Jérémie Mourat, 2020 Update
You can’t rest on your laurels in a peripheral Loire Valley appellation such as the Fiefs Vendéens. The name of the appellation certainly isn’t going to help you sell your wines, not in the way that magic words such as Pomerol or Sancerre might. And that’s a shame, because these blends of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, or Gamay, Pinot Noir and Négrette can be intriguing wines which are surely worthy of our attention.
Jérémie Mourat (pictured) is one of a handful of dynamic vignerons working in the Fiefs Vendéens appellation who I have done my best to follow over the years. He has countered the disadvantages of working in these Ligérian backwaters by developing an interesting and multifaceted portfolio of wines which cover the whole spectrum from early-drinking vins de copains up to ageworthy and interesting cuvées in both white and red, led by Chenin Blanc from the Clos Saint-André and Pre-Phylloxerique, a cuvée of pure Négrette which, as the name suggests, comes from ancient pre-phylloxera vines.
The Wines
I tasted just shy of a dozen wines with Jérémie, all very recent or forthcoming releases. Not every wine deserves detailed examination, although some certainly do warrant a few words. From among the three rosés, while all will no doubt provide some charming drinking, I was quite taken with the 2019 Moulin Blanc Rosé, which had a vinosity and length I would not normally associate with this style. I don’t have a lot of time for rosé at home myself (I have far too much old Savennières and the like to work my way through) but if I were in the mood this would undoubtedly be one of my first choices.
