Michel Autran, 2017 Update
Michel Autran (pictured) is one of the Loire Valley’s relative newcomers. A doctor specialising in emergency medicine, he felt the pull of the vine. After gaining some experience working with François Pinon and Vincent Carême, he bought his first hectare of vines. Further acquisitions mean the domaine now accounts for more than 4 hectares of the appellation. Michel therefore joins a group of relatively recent additions to the Vouvray scene, others also newcomers, such as Peter Hahn of Clos de la Meslerie and Tanguy Perrault of Domaine Perrault-Jadaud, while others are next-generation notables, including Sébastien Brunet and the Cosme siblings, Florent Cosme and Mathieu Cosme.
On this most recent encounter with Michel I had the opportunity to get to grips not only with the latest vintages of Les Enfers Tranquilles and Le Ciel Rouge, but also to taste two new sparkling cuvées.
The Wines
Coming from a warm and generous vintage, it was surprising to find both the 2015 Les Enfers Tranquilles and 2015 Le Ciel Rouge demonstrating a certain reticence on this tasting. This was particularly unexpected in the case of the first of these two wines, as about one-quarter of the blend has gone through malolactic fermentation, an uncommon finding in Vouvray on the whole. Despite this the palate is somewhat obdurate, showing tart acidity, with just a light blanket of fruit. The 2015 Le Ciel Rouge showed a little more charm and willingness to engage, but I think both of these cuvées were in an awkward place and probably need to be left alone in the cellar.
