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Domaine des Baumard Update, January 2011
Domaine des Baumard
This update relates to wines tasted between July 2010 and January 2011.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Domaine des Baumard profile.
Following on from the update to my profile of Domaine des Baumard, long overdue I think, it seems only appropriate that I write up my most recent tasting notes for the wines of this domaine. These notes come from a number of sources, principally a visit to the domaine in July 2010 and a meeting with Florent Baumard in Angers in January 2011, together with a handful of notes on wines tasted at home.
I present my notes below, but first a few snippets of information I picked up during my meeting with Florent, with particular relevance to the sparkling cuvées, Verdelho and the cryo-extracted Quarts de Chaume. I have already integrated these thoughts and opinions into my Baumard profile published yesterday, so those who have read that with due diligence might want to skip to the tasting notes below.
When visiting at the domaine we kicked off with three examples of non-vintage Crémant de Loire. Two of these wines I was very familiar with, the Carte Turquoise (mainly Chenin Blanc) and Carte Corail (a rosé featuring mainly Cabernet Franc, sometimes with a little Grolleau or Chenin) being Baumard stalwarts, but the Brut de Rosé, with its distinctive presentation (clear if lightly frosted glass and silver labels) was a wine new to me. I asked Florent how the two rosé cuvées differed; clearly the assemblage is one distinguishing feature, but there are other points of difference, In particular the Brut de Rosé is made using only the cuvée, the finer portion of the juice obtained (generally the first 80%) from the harvested fruit, whereas the Carte Corail also takes the taille (the subsequent 20%, which generally contains more pigment and tannins and is usually regarded as being of lesser quality). There is more on the cuvée and the taille in the relevant section - from Variety to Vat - of my guide to Champagne. Whatever the differences between the wines, the dosage (more on this in Adding the Sparkle) takes all three to 6 g/l, as Florent says this allows better expression of the fruit.
All three of my tasting 'episodes' looked at Savennières, not
surprising considering this appellation - together with the Coteaux du Layon and
Quarts de Chaume - is at the very heart of the domaine. And at Domaine des
Baumard with Savennières comes Verdelho of course, and I was lucky enough to
taste two of Florent Baumard's Verdelho cuvées in Angers. The sec is rather austere, even at
six years of age, but the moelleux tasted - a blend of 2007 and 2008 I
think - was delightful. That Florent (pictured left) has some Verdelho planted in the Savennières
appellation is well known. Florent says that his father acquired the vines by
accident, having purchased them in the dead of winter, the absence of leaves and
other distinguishing features meaning the several rows of Verdelho went
unnoticed. It was only as the following year progressed, and the vines displayed
their many differences, did he realise he had a whole hectare of Verdelho on his hands.
The INAO's position on Verdelho planted in the Savennières appellation is that it cannot legally be included in the wine, although it seems common knowledge that at Domaine des Baumard this ruling was, shall we say, not rigidly adhered to. Nevertheless eventually the Baumards had to acquiesce, but rather than rip up the vines they elected instead to produce a Verdelho vin de table. This was despite the variety being oidium sensitive and slow to harvest; pickers don't like working the vines, Florent told me, because the multitude of small bunches take a long time to collect, and the weight of fruit in the pickers' hods doesn't reflect the amount of work involved.
There is no better way to round off a tasting of wines from Domaine des Baumard than with the sweeter wines, and in particular the Quarts de Chaume which easily eclipses the Coteaux du Layons at this domaine. In some vintages these wines can be simply delicious; I have always had a soft spot for the 2001, with its sweet and caramelly undertones, but the very best vintages - such as the 2007 - display a wall of seductive and yet crystalline, tropical, mango and citrus fruit. They are not wines free of controversy though, as I have expounded at length in yesterday's newly published profile, particular points of criticism including the vignes hautes et larges training method, allowing large numbers of bunches to develop on each vine, and the subsequent use of cryo-extraction to concentrate the juice prior to fermentation. The techniques are certainly at odds with what other proprietors holding or renting vines on the Quarts de Chaume vineyard practise, but let us not forget to judge the wine and not just the methodology. Regardless of this unique approach, Baumard's Quarts de Chaume remains one of the best in existence; of the trio assessed here, the 2007 - tasted in July 2010 and again in early 2011 - is simply stunning, sufficiently so for me to add some to the cellar, cryo-extraction or not. (16/3/11)
Domaine des Baumard, January 2011 - Tasting Notes
All my notes on Florent Baumard's wines, including those below, are collated under my Domaine des Baumard
profile. Click
to locate stockists.
Wines tasted at the Salon des Vins de Loire in Angers, in January 2011. First up were the Savennières cuvées.
Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos Ste Yves 2006:
A very pure style on the nose, the fruit character has a slightly dried and
autumnal feel to it, a touch honeyed almost, but there is still a very fresh
character lifting it out of the glass, together with a touch of smoky
minerality. A rather austere and ungiving start though, cleanly structured with
a firm midpalate presence of acid and minerals, but the fruit character seems
rather low-level. Firm, austere, fresh, lightly mineral, a paradox of spring
meadow, floral-fruit presence but with a firm, hard structure beneath. A touch
more honeyed and supple towards the finish. Good, but not a striking style.
15.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières
Clos de Papillon 2006: Certainly a touch more honey on the nose here. A
suggestion of a softer polish to the fruit though, and still with a very clean,
lemony fruit character. There is more texture to it on the palate, a more
balanced presence for that, with a much fresher substance and presence. A
lightly honeyed and creamy texture with a brighter, crisper, defining acidity.
An attractive presence in the mouth, a very stony fruit style, overall an
appealing composition. Certainly a step up. 17/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières
Clos Ste Yves 2007: From a warmer vintage says Florent, this is certainly
more open and accessible than the 2006 Clos Ste Yves. A more gentle, honeyed and
softer style of fruit, still with a stony freshness but also a slightly deeper
note of cindery minerality. It presents a polished texture at the start although
the midpalate is more restrained and withdrawn in terms of texture, showing a
good balance though between its glossy substance and its fine, linear acidity
through the middle. Very primary in its flavour profile although balanced and
with all the right components. Good potential for the cellar. 16.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières
Clos du Papillon 2007: There is a fresh and open style here, and a slightly
more exotic expression of fruit, with a touch of mango and tangerine zest
alongside a soft suggestion of minerals. Full, a solid presence at first,
showing a rather oily concentration in the beginning but with good acid backbone
coming through the middle. There is a nice freshness to it although the rich
substance of the wine does detract a little at first, but as it reveals more
grip it does seem to have a better composition in the mouth. There is some
really good potential here although it needs cellar time. 17.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières
Trie Spéciale 2007: From a selection of riper berries, made in only favoured
vintages. A very attractive minerality on the nose, with ripe and fresh citrus
fruits to the fore. Great substance on the palate too, showing a dense but less
oily substance, backed up by a tingling, spicy grip. There is acidity although
not quite the bright, linear character found in some of the other wines. Honeyed
but dry, with a polished style, and a richer, fuller feel. A big spicy finish
with some good length. Good wine. I think I prefer the crisper minerality of the
Clos du Papillon though. 17/20
Two Verdelho cuvées.
Domaine des Baumard
Vert de l'Or Sec NV: This is Lot 2004, so no real mystery on the vintage
here. A really interesting nose, very different to Savennières which are of
course 100% Chenin Blanc these days. It still has a very firm sense to it, but
with a lanolin-tinged, green fruit twist. This austerity comes through in the
palate where the fruit has a lightly creamy texture but there is a more
dominating, steely composition in the background. Attractively austere in its
presentation, holding up remarkably well under screwcap for its 7 years, and
clearly capable of ageing a lot longer yet I think. Firm, austere, green-tinged
finish. Certainly an interesting wine with a very unique character. 15/20
Domaine des Baumard Vert de l'Or Moelleux NV:
Lot 07-08. Very clean fruit nose, yellow fruit. Plums, floral notes, and on the palate a very fresh style,
quite elegant, polished, with an attractive weight nicely balanced by a sense
of grip and good acidity. As it warms it takes on a broader feel, showing tinges of cinder toffee, with a very pure fruit character moving into a slightly
more tropical style, and notes of mango, vanilla, cream and pineapple. it is
remarkably different character from the sec cuvée - I wouldn't recognised
this as being made from the same grape. Nice tangible substance on the finish. I
suspect it will develop very well for some time yet. 17.5/20
Next up several examples of Baumard's trio of Coteaux du Layon cuvées.
Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon
Carte d'Or 2009: A rather pale hue, but a very attractive nose, with a clean
style of fruit. In particular it has a tropical character, with citrus fruits
too, fresh and bright but not suggestive of great intensity; this is the
lighter, entry-level cuvée. A very fresh feel on the palate, with a nice
background grip, and as you would expect a rather relaxed, open fresh style of
fruit without any real botrytis intensity. Nice acidity, lifted, overall fairly
charming. More substance as it warms in the palate. A good aperitif style of
Coteaux du Layon. 15/20
Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon
Cuvée le Paon 2004: Described by Florent as a "classic" vintage, which is
interpretable in several different ways I think. This cuvée comes from the same
vines as the Carte d'Or but is a selection. Certainly a little more
concentration on the colour, although it is a different vintage of course. The
nose has a surprising lemony character, with a suggestion of minerality. This
mineral edge comes through on the palate too where there is a firm lemon and
yellow plum sweetness, and a layer of oily flesh which is just that little bit
more convincing than the preceding wine. Good substance here, bright and fresh
but with a very pure fruit character. 15.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon
Clos Ste Catherine 2008: The terroir in this vineyard is schist, sand
and quartz. Fresh but fairly concentrated hue here, a pale golden yellow. An
attractive honeyed nose, with lifted yellow fruits and more golden tropical
elements reminiscent of mango, with a lanolin richness. There is a very primary
sweetness on the palate, but a very appealing concentration and a good acidity
behind the substance of the wine. There is more tangible grit to this wine. It
certainly has the potential to develop into something interesting with age.
16/20
And finally three recent vintages of Quarts de Chaume. I have kept my notes here in the order in which the three wines were poured.
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2008:
A very polished and approachable nose here, notes of creamed corn which I really
like, also yellow plum and lanolin, all suggesting a reserved rather than big or
golden style. Beautiful purity on the palate, fresh but with a beautifully
polished surface to it, and underneath that incredibly fine and quartzy acidity
coming through. An ecstatically balanced and fresh wine, with great elegance and
a very classic style distinguishing the wine from the preceding Coteaux du
Layons despite it not showing prodigious sweetness. It has a lovely bright,
mouth-cleansing finish. As the complexity comes with time this will be a
beautifully fresh and elegant style. 17/20
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2006:
A very pure fruit style here, very typical of Baumard, fresh and pure at this
stage of its life. Beautiful expression on the palate, moving towards liquorous
but with a very pure and polished surface encapsulating layers of sweet,
yellow-golden fruits and once again that beautiful quartzy, mineral acidity
which defines the best wines of this appellation. So pure, perfectly formed in
the mouth, this is a wine that majors on balance and beautiful definition rather
than prodigious sweetness, although there is a lot of sugar here. It culminates
in a lovely long, fading finish. 18/20
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2007:
Of these three wines this undoubtedly has the deepest and most golden colour,
although still with a very pure hue rather than the richer orange tones offered
by some domaines. Just a superb nose, full of citrus fruits, pineapple and mango
especially, all very fresh and just leaping from the glass. And the palate
doesn't disappoint, showing a very fresh and clean style of tropical fruits
bound together by a fine mineral and acid core. And in the finish, an ecstatic
flourish of tangible minerals, all plum skins and quartz mashed together. Sweet,
but with a fine substance to back this up, with a long finish. This is superb.
19/20
Wines tasted at home, in January 2011.
Domaine des Baumard Carte Turquoise Crémant de Loire NV:
Purchased summer 2010, and the same cuvée as noted above. On the nose this shows
a certain steely reserve, all stones and nettles. This is the character most
apparent on the palate too, at first at least, although through the midpalate it
does develop a little fat, cream-soda richness. Fresh, stern but with a soft and
lightly peachy centre, this makes very appealing drinking. 15.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Carte Corail Crémant de Loire NV:
Purchased summer 2010, and the same cuvée as noted above. Still a very pale and
peachy-pink hue. It certainly seems more expressive than I remember it, and
eclipses the Carte Turquoise somewhat. The nose is more expressive, full of
pretty red fruits, still not with the harmonious and polished style that this
cuvée can develop, but that should come with time. Good substance in the mouth,
fresh, with a lively mousse and fresh acid core. Lovely drinking. 16/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos de Papillon 1994:
A rich golden hue in the glass. The fruit character has now moved on to a very
dried, honeyed style, with elements of minerals still, all lifted by a fresh,
lemony spice. A good presence in the mouth, very dry in its style though, no
cushion of softness from sugar here, but with a very appealing texture albeit
with a little oiliness as well. A soft seam of acidity at its core, but what
dominates most is the really dry, sour fruit character. Certainly a challenging
wine, and not showing as well as it was back in 2005, this is much more in
keeping with the bottle I had the year before that. 16/20
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2001:
From a half bottle. What really attracted me to this wine, eight or nine years
ago, was the sweet and rich caramelly seam that ran through it. And it is no
surprise that these elements continue to dominate aromatically, the wine now
showing a rich, orange-honeycomb-caramel character on the nose, with a fresh,
lemon-toffee edge. Pure and rich on the palate, sweet and with all the fresh,
bright, high-toned honey-caramel that the nose suggested, cut through by a dry
acidity. This has developed brilliantly over the last few years, and is just
gorgeous now. Although there may be little nuances of complexity to come it is
hard to imagine this wine having a much greater impact on the palate than it
does right now. It doesn't show the intense quartzy minerality that the best
vintages of Baumard's Quarts de Chaume shows, but few wines can match this wines
citrus-caramel richness. Remarkable. And very long too. 18.5/20
Wines tasted at the domaine in Rochefort-sur-Loire, in July 2010.
Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire
Carte Turquoise Brut NV: This cuvée showcases Chenin Blanc. Tasted once at
the domaine, and once subsequently. A clear and very pale hue and a strong bead.
The nose here is clean, stony, pebbly and crisp. On the palate a very straight
style at first, showing some floral, slightly green and nettly characters, later
richer hints of nettly sherbet and sweet, perfumed Edinburgh rock, along with a
rather heady, cream soda feel. It has elegance, with fine floral, peachy
nuances, as well as a good acid backbone. A fine summery style. 15.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire
Carte Corail Brut NV: Tasted once at the domaine, and once subsequently. A
very pale hue, peachy rather than pink, to this pure Cabernet Franc cuvée. The
nose is not that expressive at the very start, but it does show some prettier
fruit thereafter. The palate is very fine, with elements of blackcurrant leaf
and fresh black berry fruits with a clean and crisp style. A really good effort.
16/20
Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire
Brut Rosé NV: Tasted once at the domaine, and once subsequently. This has a
slightly more pink hue than the Corail; its make-up is also 100% Cabernet Franc.
The character on the nose is more pretty though, and dominated by red fruits
rather than black, with well defined strawberry and raspberry notes. Crisp and
clean on the palate, elegant, with good mousse and acidity. This is a very good
style. 16.5/20
Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon 2005:
This has a much richer nose than some other comparable vintages of Baumard's
Clos du Papillon, and the aromatics seem remarkably defined and pure, with a
honeycomb richness which is carried through onto the palate. But here there is
also a fine, tingling acid backbone which lifts, freshens and defines the wine's
presence in the mouth. A fine effort, not austere but certainly well structured,
elegant and harmoniously textured, dry and admirable. 18/20
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2006:
A smoothly polished and elegant nose of lightly honeyed fruit here, and this is
followed on the palate by a clean style characterised by moreish, yellow-golden
fruits. There are some lovely acids in the background giving the wine a fine
frame. This is pure, defined and very attractive, without doubt a good effort,
and I am sure it would reward appropriate time spent in the cellar. 18/20
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2007:
Tasted once at the domaine, and once subsequently. This has a great nose,
showing more richness than the 2006, with golden fruits touched with caramel,
and a delicious tropical style of fruit with notes of apricot, peach and mango,
the latter of which translates onto the palate quite beautifully. Great depth
here, wonderful style and substance, backed up by a lovely backbone of acidity,
the exotic fruits swirled with lemon zest, tangerine, orange, jasmine and herbal
tea, together with a fine, quartzy minerality. Very fine indeed, and very long;
a superb Quarts de Chaume. 18.5-19/20
