Bouvet-Ladubay: Tasting & Drinking
There are without doubt some very good wines to be found within the Bouvet-Ladubay portfolio, although with such a diverse range and slightly confusing labelling it can be very difficult to know what you are buying without a little research. I would always advise sticking with the labels described in detail on the previous page, with Trésor, Zéro and the Instinct cuvées being particular highlights. These are the wines that display the most elegance and polish, and they are all the more desirable for that.
Although, having said that, if you chance upon a magnum of Ogmius, especially in white, then do not hesitate. This is a great example of the sparkling style in Saumur. With such limited production though, it might be that you have to head for the cellars in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent to find a bottle.
I also enjoy those ‘lesser’ wines with firmer structures and more challenging nettly, stony palates, the wines less polished by oak, as these are not only some of the most refreshing wines in the range, but they are also the wines with the best sense of place, that ability of wine to speak of the vineyards and the soils from which they originated. This includes cuvées such as Saphir and the entry-level wines, but even the Mademoiselle Ladubay range has something to offer here, and these cuvées boast pocket-friendly prices.
Having said that, if you are used to paying Champagne prices, no wine in this portfolio will strike you as expensive. The wines of Bouvet-Ladubay offer both pleasure and good value combined. All reasons why I continue to follow this house (and not some others), and continue to add the wines to my cellar. (14/8/07, updated 1/8/08, 6/2/14, 16/10/26)
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