Loire 2011 at Two Years: Anjou & Saumur
Every January I trek down to London for the annual Loire Benchmark Tasting, arranged by Loire courtier Charles Sydney. It is usually my first encounter with the latest vintage, and tasting notes on the wines I meet there, augmented by more extensive tastings the following month in Angers and Saumur, form the basis of my annual vintage report, such as my very recent Loire 2012 report.
The Benchmark Tasting also usually includes a number of wines from older vintages; the usual rule of thumb is that the Muscadets and Sauvignon Blancs hail from the most recent vintage, whereas the red wines and the Chenin Blancs often come from the previous vintage. This hopefully explains the origins of the tasting notes presented below; these wines were all tasted at the January 2013 Benchmark Tasting. This hopefully explains why I have this sudden rash of Loire 2011 notes to present; and it also explains why the focus here is Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc from Anjou and Saumur, and in the next instalment the same from Touraine, with not a bottle of Muscadet, Sancerre of Pouilly-Fumé to be seen anywhere.
Anjou Recap
Before coming to my notes, in makes sense to take a quick glance back at what the 2011 growing season meant for the region. One year ago it seemed that 2011 in Anjou was not destined to be a prodigious vintage, the year characterised by unseasonable ‘topsy-turvy’ seasons, a tale that was mirrored throughout the Loire and also Bordeaux. And yet despite that it seems clear now that there are some very good wines to be found.
