Lionel Gosseaume, 2023 Update
Keen to remain connected with the less famous appellations of the Loire Valley (because there is more to the Loire than Sancerre – but of course you knew that already) I never miss an opportunity to taste (and occasionally drink) the wines of Lionel Gosseaume.
This is one reason why one particular wine caught my eye a week or two ago. Browsing the shelves of a local caviste (well, alright, I admit it was actually a French supermarket, but one that carries a strong range of wines from the Loire and, strangely, an impressive array of Bordeaux classed growths and Sauternes) my eye was not drawn to the old vintages of Château Lagrange and Virginie de Valandraud, or indeed the impressive range of vintages of Château Rieussec on offer, but to a red Touraine from Domaine de Pierre.
The name seemed familiar, but while the cogs turned and the valves whistle I could recall the identity of the vigneron concerned. Happily the back label provided the answer; Domaine de Pierre is home to Lionel Gosseaume, who has close to 30 hectares of vines in the Touraine and Touraine Oisly appellations, including a fascinating mix of less commonly encountered varieties such as Menu Pineau and François St Meslier. He also just happens to be, at the time of writing, the president of InterLoire, the region’s interprofessional body. It was a salutatory reminder that, while I taste and write up his wines under his name, in many markets – including France, the USA and sometimes even here in the UK – the wines go by this other name.
So if you spot a wine from Domaine de Pierre on the shelf, do give it a whirl. I did. In the meantime, here are some notes on a few other wines I tasted with Lionel earlier this year.
