Sébastien David, 2014 Update
I don’t find it surprising that the wines of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil are under-appreciated. After all, the red wines of the Loire Valley remain a niche interest (despite my best efforts!), and within this small arena there is little to make Bourgueil and its neighbour stand out when compared to what are perhaps better-known appellations. There is no great historical context against which to view the wines, and no grand château, and so the town and appellation are at an immediate disadvantage when compared to the likes of Chinon or Saumur. And when it comes specifically to winemaking even though there are some fine domaines here none have figurehead or unicorn status; there is no Clos Rougeard, Charles Joguet or Couly-Dutheil. The closest we might get is, perhaps, Pierre Jacques Druet.
The upshot of this is that Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil can be too easily overlooked; this is a great shame as having visited both appellations in the last year or so, and being increasingly familiar with the wines, it seems clear to me that there are some interesting and indeed exciting domaines here. I began to understand this when I first met with Sébastien David a few years ago. Tasting with him again in 2014 I was reminded of his very individual approach to winemaking and the eclectic portfolio of wines that results.
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