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The Cream of the Loire 2003: Conclusion
My Loire tastings have, for 2003 at least, now drawn to a close. I've enjoyed very much recounting my experiences of visiting these domaines during the summer, and I hope that the write-ups have been of interest. The visits and tastings have been, for me, a wonderful opportunity to reacquaint myself with some of the best wines the Loire Valley has to offer.
On this visit I followed much the same scheme as when I first tasted
in the Loire in 1993, travelling from west to east, against the natural flow of
the river. This time, however, I was much more selective, picking out
the cream of the local producers (links to the tastings can be found at
the foot of the page). Back in 1993, as a student nearing the end of
six years of study, I had a much more carefree time, wandering from one
domaine to the next. In 2003 I wasn't travelling alone, but took my
family, and so spending all and every day tasting would have been
somewhat inconsiderate! Other aspects of the trip were also different -
this time I didn't have to phone my bank manager from a hotel room in
Saumur (just below the château, in fact) to ask for an increase in my
already soaring overdraft limit!
My two visits to the region, a decade apart, at first sound very similar, but they were actually very different. The only location common to both visits was in fact Saumur, which demonstrates how rich the Loire is, not only in wine, but also in cultural experiences and places I have yet to explore. This time, as I stood alongside the Loire as it slowly wound its lazy way towards the Atlantic, and drank in a new vista of Saumur's grand château, I realised that it would not be another ten years before I returned. (20/11/03)
This series, The Cream of the Loire 2003, focuses on a small selection of the best Loire vignerons. I visited these domaines, and tasted their wines, during a visit to the Loire Valley in 2003. Articles in this series include:
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