Loire 2014 at Three Years: White Wines
Rather than presenting my notes region by region, as is my custom with my Loire vintage reports, I have divided my tasting notes up by colour, as I tend to do when looking at more mature wines, such as my recent Loire 2005 at Ten Years tasting report. Here on this page I therefore present my notes on several dozen white wines from the 2014 vintage.
Although there are very good and excellent wines in both white and red in this vintage, 2014 is stronger for white wines than it is for reds. The purity of fruit and vibrant acid backbone that defines the vintage sits brilliantly in the context of Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Romorantin, Sauvignon Blanc and other white varieties, and there is broad and delicious success in these styles. With Cabernet Franc and its peers there are some caveats, and the wines need more particular examination. But I will save that for my report on the reds. Sticking with the white wines, in every region, with every white variety, there are great wines waiting to be found in this vintage.
The Wines
With so many notes presented below I will refrain from picking over how each and every wine faired in detail here, but certain wines do warrant a mention. In Muscadet, in any year Clos des Briords from Domaine de la Pépière is a yardstick by which the success of the vintage can be assessed, and in 2014 this is a deliciously textured, minerally and vibrant wine which will please any drinker of Muscadet.
