Domaine des Huards, 2015 Update
Alongside Domaine de Montcy, on which I published a 2015 tasting update yesterday, another leading domaine in the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny appellations worth knowing of is Domaine des Huards. There is a broad array of interesting wines waiting to be discovered here, because proprietor Michel Gendrier (pictured below) not only turns out a very worthy range of wines from Cheverny (I am especially keen on his upper-level wines, which show that it is not only Sancerre that can cast the spotlight on Pinot Noir in the Loire Valley) he also works with Romorantin in Cour-Cheverny. His flagship label, the Cour-Cheverny François 1er, is one of the top examples of this latter variety, and it featured in my recent Loire 2005 at Ten Years report.
The Wines
Kicking off with the whites, I soon realised Michel had a couple of treats waiting for me. A 2011 Cour-Cheverny Romo was a good start, this entry-level wine showing well. This is despite the fact this vintage was one that was far-from consistent for the Loire Valley; some regions and styles did really well, taking advantage of the Indian summer, while some suffered with humidity and rot. In short, it was a complex affair. Not so 2009, this being a much warmer and less erratic vintage, the only complaint I have had with some of the dry whites in 2009 is that they lack a little acid definition. Romorantin is naturally a high-acid variety though, so that’s unlikely to be true of Cour-Cheverny, and indeed the 2009 Cour-Cheverny François 1er was absolutely top class, a wine worth buying and laying down.
Which is exactly what I have done.
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