinal too. Good sweetness on the palate, a light grip, with well-judged flesh and substance. Towards the end it shows more grip and even an appealing hint of bitterness, with orange zest vitality. Not over the top, and not too simple either. Nice. 15.5/20 (July 2010)

Château Montbenault Coteau du Layon Faye-d'Anjou Clos de la Herse 1989: A moderately deep colour here, and an appealing nose of honeyed oranges with apricot botrytis. Quite rounded with notes of orange creams and minerals on the finely styled palate. Lovely structure and an apparent extract and texture which gives much pleasure, through to the finish which gives amazing length. This is very good indeed. 17/20 (October 2006)

Domaine des Petits Quarts Bonnezeaux 2007: From a 50cl bottle. Bottled under synthetic closure. A nice nose here, honey and quartz with a tinge of herbal tea. Fresh on the palate, plenty of citrus fruits, good flesh and sweetness too though. Underneath it all though it lacks complexity, even taking into account this wine's youth. Straightforward but attractive. For drinking soon in view of the closure. 15/20 (July 2010)

René Renou Coteaux du Layon Les Melleresses 2001: This is from a region with which I am very familiar indeed - the Coteaux du Layon - but from a famed producer. The late René Renou was president of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) until the time of his death, and as such was one of the most influential figures in French winemaking. Unfortunately the wine didn't live up to the reputation of the domaine. This wine has a lightly burnished orange-golden colour. The nose has some bitter orange fruit, with elements of lemon tart and pastry, with a sharp rather than rich character. An orange confit, marmalade-style follows on the palate, fresh but certainly very full and rich in terms of flavor, and yet the texture seems lean rather than fleshy. I think it lacks the substance of the appellation, and it has a short finish. Merely decent. 15/20 (January 2010)

Château de Targé Saumur Champigny 2005: This wine has a deep raspberry-purple hue that suggests concentration and ripeness, and there is a hefty, heart-warming pile of sediment left in the bottle at the end. The nose is a little melange of Cabernet Franc delightfulness, showing plum skins and cherries, smoke and little traces of green peppercorn and mint, but in no way does this enter the herbaceous unripeness of some wines. There are fleeting nuances of perfume too, violets and roses. Fresh, defined, loaded with juicy, stony, minerally, sweet and sour fruit on entry, showing a nicely rounded, bright and finely tuned substance through the midpalate, backed up by a deeper seam of light extract. There are lots of plum characteristics, pepper, and a punchy finish. Delicious now, but it should drink very well for a good few years yet. Delicious. 17.5/20 (November 2008)

Château la Varière Bonnezeaux 2004: From a 50cl bottle. This particular example of this famous sweet-wine appellation has a lovely burnished-gold hue in the glass, and on the nose plenty of character, the aromas of oranges and honey complicated by nances of caramel or creamed toffee. This latter element comes through on the palate too, alongside dried fruits and a very welcome bitter grip. A gentle acid backbone provides some lift to the lovely substance, and a gentle balance. Overall, very good. 17+/20 (July 2010)

Château la Varière Bonnezeaux La Roche 2001: From a 50cl bottle. This cuvée has a rich, deeply-coloured, bronze-orange-golden hue. The nose that follows on is just as intense as the appearance suggests, with a sweet, creamy, caramelly and biscuity style. Heady and mouth-coating on the palate, with lots of interesting substance but for me it falls a little short in terms of structure, minerality, grip and bitterness. It will wine many over I suspect, but I would prefer just a little more verve. Certainly interesting to taste though. 15/20 (July 2010)

Ampelidae Le K (VdP de la Vienne) 2003: This 100% old vine, unfined and unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée has a very dark, vibrantly ripe red-purple hue. It has fresh summer fruits on the nose, raspberry and blackberry, with a very crunchy edge. The palate has some crisp and welcoming fruit with a blackcurrant leaf character, with a reserved texture and soft, rounded edges. Very firm acidity which lends a very fresh, summery feel to the wine. There is a pleasing tannic backbone, which just shows through on the finish. I would drink this now for the crunchy fruit, although I think it would show some short-term improvement in bottle. 16.5/20 (May 2006)

Ampelidae PN 1328 (VdP de la Vienne) 2003: This cuvée is named after a particular plot of vines, rather than any esoteric clone of Pinot Noir, which was my first inclination. A fine, deep colour. Quite a captivating nose, first presenting a burst of raspberry and cherry fruit, but then a clear statement that there is more here than mere fruit. There are plenty of organic components to the bouquet, a real salty, minerally, seaweedy character which is fascinating, with an earthy note behind. Pleasingly structured on the palate, and attractive leanness with plenty of minerally character. Nice weight, and lots of savoury, organic extract. Decent acidity, and good grip on the finish. Interesting stuff. 17/20 (May 2006)

Audebert et Fils St Nicolas de Bourgueil 2005: This still has a very youthful, red-purple hue. Quite a vegetal character on the nose, notes of pepper and vegetable stock, and blackcurrant leaf. Beautifully cool style on entry, then grippy and slightly sour through the midpalate, before showing some more intense, sappy-sour fruit on the finish. A nice substance, middle weight, firmly textured, and plenty of acidity giving that appealing sourness to the flavour. Fairly short finish. Nice drinking though. Overall, good. 15/20 (April 2008)

Marc Brédif Vouvray 2001: A clear, shimmering pale yellow-green wine. The nose is fresh and exuberant, brimming with ripe citrus fruit, swirled with aromas of stones and smoke. Similarly fresh and vibrant on the palate. It has plenty of ripe, fleshy, pithy fruit, with a stony background matching the nose. Perfect summer drinking, but with a touch of style. Excellent value for money. 16.5/20 (August 2003)

Domaine de la Charrière Jasnières Sélection de Raisins Nobles 1996: A clean, lemon gold hue. A marvellously open and intensely aromatic nose, loaded with stony mineral character, notes of crushed rocks and perfumed citrus fruit. Fresh, clean and lithe on the palate, with more mineral and citrus character. Nuances of green herbs, a little botrytis-derived honey character and crisp, piercing acidity. Pretty delicate in style, but delightful flavour. Delicious. 17.5+/20 (November 2005)

Denis Marchais Vouvray Moelleux 2003: A synthetic cork noted for this vintage. Fairly pale hue for this style of Vouvray. Good nose, quite honeyed and yet fresh. Nice weight on the palate, with acidity on the low side affording a rich, luscious mouthfeel. Ripe melon and pear fruit, drizzled in honey. Not really reminiscent of the great moelleux Vouvrays that are available, but good for the price. 14.5/20 (May 2005)

Denis Marchais Vouvray Moelleux 2002: A very pale hue, almost clear in fact. I expected something a little richer given the vintage. Plenty of fresh character on the nose though, which has pear and white peach fruit, over a stony, mineral layer, with a floral, acacia element as well. Medium sweet on the palate, and absolutely packed with ripe pear and stone fruit flavours, and a fair amount of acidity - enough to say this wine actually deserves a year or two in the cellar, and will probably drink well for more than a few more years after that. Good persistent length, with a creamy twist on the finish. 16+/20 (December 2003)

Denis Marchais Vouvray Moelleux 2001: An incredibly pale wine - just the slightest tinge of gold to an otherwise crystal clear hue. The nose is delightful, redolent of ripe stone fruit and freshly cut pear. and even a touch of ripe pineapple. The palate shows great typicity - superb acidity is apparent from the forepalate through to the finish. It underpins a lovely cushion of ripe, sweet white fruit. Pears, pears and more pears. A great texture also, and delicious length. Super stuff, and excellent value. 16/20 (December 2002)

Denis Marchais Vouvray Moelleux 1997: A pale, clear, lemon yellow colour. Clean and crisp on the nose, although it is packed with fresh pear and stone fruit. On the palate there is lovely weight, medium body and good sweetness. Beautifully fresh, creamy, honey, lanolin mineral, herb-edged pineapple flavours give some real pleasure. The acidity is just spine-tingling. Excellent value. 16+/20 (October 2002)

Clos de Nouys Vouvray Demi-Sec 2004: This wine has a pale straw colour, and the nose has a rather plump fruit feel to it, with aromas of juicy pears laced with a little herby note. Ripe and fleshy, rather rich palate, reflecting the presence of some residual sugar. Nicely balanced though, with peppery, rather subtle but sufficient acidity. A nice vinosity too, and although plump it has a dry, quinine-laced finish. Overall perhaps rather coarsely rustic, but this may settle with time in bottle. Drink now and in the short term. 16/20 (August 2006)

Domaine du Roncée Chinon Clos des Maronniers 2007: Warm and open fruit style on the nose. Quite a fresh character though, no greenness either which is good. Rather lean on the palate though, a fresh and middleweight style, with nice if rather chalky fruit. Somewhat bare and bold in terms of structure. A decent effort I suppose, which reflects the difficulties of the vintage rather plainly. Tasted at the Brasserie du Théâtre in Angers. 14/20 (March 2010)

Domaine du Salvard Cheverny 2007: A Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay blend. This wine has a pale, quite clear hue. The nose is very typical of Sauvignon rather than Chardonnay, with the aromas of freshly cut asparagus with green and yellow capsicum. This very fresh style continues onto the palate although it also shows some immediate weight, with a nicely full and broad midpalate, with very gentle acidity at its core. The character remains very Sauvignon-dominated, although with a very sappy substance too (perhaps the Chardonnay helps here) as well as an attractively sour, mouth-watering quality to the fruit especially towards the finish. This is a good, characterful and very drinkable wine. 16/20 (October 2009)

Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang 2000: Fresh and vibrant nose, rich with citrus and lychee fruit. Similar impression on the palate, but with a mineral complexity. There is a fat, rounded, mouthfilling texture, offset by marvellous acidity. Tasted at 60 Hope Street, Liverpool. 17/20 (June 2003)

Fournier Père et Fils Menetou-Salon Les Chanvrières 2004: This family of négociants own 56 hectares in the central appellations of Menetou-Salon, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, but buy and sell wines from every corner of France. A pale golden hue in glass. Gorgeously smoky, flinty, gunpowdery aroma, very classic and certainly stylish and very typical of the central vineyards. Tasting blind I would have guessed Pouilly-Fumé for sure. Bright, fresh, with a combination of sharp but rich citrus fruit on the with an intense, minerally, gunpowdery element alongside on the palate. Savoury, crunchy, very terroir-orientated, this is very impressive indeed. Sappy and freshly acidic. Delicious, with well-balanced acidity and substance, and plenty of character. 16.5/20 (February 2010)

Jérôme Godon Sancerre 2009: Coming from flinty soils, this has lovely creamy white fruit on the nose, with a good smoky-mineral quality. Full and fresh on the palate, with a fine, open and lively style. Nice acid structure to it, keeping it buoyant in the mouth. Good wine. 16+/20 (Febuary 2010)

Jérôme Godon Sancerre Vieilles Vignes 2009: Like the domaine cuvée this wine also has a very expressive smoky and mineral nose, with a lovely presence of fruit. Fresh, quite full, nicely rich in terms of fruit presence with a sweet ripeness to it on the palate. There is an appealing minerally edge too. This is a wine with very good potential. 16.5+/20 (Febuary 2010)

Château du Nozet Pouilly-Fumé 'de Ladoucette' 1998: Pale yellow-green. On the nose, lemony fruit with a steely, smoky edge characteristic of this appellation. The palate has crisp acidity, combined with a good body and weight. Lemony, citrus fruit flavours with, despite a fairly rich feel, a good steely streak. Finishes cleanly. 16.5+/20 (November 2000)

Vincent Pinard Sancerre Florès 2007: Fermented in steel. This wine has quite a pale hue in the glass. The nose has some appeal, showing a very clean style with crisp fruit, rather greengagey, a crunchy greenness with just a hint of lemon cream. There follows an attractive, broad, textured, barley-tinged palate, full and enticing with plenty of flavour. It has a decent presence here, but it is rather abruptly terminated in a short finish. A very capable food wine though, with a very firm, solid, well defined substance and its good acidity; it would be just fine with some smoked fish. 16/20 (October 2010)

Vincent Pinard Sancerre Nuance 2007: Fermented in a mix of new and used oak. A pale, pale lemon-gold wine here. The nose is vibrant and yet also rich, with rather autumnal fruits, dried and a little honeyed, but always very open and expressive. In a similar fashion the palate is rich and full, and very structured, with well-defined and rather firm, punchy, aromatic dried stone fruits twisted with a little fennel, backed up by a good acidity and more than a little grip. Some of these characteristics seem oak derived, which has a fine and grainy presence at first, but which seems more integrated and composed with time. Broad, almost gritty, stylish, with a savoury substance and a very full, firm, dessert-apple acidity. Very good indeed. 17.5+/20 (October 2010)

Vincent Pinard Sancerre Rosé 2009: A good salmon-pink hue in the glass, with a faint orange tinge in the background. The nose is very clean and fresh, with a stony reserve that brings to mind delicate red summer fruits rubbed against white pebbles, with slightly fatter, if rather leafy-herby elements, coming in later. The palate has a good and very dry substance, remaining very well defined, with lots of vigour and punch through the middle, with some creamy red fruit favours coming out from behind the lively structure. This is substantial, with an appealing, minerally depth to it in the finish. Attractive wine. Alcohol 14%. 16/20 (January 2012)

Bernard Reverdy Sancerre Rosé 2008: From a 12-hectare estate established by Bernard Reverdy, this estate is now run by his son Noël with wife Claudine. Bottled under an agglomerate cork. A beautiful colour here, reminiscent of a peachy early morning sky. The nose has some good characteristics, crisp strawberry fruit with a very zippy, leafy element, touched with a little softening cream. It isn't the most exuberant of wines, but then it does have lightness and freshness on its side. A nice weight on entry, with good strawberry and peach-skin flavour at first, before thinning out somewhat through the midpalate where the acidity comes through, the wine missing some concentration here. That acidity is certainly fresh, which is admirable, but towards the ends it seems as though that is all there is, the flavours blunted, the texture present but with little to support it. Suddenly on the finish it all comes back, nettly, green but certainly fresh. This wine certainly has its good points. For current drinking. 15/20 (February 2010)