Lionel Gosseaume, 2016 Update
Whenever I have found myself lost in the sea of Touraine vineyards, I have to confess I have tended to swim for the safety of more familiar territory. That means Vouvray or Montlouis, Chinon or Bourgueil. Only a small number of domaines in the broader Touraine appellation have really enticed me, usually because there was be something special going on. The now defunct Clos Roche Blanche was one such example, the wines distinctive and on occasion delicious. And it was always had to refuse a taste of the wines of Thierry Puzelat, even if it was just because I knew the experience would at least be memorable.
Another vigneron of interest is Lionel Gosseaume (pictured), although here the appeal is not so cultish as it always was with Roussel and Barrouillet or as it still is with Puzelat. Indeed, Lionel Gosseaume’s philosophies regarding his work in the vineyard seem entirely conventional, and his approach to vinification, while perhaps a little idiosyncratic in parts, is not really that out of the ordinary. Where Lionel leads, however, is with the choice of varieties he has made. Where else can you taste Meslier-Saint-François, for example?
The Wines
Lionel poured five wines, starting with the 2015 Les Galipettes Rosé, a mix of Gamay, Côt and Pineau d’Aunis. This was pretty enough, although I preferred the 2015 Les Sauterelles, Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Sauvignon Gris for seasoning, which was an impressive wine, full of fresh citrus fruits framed with a musky, bright and aromatic periphery. The rather varietal 2014 Climat No. 1 was less appealing, here the Sauvignon Blanc showing a somewhat green and slightly grassy nuance.
