Le Sot de L’Ange: Tasting & Drinking
Quentin Bourse was a very interesting addition to the Loire Valley wine matrix, and he quickly gathered a legion of dedicated followers, particularly among (although by no means restricted to) merchants, bloggers and wine fans who lean more towards the ‘natural’ side of wine. I was pleased to meet him in 2017, even if he had only a very small selection of his portfolio of wines to pour. Nevertheless it was a valuable introduction to the man, his preferred style of wine, and his portfolio of cuvées.
There was no denying Quentin’s drive and enthusiasm, and this translated into an energy and vivacity within the wines. Those I tasted tended towards the vin de soif style, fun wines which display the eagerness of a terrier chasing a ferret. One or two are certainly not in my favoured style though, with smudged-fruit aromatics and flavour profiles, stewed rather than fresh fruit flavours, both in white and red, when the flavours seem more pruney and raisined than I would like to find in the Loire Valley. A certaing lack of precision and freshness which I suspect reflected Quentin’s perferences and methods when working in the cellar.
Other cuvées, however, were certainly more convincing, with the 2015 Sottise Rouge a perfect example of a red vin de soif, while it was difficult not to find at least some joy within the 2015 Sottise Bulles, a pétillant cuvée made from Grolleau de Cinq-Mars. Sadly, with the domaine have been wound up in 2022, we will never get to see how Quentin’s portfolio of wines may have developed. (10/1/18, updated 7/11/25)
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