Clos Roussely, 2020 Update
The vineyards of Clos Roussely were once a dependence of Château d’Angé, but in 1917 they were acquired by Anatole Roussely, the domaine rechristened at this time to reflect the identity of its new owner. They have remained with the same family ever since, and are today tended by Anatole’s great grandson, Vincent Roussely. He has done much to repurpose the domaine, shifting its focus away from his father’s work as a négociant, choosing instead to concentrate more (although not exclusively) on wines made from the domaine’s 8 hectares of vines.
The vineyards have been organic since 2004, and certified as such after the mandatory three-year period in 2007. The fruit is picked by hand and vinified in the Roussely cellars which are dug deep into the limestone rock which typifies this region. The approach taken by Vincent (pictured) is modern, with vinification largely in stainless steel, with some use of large barrels or amphorae, depending on the cuvée.
On this occasion I met up with Vincent in Tours to check out a small selection of recent releases.
The Wines
This was a five-wine journey through the 2018 vintage, surely the greatest vintage the 21st century has seen for red wines, with more variable success in white (depending on exactly what you are looking for in both styles, of course). The two whites tasted here, the 2018 Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Le Clos and 2018 Irréductible Blanc, display both positive and negative aspects of the vintage, in that they are each blessed with a rich and pithy texture, this being a vintage of ripe substance and exuberant fruit expression, but each is also built around the typically low acidity of 2018. They are both fine for drinking now, and if lush drinkability was the only criterion it could be argued they deserve higher scores. There is more to wine though, and I can’t see either of these wines aging well, or developing great complexity. But was that every their purpose? Drink them now for the joy of them.
