Frédéric Mabileau, 2011 Update
I seem to be increasingly drawn to the white wines of Saumur and Anjou in the last year or two, more so than ever before. For most punters I suspect neither region is likely to be the first port of call in the search for a white wine from the Loire, as even those who can see past the domination of Sauvignon Blanc to the much more attractive (in my opinion) Chenin Blancs of Anjou and Touraine would most probably look to Vouvray (or these days also Montlouis), or perhaps Savennières, before turning to Saumur or Anjou. Both of these latter regions are more famous for red (Saumur & Saumur-Champigny) or sweet wines (from the Coteaux du Layon in particular) than for dry white wines.
Nevertheless the white wines of these regions are worth exploring, and they certainly offer a distinctive tasting experience that is different to that found in Vouvray, Montlouis or Savennières. Some have a surprising level of grip and structure, and are not necessarily the easy-going afterthoughts that you might expect. Some also show a remarkable degree of polish, and have clearly been fashioned by skilled hands. It is perhaps needless to say, then, that when I learnt that Frédéric Mabileau (pictured) had branched out with the release of two white cuvées, one an Anjou Blanc and one a Saumur, I was keen to get to grips with the wines.
Unlike nearby Chinon, where appellation regulations allow for white as well as the more famous red, this is not the case in Bourgueil or St Nicolas de Bourgueil, hence Frédéric has looked to these neighbouring appellations to make his white wines. But looking beyond his St Nicolas vines is nothing new to Frédéric, whose domaine lies on the cusp of the St Nicolas de Bourgueil and Anjou appellations, with vineyards on both sides of the border. This slightly peculiar arrangement has long given a curious twist to the Mabileau portfolio, this being the slightly incongruous appearance of a lone example of Anjou Rouge alongside the numerous different cuvées of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil. Thus Frédéric is one of only a handful of vignerons that is accustomed to regularly producing wines from both Anjou and Touraine terroirs.
