Yannick Amirault: Tasting & Drinking
I have been guilty, I confess, of sometimes overlooking the wines of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil. Neither appellation, I think, has the reputation enjoyed by the Loire Valley’s greatest red wine, Chinon. And yet, looking at the terroir, there is no reason to think that we should not expect the same quality and similar character from the wines of these slopes. The vineyards are south-facing, the grape variety is undeniably the same, and most importantly we have the same range of terroirs, including those all-important vineyards on the upper reaches of the limestone slope. Few domaines in Bourgueil or St Nicolas de Bourgueil, however, excite me in the way that the top domaines of Chinon, such as Philippe Alliet or Bernard Baudry, achieve.
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