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Haut de la Gardière St Nicolas de Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2020

This week, another episode in the long running Loire Valley series, I’m Only Scratching The Surface, Yet I Keep Making New Discoveries, which is the catchiest title I could come up with. After diving into the 2020 Bourgueil from Domaine Guion just a few weeks ago, this week I have another Bourgueil in my glass, and while it hails from the same vintage it comes to us from an even less familiar domaine.

But wait a minute. Did I say Bourgueil? Mais oui! At the risk of upsetting the locals, especially those based in St Nicolas de Bourgueil, I hold the view that there are no tangible differences between the wines of the two appellations, and anyone who holds a contrary opinion is cordially invited to prove it by blind tasting. Both appellations sit side-by-side on the slopes and terraces above the Loire, and while there are profound differences moving up the slope – from the alluvial sands close to the river, over the gravel terraces, to the clay and limestone soils beneath the tree line – moving laterally along the slope reveals no comparable distinction. The division between the two appellations is purely political (very political- more on which below), following the boundary between the communes of St Nicolas de Bourgueil to the west, and Bourgueil to the east.

The origin of the separate appellations can be traced back to – and I am being kind with my words here – the self-belief of Adrien Ory, a local vigneron and mayor of St Nicolas de Bourgueil at the time the appellations were signed off, during the 1930s. There had long been a degree of rivalry, if not animosity, between the two communes, and seeing the expansive vineyard of St Nicolas de Bourgueil – by far the largest of the eligible communes – was about to be absorbed into an appellation named for Bourgueil, he removed St Nicolas de Bourgueil from the process, and thus two entirely distinct (but essentially matching) appellations were created.

Haut de la Gardière St Nicolas de Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2020

St Nicolas de Bourgueil was eventually admitted into the Bourgueil appellation (so today a vigneron with vines here could use either, rather like those in the appellation of Barsac can also make use of the Sauternes appellation) during the 1950s, but this only served to rub salt into the wound. The application to join the appellation was passed without difficulty, unsurprising given this had been the original intention, but it was later revealed that the vignerons of St Nicolas de Bourgueil intended to use Bourgueil as a method of declassification, bottling their best wines as St Nicolas de Bourgueil, and their lesser cuvées as Bourgueil. This is one way to tell your neighbours what you think of their wines, I guess.

If you want to know more of the two appellations, or indeed any Loire Valley appellation, check out my Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil guides, part of my broader Loire Valley wine guide. For the moment, let’s get back to scratching the surface of this surprisingly large appellation (there are a remarkable 1,100 hectares eligible for St Nicolas de Bourgueil) with this wine from Haut de la Gardière.

The domaine of Thierry Pantaléon, Haut de la Gardière is located just around the corner from Domaine du Mortier in the hamlet of La Gardière, which is located high up the slope (on the desirable clay and limestone soils). Having established himself here in 1983 Thierry seems to have since maintained a relatively low profile, seemingly relying on local and cellar-door sales rather than exporting. The domaine covers about 13 hectares of the appellation, and is run on conventional lines, what is often termed viticulture raisonnée. The range of wines is small, comprising a rosé, a domaine cuvée filled with bright fruit and this week’s Weekend Wine choice, an old vines cuvée.

In the glass the 2020 Haut de la Gardière St Nicolas de Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes from Thierry Pantaléon presents a lightly faded hue which suggests, when lined up against the bright crimson hue of the domaine cuvée (which I tasted alongside), a little barrel aging here. The aromatics are slow to unfurl but seem set to charm, with an array of classically savoury notes that could only come from Cabernet Franc, including pencil shavings, graphite and slate, all laid over a little blackcurrant skin. On the palate it starts cool and lean, and it maintains this stance through the middle, the savoury substance wrapped up in a ribbon of dry tannin, supported by a twist of fresh acidity. This is a delightful example of the Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil style which is drinking well now, but which I suspect will evolved nicely over the next three or four years. The alcohol declared on the label is 13%. 92/100 (21/4/25)

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