Home > Vintages and Regions > Loire > Loire Update: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, 2011
Domaine de la Taille
aux Loups
This update largely relates to wines tasted in January 2011.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Domaine de la Taille aux Loups profile.
After adding new profiles for Lise and Bertrand Jousset and Xavier Weisskopf of Le Rocher des Violettes over the last couple of weeks, it is now time to get moving with my other Montlouis updates. The notes from my latest tasting of François Chidaine's wines came earlier in the year, and there is a significant overhaul of my François Chidaine profile in the pipeline, but in the meantime the next obvious stop in Husseau - the small village just upstream of Montlouis-sur-Loire where a number of the top domaines of the appellation are located - is Jacky Blot of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups.
Before getting onto the wines, however, there have been many developments at La Taille aux Loups recently which are worth exploring in a little more detail. Principally these developments concern the acquisition of new vineyards, and the corresponding addition of new cuvées to the portfolio. Some of these new cuvées are tasted here, but in some cases the acquisition has been more recent, and I will have to wait until my next visit to the Loire for the first opportunity to taste the relevant wines.
New Developments at La Taille aux Loups
The first of the two new cuvées I have tasted and report on here is the long-awaited rosé companion to Jacky's Triple Zero cuvée. The first release of the Triple Zero Rosé is a 100% Gamay Touraine Pétillant, and as with the well-known Triple Zero cuvée it sees no added sugar, neither chaptalisation with the first fermentation, nor when the wine goes into bottle for the second fermentation, nor with the dosage - hence Triple Zero. Tasting it here I found the wine to be structured and very correct, with a very bright and crunchy style, and a good expression of gentle red fruits. Interestingly, from Jacky's words on the day it seems he still considers this cuvée a work in progress, and he may well blend something different for next year's release. Watch this space!
The next new cuvée tasted here, in both the 2009 and 2010 vintages, is the Montlouis Clos Michet. This is a vineyard that has been in Jacky's possession for some time, but which he has only just decided to release as a single-vineyard cuvée rather than blending it into his other wines. In recent months he has acquired more vines in this particular lieu-dit, so forthcoming vintages should see increased production. As for the wines tasted here, I much preferred the 2010, although with two such youthful cuvées - one of which was unbottled at the time of tasting - it is perhaps inappropriate to state this definitively. The 2009 had a rich, polished-stone aromatic profile, although there was also a firm reductive character in my sample which impaired my judgement of it. The 2010 was more convincing, although still very primary in terms of style and flavour. Time will tell, I suppose.
The quartet of new vineyards and new wines is completed with two wines not tasted here. First up is the Clos de Bourdaisière, a new cuvée from a small parcel of vines on the margins of the Montlouis appellation. That I haven't tasted it should be no surprise - this cuvée's first vintage will be 2011, so it hasn't even finished its fermentations yet! Nevertheless, I look forward to my first taste next year. Finally there is the Clos de Mosny, a 12-hectare south and southwest-facing clos (the walls of this remarkable lieu-dit run for 1.6 kilometres) located a couple of kilometres south of Husseau (close to the aforementioned Clos Michet as it happens) and recently acquired from Monmousseau after several years of protracted on-off negotiations. Jacky only took possession of the clos in late 2010, so again it's no surprise that I have yet to taste the wine from this vineyard. It gives me yet another excuse to visit Jacky next year....not that I needed one, of course. (11/10/11)
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, 2011 - Tasting Notes
All the wines described below were tasted in January 2011, except for the
very first which was tasted in October 2011. All my notes on the wines of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, including those below, are collated under my Domaine de la Taille aux Loups profile.
Click
to locate stockists.
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Demi-Sec 2008: A pale golden hue. Aromatically it feels
drier than I expected, starting off with a minerally, straw-like nose, with
white fruit, especially pears, and a dry, slightly bitter pear-skin edge to it.
There is also a citrus edge to it, lifted and lightly herbal, with scents of
bergamot and dry honey. These elements come through on the palate, as does that
dry and delightfully bitter sensation. This is demi-sec without the
luscious sweetness some possess, but instead has a dry and precise core, around
which is built a flesh which represents the sugar, but with only bare
tenderness, not overt sweetness. There is a little flourish of sweetness near
the start, but through the midpalate the dry grip comes to the fore, giving the
wine a spicy, peppery, herbal element. It has certainly tightened up since my
previous tasting in July 2010. It reveals a lovely breadth when I let it relax
on the palate towards the end though. Crunchy, precise, lightly crystalline, and
an appealingly bitter finish, always countered by that vein of fleshy substance.
Delicious. 17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Montlouis Les Dix Arpents 2010: This is due to be bottled in spring 2011. A
fresh and bright nose, carrying a clean and well framed style of fruit. A
similarly fresh style on the palate, although with a somewhat softer style of
fruit but also a very firm midpalate acidity. Overall fresh and lifted in terms
of style, quite dry, with a nice if soft minerality. A stylish wine with fairly
nice definition. 15.5-16.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Rémus 2010:
This has a more open and somewhat more exciting style to the aromatic profile. A
little more floral fruit here, but also a nicely fresh, soft minerality. This is
true on the palate also, where there is a good substance, with a full feel to it
backed up by a soft-focus acidity and minerality. Overall a very stylish
composition, showing a firmer touch in the finish. 16.5-17/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Montlouis Clos Michet 2010: This is also minerally, with a soapstone style
to it, although unsurprisingly it remains very youthful and primary at present,
being dominated by fresh apple and pear fruit. A polished, perfumed style, a
good mineral depth, with a soft and rather relaxed composition at first, then a
more tense and minerally midpalate. Very bright and crisply defined here.
Overall a lovely style with good freshness. 16.5-17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Vouvray Clos de la Bretonnière 2010:
A rather less expressive nose than the preceding cuvées. It is poured rather
cold which may influence this of course. The palate majors on freshness and
minerals, with a stony, chalky style of fruit. These is less prominent fruit
expression here though, but still a very impressive tension and vivacity.
16-17/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Vouvray Clos de la Venise 2010: A rather chalky style of fruit on the nose
here, a rather reserved style of fruit, with slightly more softness in the
palate. This sits very nicely with a gently crumbly mineral backbone, and bright
acidity at the core. It shows an autumnal fruit character with a golden hue.
This is very attractive, and there is lots of potential here. 16.5-17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Rémus 2009:
A really bright and fresh, honey-mineral infused nose here. There is also quite a chalky
element to it, precise and very defined. A very finely polished here, with not a
hair out of place. Yet it is incredibly fresh, lively, with a rather mineral-yellow golden
fruit, and also a little fading, matchsticky wood. This is very attractive,
albeit slightly awkward, rather like the sample tasted in London only a few
weeks ago. 17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Montlouis Clos Michet 2009: This cuvée has a very linear, polished,
white-stone nose, with again a rather matchsticky edge, and this element comes
through on the palate a lot as well. This reductive character makes definitive
judgement rather difficult. There is a lovely grip around it though, although it
is perhaps a little firm in its structure. This needs to be revisited. Just
bottled at the end of 2010, which accounts for this sullen showing I think.
16-17?/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Vouvray Clos de la Bretonnière 2009:
A much fresher nose, albeit one that is showing some oak at present, with just a touch
of honeyed and matchsticky character in the background. The palate is full and supply styled,
with good acidity. Nicely minerally, with a stony
style, but that matchstick note is far more pervasive here than the nose
suggested. This seems rather more awkward than the sample tasted in London only
a few weeks ago. Another wine that is difficult to judge. 16-17?/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Vouvray Clos de la Venise 2009: As was the case with the Clos Michet and
Clos de la Bretonnière tasted alongside, this shows a lot of reductive,
matchsticky character. It dominates the wine at present. All three need time to
come good. For the moment, very much a hedged and tentative opinion here. This
seems rather more awkward than the sample tasted in London only a few weeks ago.
A wine that is difficult to judge. 16-17?/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Rémus
Plus 2009: Not yet bottled which is no doubt why this cuvée shows much
better than the recent handled three wines just tasted. It has a much cleaner
style, not necessarily overly expressive, but very fresh and floral. It has a
lovely purity on the palate, with a pretty, floral style, underpinned by a fine
mineral crunch. The fruit has that primary, Chenin, sweet-apples-and-pears
character, with fine minerality starting to come in. Lovely potential here.
17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Moelleux 2009:
Residual sugar 45 g/l, already bottled. There is none of the reduction seen in
the drier cuvées here, nevertheless this is rather closed on the nose. Happily
there is a fine and fresh substance on the palate, delicate but with a good
fleshy presence from the residual sugar. Sweetly defined golden fruits sit
within it, giving the wine a very attractive and appealing body. And it has a
welcome core of minerals too, around some bright acidity. Fine potential. 17/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Vouvray Moelleux 2009:
Residual sugar 50 g/l, already bottled. A very stony substance here, bright with
subtle golden fruits. The palate is showing a more expressive golden sweetness,
with a fruit pastille intensity suggestive of yellow plum with some grip behind,
and a light, elegant minerality. In the finish, a welcome, mouth-puckering
style. Lovely potential here. 17/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Vouvray Clos de la Venise Moelleux 2009:
This cuvée is now reported as 110 g/l, slightly more than the figure (which may
well have been an estimate) presented last year. A lovely nose, gentle with a
polished expression, very characterful. The palate is just spot on, showing
lovely sweet fruits and a golden expression, bright star fruit and yellow plum.
It has a fine acid core and a fresh, minerally structure. The overall finish is
suggestive of a beautiful polish, so mellifluous and seductive, leading into a
long mineral finish with a light grip. Very stylish. 17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Romulus 2009: This is the
crème de la crème for this domaine, an old-vines and botrytis-fuelled cuvée
produced only in favourable vintages from the Montlouis vines. The last vintage
was 2005. The residual sugar is said to be 150 g/l, a significant difference
from the figure given last time, even if that was an estimate. In terms of
tasting, it presents an intense, honeyed, overtly botrytised character on the
nose. It is very floral too, with hints of beeswax, overall giving it a lifted
style. There is such lovely definition on the palate, at first supple and then
more defined, finer mineral core appearing in the middle, with a little needle
of tannin coming through from the front of the mouth. At the back, it has a
softer, more polished, mellifluous feel to it. An elegant wine, very finely
tuned, with beautiful lift, which presents even more crunchy mineral tones on a
second taste. Wonderful stuff. 18.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Pétillant Triple Zero NV:
Although officially non-vintage, this is from 2008. A fine and crunchy freshness
here, with a precise minerality. The palate is full with lots of vigour, showing
a good substance, with a very chalky richness. It is dry and yet the acidity
still lends it a lovely buoyancy, helped by a defined mousse. Overall, an
impressive style. 17.5/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis
Pétillant Brut Tradition NV: Although officially non-vintage, this is from
2009. It has a lovely fruit presence, with a yellow-gold plum character sitting
over a fine mineral core which is the start of a wealth of tangible minerally
texture. A better presence and grip than the Triple Zero on this showing. Lots
of ripe substance. Very attractive, with a hint of very low-level reduction to
it which I rather like. Lovely. 18/20
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Touraine Pétillant Triple Zero
Rosé NV: Although officially non-vintage, this is from 2009 vintage, and
Anne-Françoise Blot tells me it is 100% Gamay. It has a peachy hue, with rather
a soft substance to it. The palate gives little hints of texture, but it is
undeniably very dry, albeit with a very firm, broad, minerally substance. An
expressive style which I rather like. 16/20
