Jacques Rouzé, 2019 Update
Jacques Rouzé is one of the leading domaines in the Quincy appellation. The domaine is now largely in the hands of Jacques Rouzé’s son Côme, although not before a slice was first carved out for Côme’s sister, Adèle Rouzé. Having said that, while the two siblings run what would seem to be separate domaines, it is clear that they still work together; they run their ‘domaines’ from the same office, pick together across their shared vineyards, and vinify their fruit side-by-side in the cellars.
Côme Rouzé was pretty content with the 2018 vintage. “It was a ‘solaire’ vintage”, he told me, “the grapes were very clean, with no disease, and good potentials, between 12.5% and 13%. The wines have a good balance and freshness”. I asked Côme if they had not been hit by the mildew that had been a problem in various corners of the Loire Valley, and Bordeaux for that matter. “We did have some mildew, but we paid attention to the vines, and dealt with it, and so we had a good harvest all the same”. It seemed to me that Côme (pictured) was making light of what was surely a trying time in the vineyard.
The Wines
I have already published tasting notes on several of the wines tasted, including Côme’s entry-level Quincy cuvée and the solitary cuvée from Adèle, in my Loire 2018 report, so that leaves just four cuvées to comment on here. The 2018 Quincy Les Grandes Vignes de Villalin was a charmer from the very outset, pithy and chalky, betraying its calcareous origins, which are rare in this appellation. Even so, it was surpassed by the domaine’s top cuvée from the same vintage, the 2018 Quincy Vignes d’Antan. This latter wine could challenge many of is Sauvignon peers from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé.
