Lionel Gosseaume: Tasting & Drinking
Lionel Gosseaume turns out an attractive, whistle-clean range of wines made using traditional but not necessarily well-known Touraine varieties. They all have something to say, although to me it is his work with the lesser-known varieties that speak loudest of all. This is especially true with the Meslier-Saint-François, the backbone of the Climat No. 2 cuvée. Nevertheless, I must stress that this wine is not simply a curiosity, to be snapped up by those keen to tick this variety of their tasting ‘life-list’, or savoured by members of the Anything But Chardonnay club. The wine has intrinsic merits, is dripping with fascinating aromas of pear and peach, intertwined with brighter and more peppery notes of nettles and dandelions. I hope Lionel continues on with this parcel, and perhaps we will one day see a cuvée made entirely using this variety?
Do not ignore the remainder of Lionel’s wines though, as they all have a bright and fresh character worth experiencing. The blended cuvées such as Les Sauterelles are serviceable, but the Climat No.1, Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine Oisly appellation, is no less interesting than its rarer counterpart described above. (10/10/14)
