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Vinifera Boutique and Chateau Soucherie

Considering the number of small and exciting French domaines that remain unrepresented in foreign markets there are still huge gaps in the market that new, small-scale, dynamic wine merchants can exploit. Reviewing my notes for this year's Renaissance des Appellations tasting in February I see I only visited one-quarter of the domaines in attendance, and of those I missed there were a good number with which I was entirely unfamiliar. One new UK merchant looking to address this is Vinifera Boutique, a new start-up with a very select list of wines featuring a handful of estates from the Loire, Rhône Valley and Provence.

The brainchild of Oscar Majurin, Vinifera's modus operandi is simple; bring into the UK small production wines of interest and quality, from little-known or even unheard of vineyards and producers. With many wines the quantity will be limited, sourced from estates too small to interest larger retailers and supermarkets, and it seems likely that the business will have an organically evolving and expanding wine list. Majurin is already listing wines from Catherine & Pierre Breton and Domaine Mosse, two very good Loire domaines neither of which are usually particularly easy to get hold of in the UK, so there is plenty of hope and interest here for Loire fans.

I recently had the opportunity to taste two such Loire Valley wines from the Vinifera list, both from the newly revitalised Chateau Soucherie. Although Soucherie has no representation in the UK (save for a few old bottles of Coteaux du Layon lingering on one or two merchants' lists), this is locally a well-known estate which has been run for many years by Pierre-Yves Tijou, ever since he took over from his father in 1968. During 2007, after just short of 40 years at the helm, he sold up with most of the domaine passing into the hands of the new proprietor, Roger Begûinot, with just a small portion held back for Pierre-Yves' son, Mathieu Tijou. Begûinot installed a new winemaker, Thibaud Boudignon, and the two wines from 2007 tasted here - now listed by Vinifera Boutique - are from their first vintage. The quality is good, and may well improve as the Boudignon-Begûinot team get settled in at their new estate. I will be looking out for more from Soucherie in future vintages. Perhaps more important than my 'discovery' of Chateau Soucherie, however, these wines bode well for the Vinifera list.

Full disclosure is necessary here, as Vinifera Boutique has recently joined the ever-growing band of Winedoctor sponsors, but the sale of the two wines described below, or indeed any other wines from Vinifera, bring no financial benefit to me or this site. A purchase supports an independent retailer who in turn supports this site with regular sponsorship, but this is the only business connection between Winedoctor and Vinifera. There is certainly no commission involved. Nevertheless, if you think this relationship may influence my opinion of the wines, please bear it in mind when reading my notes.

In order to ensure complete transparency, I have also included links to Wine-Searcher with each tasting note, as always. Vinifera prices are in brackets. (29/10/09)

Vinifera Boutique and Chateau Soucherie - Tasting Notes

Tasted in October 2009. Vinifera prices are included, or click for all stockists.

Chateau Soucherie Savennières Clos des Perrières 2007: This is the first vintage under new management at Soucherie, the new winemaker Thibaud Boudignon having started in 2007, the sale to Roger Begûinot having completed in December that year. It has a very pale golden hue in the glass, and an enticing aroma on the nose, of ripe golden fruits with a dried, honeyed edge, minerals and a bright, lightly crystalline quality. A fine style on the palate, full but structured, broad and well balanced, gently fleshy with a touch of glycerine texture, and generous but underpinned by good grip and acidity. This has a fine quality, with no notable oak influence, and great composition. Although approachable now this will keep well I am sure. 16.5+/20 (£83.50 for 6 bottles)

Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Vieilles Vignes 2007: Another example of Soucherie under new management. This has a relatively pale but pure, golden hue in the glass. This is a lovely vintage for sweet wines in the Loire, often giving a very crystalline fruit structure, and this wine is no exception. There is a very well defined golden-fruit character, lightly autumnal, but it is that defined purity that is most noticeable. There is a tinge of botrytis richness, and no doubt this will have a greater effect on the wine the longer it is cellared. Right now the palate is sweet, viscous, fairly bright and certainly pure and honeyed, with a very marrowy flesh building through the middle and lingering for a long time at the end. A delicious wine with great potential; very simple although enjoyable now, but with time in the cellar this could be divine. 17+/20 (£78.00 for 6 bottles)