Lionel Gosseaume, 2019 Update
It can be tough making your mark in the Touraine appellation, a very broad wine region which could be accused, especially with recent changes in appellation regulations, of fostering mediocrity and anonymity. Lionel Gosseaume (pictured) is one who has, however, managed to establish a good reputation while working within the confines of this regional appellation, helped by tending some select parcels of wines, planted with at least one rare variety alongside all the Touraine staples. He has also benefitted from one of the more positive developments in the appellation, the creation of the Touraine Oisly appellation, but I suspect his success is largely down to dedication and a strong commitment to making drinkable wines of good quality.
In this most recent tasting with Lionel I checked out five of his most recent releases.
The Wines
The stand-out wine in this tasting was the 2017 Touraine Rouge Les Marcottes, a cuvée from 45-year old Gamay vines, vinified using carbonic maceration, the end result full of crushed cherry stones and fragrant perfume, and ready to drink now. At the other end of the spectrum was the 2015 Touraine Rouge Climat No. 3, a wine I have enjoyed before but which in this encounter displayed a rather gamey aromatic development with more than a hint of the horse box to it. I suspect Brettanomyces may be the problem here, and another bottle may prove superior.
The 2017 Touraine Rosé Les Galipettes seemed to be tiring a little, and Lionel was only pouring this as he waited for his 2018 to be ready for bottling. I suspect the 2017 has otherwise now all been sold, and presumably drunk up, and rightly so.
