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Vincent Carême Update, 2011
Vincent Carême
This update relates to wines tasted in
January 2011.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Vincent Carême profile.
One of last year's Salon discoveries was Vincent Carême, a young winemaker based in Vouvray, and his engaging South African wife Tania. So struck was I by the floral and mineral lift of some of their wines that I was unable to resist the temptation to pay them a summer visit, just a few months later. I was eager to see the domaine for myself, to taste a broader range of wines, and to revisit those I had already tasted earlier in the year. It was of course my opinion of these wines, which had seemed so compelling, that drove me to pester Vincent and Tania for an hour or two of their time, but having had Richard Leroy remark to me that he considered Vincent one of the best vignerons in Vouvray today added a little fuel to my fire, not that it was needed.
Understandably this year I returned to where Tania, Vincent and I met just twelve months ago to taste again, both new wines and some with which I am now fairly familiar, having bought more than a handful at the domaine. On this occasion we began with the 2009 Sec, a wine I tasted for the first time last July and which seemed relaxed and charming, a reflection of Tania and Vincent themselves perhaps? Today though it seemed somewhat more assertive, more defined, showing structure and grip alongside its floral allure. How glad I am I picked up a six-pack of this!
Having said that we are spoilt for choice here, as the more tender demi-sec cuvées are also full of gentle, polished floral promise. Of the Tendre and Peu Morier cuvées I preferred the former, which on this occasion hailed from the 2009 vintage, to the latter which was full of fleshy charm and very typical of 2008 I think, a year which seems to have blessed us with superb demi-sec cuvées from all over Vouvray and Montlouis.
Returning to the 2009 vintage the Cuvée T (for Tania, surely?), a négoce wine made purely from purchased fruit, showed nicely although it does make plain the benefit of working with your own fruit, as the quality gap between this wine and the other Carême cuvées was notable. I can only suggest that all those who buy Cuvée T, and who will no doubt be very pleased with this bottle, then take a look at some of Vincent's home-grown sparklers such as the Brut and Ancestrale, both tasted here in the 2009 vintage. As may already be clear from my previous reviews - of the 2008 vintage - I am already completely head-over-heels in love with these sparkling Vouvrays; the Huet wines are good, sure, but if your heart is in the Loire you have to try these wines - you may never drink Huet again! And although the 2009 Ancestrale comes across as less seductive than the superlative 2008 I would have no hesitation in adding some of this to the cellar.
We finished up with two sweeter wines, a straight moelleux with approximately 65 g/l residual sugar, followed by a première trie wine which was streets ahead of this first wine, displaying a much more lively definition despite the increased richness which resulted from 50% of the included fruit having been botrytised. Rest assured this is another wine deserving of a place in your cellar; the problem is, with only 1200 bottles produced, finding some might prove to be rather difficult. (4/5/11)
Vincent Carême Update, 2011 - Tasting Notes
The wines below were tasted in January 2011.
All my notes on the wines of Vincent Carême, including those below, are collated under my
Vincent Carême profile. Click
to locate stockists.
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. 16/20
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. 17.5/20
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.
17.5/20
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. 17.5/20
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. 18/20
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. 17.5+/20
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. 16.5/20
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.
18+/20
