Chéreau-Carré, 2018 Update
The Chéreau family can trace their presence in the Muscadet region back to at least 1412; this long history is mirrored by the prevalence of the name Chéreau among the vignerons of the region, some of whom are close relatives, others rather more distant. Nevertheless, this particular branch of the Chéreau family did not take to viticulture as a business until the middle of the 20th century, following World War II.
It was a Bernard Chéreau who kickstarted the development of the domaine. In 1953 he purchased Château de Chasseloir, and when he married Edmonde Carré soon afterwards she brought Château l’Oiselinière into the fold, creating the a unified domaine under the name of Chéreau-Carré in the process. Since 2001 the next generation, also named Bernard, has held the reins; he decided to focus on the individuality of the various vineyards the family possess. He expanded their portfolio of vineyards, and did much to raise quality, not to mention their profile, both in the region and beyond.
Today Bernard Chéreau remains intrinsically involved in the running of the family’s vineyards, but his daughter Louise Chéreau also plays a significant role. On this occasion I met up with Bernard and Louise to taste though a selection of their wines, focusing on new releases, but with a few more mature bottles as well.
The Wines
The majority of the wines tasted here came from Château de Chasseloir. After a decent entry-level wine in the 2015 vintage, the 2014 Cuvée des Ceps Centenaires showed the value of old vines, here combined with the energy that comes with the 2014 vintage which has always tended towards a fresher, more tense and acid-defined style. This is a cuvée that can age well, evidence for this presented by Bernard and Louise in the shape of the 2009 and 2005 vintages; I have tasted both vintages before, at home, and in this more recent encounter both showed very well indeed. This old-vine cuvée is certainly worthy of some time in the cellar.
