Le Rocher des Violettes: Tasting & Drinking
I first tasted the wines of Xavier Weisskopf barely minutes after those of Lise and Bertrand Jousset, and there was very little difference in terms of quality, with regard to the Montlouis-sur-Loire cuvées at least. Both had lovely lift and purity, with a definition that set them apart from the wines of this appellation that I recall tasting 15 or 20 years ago, which were all soft and slight blurry, with poorly-defined fruit and a simple, brown-sugar sweetness. If anything though, those from Le Rocher des Violettes perhaps had the greater sense of precision, but such differences are very minor, and both are clearly domaines to follow. If there was one arena where Xavier’s portfolio was undoubtedly more convincing it was with his red wines, which are vibrant, perfumed and truly intense, and yet with no hint of richness or fat. I don’t ever recall walking away from a tasting of Touraine wines wondering where I might be able to buy them. That surely says something for their quality, and for the skill of the hand and palate that made them.
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