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Project Cabernet Franc: Walk-Round Tasting
Following on from the introduction and tasting, described here, I had the opportunity to taste another two dozen wines selected by the tasting panel of Sam Harrop, Jim Budd, Jamie Goode and Sam Caporn to be Project Cabernet Franc Ambassadors. There was also an invitation to retaste the ten wines previously presented which were also lined up, and although I would normally jump at the chance to do this time constraints - I had a flight out of London that afternoon - meant I eschewed the retasting opportunity.
The wines are presented here more or less in the order in which they were presented, although I have reorganised slightly so that the notes flow from Anjou, through Saumur, and then to the Touraine appellations. As before, I have also included a few winemaking notes on soils, maceration, fermentation temperature and élevage, but not all the intricacies; I have notes on extraction, yeast strains used if that was the case, distribution, technical analysis and so on, so contact me if you are interested in these data.
Overall the wines with a mixed bunch, with a small handful of very successful bottles interposed among many workaday wines which were largely serviceable and would certainly be drinkable. There were also, however, one or two horrors, including one wine which smelt of nothing but rubber. Interestingly I also noted one corked bottle which I discovered at the end of the tasting; quite dead on the nose, but certainly corked on the palate, and comparison with the second bottle showed it to be very different. What I found surprising was that with only an inch or two left in the bottle, in a tasting populated largely by trade, MWs and MW students, nobody had brought this to the attention of the organisers. Do even such experienced tasters not understand Loire Cabernet Franc, or were there too many brains disengaged? Or did the unusual choice of canapés - which included salmon on blinis, ratatouille tartlets, battered shrimps and what looked like a seafood risotto - serve to befuddle the palates of even these sage minds? I think we will never know, but all suggestions will be read with interest. Suffice to say I avoided these eclectic culinary offerings and hopefully gave the wines the attention they certainly deserved. (14/10/08)
Project Cabernet Franc - Tasting Notes
Tasted in October 2008. Click
to locate stockists.
Closerie de la Picardie Anjou 2006: Sandy clay and gravel,
five-day maceration, fermentation 22ºC. This wine has quite a feral edge to the fruit on the nose, and
the same character is in evidence on the palate. This has a rounded
character, rather softly put together, with a diffuse texture that
leaves it feeling rather lost on the palate. It has some slightly
confected raspberry fruit, but overall it lacks definition; interesting,
but little more than that. 14/20
Domaine de la Bergerie Anjou La Ceriseraie 2007: Three-day
maceration, fermentation 14ºC, matured in vat. This is another
Anjou with rather soft and diffuse fruit, although there is a
stony-schisty element to it and it certainly displays some features
typical of the region. The palate is nice, showing a little more
definition than I expected, There is good acidity although also a bitter
edge, but with a little time it shows a more supple, harmonious
character backed up by some grip. It just lacks a little vigour for my palate. 14/20
Chateau de Putille Anjou 2007: I retasted this wine presented
here, more by accident than by
design. This wine is made from fruit grown on
Briovérien schists on the slopes and plateau of La Pommeraye. It has
some bright and stony fruit on the nose, with cherry skins too. It has a
lean entry but in its favour it is fresh and balanced. The texture is
supple, well rounded and with very soft tannins, and nice acidity. Those
cherry notes come through here too. I would like to see a little more
grip, nevertheless this is pretty good. 15.5+/20
Domaine de Nerleux Saumur-Champigny Clos des Châtains 2006: No maceration,
fermentation 20-30ºC. A very minerally nose here, a great depth of fruit too. A
good and very correct style. The palate is supple, with a weightier midpalate,
although it remains very fresh and defined. Supple elegance, but with
fleshy-juicy pleasure above this. A nice touch of grip at the finish. One of the
better wines here, for sure. 17+/20
Domaine Saint Vincent Saumur-Champigny Les Trézellières 2007: Clay limestone
soils, three-day maceration, fermentation 22ºC, matured in vat. A lean, chalky,
fresh and light nose here. There is more character on the palate, which is lean
too, although with a touch of confected fruit. Very stony, direct, fresh, but
for the appellation I think it is lacking something. Overall rather
straightforward. 14/20
Vignoble des Robinières Bourgueil 2007: From gravel and sand, no
maceration, fermentation 28ºC, matured in vat. This has lean fruit on the nose, with a slightly gamey quality.
It is lean, but also fresh, and seems nicely held together on the palate
which shows more red fruits again with that gamey edge. There is a
little confection at the finish, but also some supple tannins. I don't find this
to be the most vigorous of wines in all honesty. 14/20
Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil Galichets 2006: Biodynamic, no
maceration, fermentation 25ºC, élevage in barrels. This certainly has an attractive nose, both supple and bright,
with leanly fresh fruit. The palate unsurprisingly follows on, with
gentle acids, a supple and nicely polished texture, and some ripe fruit
and grippy tannins towards the finish. There is a little bitterness at
the finish, but plenty to provide interest, and I think there is some
potential here. 15+/20
Domaine de la Closerie Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2007:
Siliceous clay terroir, no maceration, fermentation 28ºC, matured in 220
litre barrels of at least seven years of age. Jean-François Mabileau's domaine sources the fruit for this wine from
siliceous clay. It is bright and stylish on the nose, with good
character. There is a leanness on the palate, which displays good
acidity and supple tannins, on a ripe raft of cherry and raspberry
fruit. There is a little more texture in the midpalate, but also some
celery and celeriac nuances to the fruit. Nevertheless, this combination
all works very well, and the lovely, juicy and very natural character
provides some pleasure. 16/20
Domaine des Pins Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2007: Clay limestone
soils, no maceration, fermentation 28ºC, matured in concrete vat. This wine displays an unusual but certainly vegetal nose of
tomato leaf, celeriac and some red fruits. It is lean, and a touch
green, and there is a disconcerting green apple character to the
acidity. Nevertheless there is fruit on the palate, red fruit especially,
with a nice supple texture behind it, although then there is a searing
acidity running roughshod over that. This seems all over the place at
the moment and it is certainly difficult to judge. 14.5+?/20
Nathalie Omasson Bourgueil Cuvée de Garde 2007: Clay limestone soils, no
maceration, fermentation 26-27ºC, matured in concrete vat. This has some cherry fruit on
the nose, with a rather lean and herbal character. There is also a
slightly sweet and confected character. It is fresh, supple, with less
fruit on the palate than I expected, and it is not so bright or lively
as I expected. In fact it has a slightly coarse character, with a good
bite of tannin, and a bitter, grippy finish. This is one to cellar for
sure. 14+/20
Lamé Delisle Boucard Domaine des Chesnaies Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes
2006: No maceration, fermentation below 28ºC, matured in 80 hl oak vats of at
least 30 years of age. Despite this wine apparently having contact with only old
wood, it seems dominated by oak aromas on the nose. The palate carries a
similarly weighty quantity of sweet oak which provides a drying character,
swamping the rounded, rather detached fruit. It has great acidity although it
doesn't seem well integrated, and is a touch coarse through the midpalate. An
interesting wine, but one that puzzles me somewhat; how does it seem so oaky
when it has such restrained oak contact? It would be useful to reassess this in
the future. 14+?/20
Domaine des Geslets Bourgueil Les Geslets 2007: Gravel terroir, no
maceration, fermentation 25-29ºC, matured in oak vats and barriques. A
herby nose here, with cherry fruit. Fresh but light, not deep or concentrated.
Rather supple style on the palate, with an oily edge, cut through by good
acidity. Rather a simple style, it lacks vigour or indeed a harmonious
composition. 13/20
Frères Nau Bourgueil Les Varennes 2007: No fiche technique available
here. An interesting nose, showing light and simple red fruits, plain and rather
stretched out. This is followed by an oily texture on the palate, which provides
well rounded edges, but inside it all it lacks flavour, concentration and indeed
character. There is even a touch of metal to it. I don't find this rather
ungiving wine very appealing at all. 12/20
Vignoble de la Jarnotterie St Nicolas de Bourgueil Cuvée MR 2006: Sand on
clay limestone soils, no maceration, fermentation 25ºC, matured in 40-year-old
chestnut barrels which hold 400-600 litres. An unusual perfume on the nose here,
a little reminiscent of talcum powder, stones and violets. It seems lean and
diffuse on entry, but then more confected on the palate, with aromas of Parma
Violet sweets like that on the nose. Juicy, simple and rounded, with lots of
acid and freshness, but not much softening texture. 14/20
Domaine de la Cotelleraie St Nicolas de Bourgueil Le Vau Jaumier 2006: Clay
limestone soils, four-day maceration, fermentation 29ºC, matured in 228 litre
average/low-toast barrels from the Berthomieu cooperage. There is plenty of
fruit here, and plenty of oak too, with this being another atypically sweet,
minty, chocolate and vanilla-infused wine. But there is a good herby complexity
too. Bright and lean fruit on the palate, not the fatness I was perhaps
expecting, with fresh, raspberry and summer fruit character. Clean, stylish,
certainly interesting, but it is difficult to know how this will do in the
cellar. Will all that oak be integrated? There is a big question mark over this
wine. 14+?/20
Taluau et Foltzenlogel St Nicolas de Bourgueil Le Vau Jaumier 2007: Clay,
flint and limestone soils, two-day maceration, fermentation 27ºC,
micro-oxygenation, matured in stainless steel. Bright and vibrant fruit here,
juicy and fresh. Gently textured, fairly supple, fresh and chalky on the palate.
It lacks depth but it has plenty of forward fruit with a firm, peppery,
tomato-infused finish. A touch herbal too. Nice wine. 14.5+/20
Domaine du Mortier St Nicolas de Bourgueil Dionysos 2006: Clay, flint and
limestone soils, no maceration, fermentation 26ºC, matured in 200 litre barrels
between 5 and 15 years of age. Organic, with Ecocert certification. On the nose
this isn't too expressive, showing some reserved red fruits, but on the palate
it is bright, vibrant, juicy, textured and enjoyable. Hugely vivacious, with
notes of cherry stone and cherry skin, underpinned by a little grip and tannin.
The oak is very well absorbed. I think this is really very good indeed. 17/20
Domaine de la Roche Honneur Chinon Cuvée de Pâques 2007: Six-day maceration,
fermentation at 19-29ºC, matured in stainless steel. A rather feral, furry fruit
nose here, with a lean suggestion. There is certainly greenness on entry, with
spiky green apple acidity and then an oily-smoky midpalate. The oily texture is
the most notable feature here, giving a slippery feel to the wine. It lacks
freshness, perhaps related to this character. It isn't a great example of the
appellation. 12/20
Domaine du Roncée Chinon Clos des Marronniers 2007: Gravel terroir,
five-day maceration, fermentation 25ºC, matured 50% in 225 litre oak vats 3-10
years old, varied coopers and toasts, and 50% in stainless steel. This has a
nice nose, showing a nice layer of red-black fruit, although with a slightly
pastille-like character. Bright on entry, a lean sharpness at first, but with a
more supple and texture midpalate, over a decent texture, and a little meatiness
towards the end. There are some good points here, but on the day I preferred the
domaine Chinon. 14+/20
Domaine du Roncée Chinon 2007: This is Baudry & Dutour's domaine Chinon,
sometimes called Cuvée Domaine du Roncée. Sand and gravel terroir,
five-day maceration, fermentation 25ºC, matured in stainless steel. An amusing
bottle to taste, as the first was corked; dead on the nose, with classic taint
aroma only noted once the wine was on the palate. The second bottle was
completely different; much better fruit on the palate, bright and fresh, supple
and with some appealing texture and weight. This wine has some substance, and
fresh raspberry fruit too. This has rather good potential I think. 15+/20
Frédéric Hardouin Chinon Les Quarts Fleuris 2006: Sand on limestone, five-day
maceration, fermentation 25ºC, matured in vat. Unfiltered and unfined. Wow, what
a weird nose, immediately reminiscent of newly-laid carpet. Rubber-backed
carpet, in fact. This has rubber, rubber and rubber on the nose, and that is the
most obvious feature of the palate too. A bad mercaptan fault here?
Unfortunately the second bottle seemed to have disappeared. I would have liked
to reassess but I can't imagine this being a single bottle problem. 11/20
Wilfrid Rousse Chinon Les Puys 2007: Siliceous clay soils, ten-day
maceration, fermentation 22ºC. A warm and rather diffuse nose, with red fruits,
thyme and celeriac. Fresh and supple palate, clean red fruits, just a little
herbal here. Stony, but gently textured, building a little on the finish. A good
style here. 15+/20
Patrick Lambert Chinon Diablerie 2007: Sandy, silty soils, no maceration,
fermentation 18-29ºC. Creamy red-black fruits on the nose, with a deep and
minerally quality and depth. Good typicité. Very direct style on the
palate, well defined, moderate depth, supple tannins and balanced if somewhat
tart acidity. There is a little fruit complexity here, and a black pepper note.
I like this. 16+/20
Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2006: Five-day maceration, fermentation
22ºC. Quite dense on the nose, deep and a touch earthy. I like it. Supple entry
onto the palate, deeper and more velvety in the middle. This is a stylish wine,
with lots of acidity, giving it a fresh and lively feel. It maintains a lovely
presence throughout the palate, and has well-covered ripe tannins. Good.
15.5+/20
Charles Pain Chinon Cuvée Prestige 2007: Siliceous clay, no maceration,
fermentation 28ºC, matured in 40 hl oak vats, 20 years-old. A good red fruit
character on the nose here, with a rich depth of fruit perhaps related to the
clay terroir? A lovely flesh weight on entry, but a complete, balanced
and attractive style. Very supple and certainly appealing. Good. 16+/20
