Philippe Delesvaux, 2013 Update
It has been quite a while since I have cast the spotlight on the wines of Philippe and Catherine Delesvaux, which is a shame because I find everything here quite charming. Both Philippe and Catherine are warm, open-hearted people with a good sense of humour. And like the winemakers, the wines too have charm, showing the warm and pastoral softness of the Anjou vineyards from which they originate. They almost certainly deserve more of my time than I have previously given them.
The focus here is undoubtedly Coteaux du Layon, although there are also wines made under the Anjou Blanc and Anjou Rouge appellations, the former being of certain interest, the latter perhaps not the strongest facet of the portfolio. The vineyards are managed with organic methods, the domaine having been certified by ECOCERT, with subsequent FNIVAB certification of his biodynamic status on top of this. The fruit is picked in tries, with the fermentations carried out on a small-scale plot-by-plot and tri-by-tri basis. The style is quite classic, the dry wines often exhibiting the softer, more autumnal side of Anjou, and on occasion something of an oxidative style (although Philippe has denied this when it was brought up in conversation – but I think I know oxidation when I see it). The sweet wines vary from bright and accessible to rich and lusciously concentrated, but all are worth experiencing.
The Wines
I met up with Catherine (pictured) and Philippe in February 2013 to taste through the latest releases, a mix of the 2011 and 2010 vintages. We started with two Anjou Blanc cuvées, with the 2011 Feuille d’Or, made using the fruit of grafted vines, coming first. Unlike the 2008 vintage, which had a distinctly oxidative character, this wine was crisp and clean, the main softener coming from the 15 g/l residual sugar. I have to confess on this occasion, however, I preferred the 2010 Authentique (although note the different vintage), again with a slightly fat 25 g/l residual sugar; Philippe describes it as sec-tendre, but to me it was definitely in the realms of demi-sec rather than anything merely ‘tender’. An attractive wine, taking this into account though, with a lovely, clean polish to it.
