Loire 2015 at Three Years
A return to the 2015 Loire vintage has, for me, been on the cards for some time. For at least a year in fact. I gained a lot of pleasure from last year’s review of the Loire 2014 vintage at three years of age; first, because after a run of challenging vintages (well, challenging in some parts, especially for reds), most of the wines were a joy to taste, and to drink. And second, because returning to the wines in bottle allowed me to develop a stronger and more confident understanding of the vintage. At the moment of publication I committed to doing the same with the 2015 vintage, and I promptly began gathering together bottles. And so, nearly 18 months on from that tasting, which I published back in June 2017, here we are.
Having originally thought I might also publish this 2015 Loire report in June this year, it is clear that I am running a little late. There is one simple explanation for my apparent tardiness, and it is down purely to the quality of the vintage. Looking specifically to the red wines of the Loire Valley, while 2014 was a very good vintage for Cabernet Franc, 2015 has raised its game, and this undoubtedly superior vintage sits comfortably alongside some of the region’s greatest red-wine years. Years such as 2009, 2005, 2003, 1996, 1990 or 1989. And not only is it an excellent vintage for reds, but the whites are also of top quality, albeit in a richer style which reflects the warm and benevolent growing season. And, as if that weren’t enough, there are some superb sweet wines too. This broad success is the reason why I have been more tardy in publishing this report. I have been buying a lot of wines for future drinking in this vintage, and these past few months I have been swamped by repeated waves of 2015s arriving at my door.
