Yannick Amirault, 2014 Update
The appellations of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil don’t seem to enjoy the same reputation as Chinon, despite the fact that they are only twenty minutes apart by road, and share many features when it comes to terroir. Perhaps Chinon’s history, or its fine château, which was once home to Henry II and the Knights Templar who were incarcerated here (not at the same time, I hasten to add) gives the appellation more of a focal point, raising its profile. Or maybe it is the sheer quality of the wine from the limestone côte running out towards Cravant le Coteaux, from the likes of Philippe Alliet and Matthieu Baudry, that overshadows efforts in Bourgeuil. Whatever the reason, Bourgueil continues to wait in the wings, too easily overlooked, and yet there are some exceptionally high quality wines being made here.
Yannick Amirault is one of a handful turning out wines at a level to challenge the best in Chinon, making use of the sandy, gravelly and limestone terroirs here just as a Chinonais would do. The wines being made by Yannick and his son Benoît are among the very best in the appellation. Although there are maybe half a dozen names in the appellation turning out top quality wines that are worthy of our attention, I think Yannick’s are the most seriously styled, his wines the most capable of giving the very best in Chinon a run for their money.
The Wines
On this most recent tasting I looked predominantly at wines from the 2012 and 2011 vintages, neither of them easy years for Cabernet Franc in the Loire heartland. First up, two early-drinking cuvées from 2012 showed well, the 2012 La Coudraye (from sand) and 2012 La Mine (from gravel) exhibiting an appealing freshness and life. Evidently superior, however, were several wines from the 2011 vintage from the clay and limestone terroirs. The 2011 Le Grand Clos (from clay and flint) was my favourite of the line-up, with the 2011 Les Malgagnes (from limestone) just behind. The 2011 La Petite Cave (again, from limestone) did not show quite the same presence though, with a more crunchy style, the fruit not quite matching up to the structure of the wine.
