Posts Tagged ‘Loire’
Authentic, tonic and delicious
Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine 2011, Clisson, Ollivier Père et Fils ($20.25, 12259992)
Muscadets now have recognized crus communaux, or village crus, one of which is Clisson. 100% Melon de Bougogne. Matured on the lees for 24 months in stainless steel tanks. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: A.O.C. & Cie – Châteaux et Domaines.
The kind of nose that makes a Muscadet lover’s mouth watering: lemon, green apple peel, veins of chalk and flint, hints of straw, hay, honey and sea spray. In the mouth, the wine has an oily verging on weighty texture. It’s fruity but dry. There are minerals (but not as many as the nose lead you to expect), nipping acidity and a touch of bitterness on the rainwatery finish. Authentic, tonic and delicious, a valiant effort in a so-so vintage and one of the few characterful Muscadets sold at the SAQ. Here’s hoping it becomes a regular. About perfect with moules marinières (recipe follows) and excellent with La Sauvagine cheese. An SAQ wine advisor reports that the tail end of a sampled and simply restoppered bottle was even more impressive – broader, deeper and longer – the next day. (Buy again? Yes.)
Despite claims to the contrary, it appears Ollivier Père is not Marc Ollivier, co-owner of one of top two or three estates in Muscadet, Domaine de la Pépière. Confusingly, Web searches turn up photos of earlier vintages of a Clisson from Pépière with an identical label. Even more confusingly, Pépière is represented in Quebec by Vinealis, whereas this wine is brought in by AOC. Vinealis’s head honcho, André Papineau, explains all in the comments below.
MWG October 2nd tasting: Cabernet Francness
Guiberteau makes three red Saumurs, all from Cabernet Franc. For each, the organically farmed grapes are picked by hand, sorted and fully destemmed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration take place in concrete vats and last ten to 60 days depending on the vintage and cuvée. Nothing is added during the winemaking process except a minimal amount of sulphur dioxide at bottling.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($25.15, 10516465)
100% Cabernet Franc from organically farmed vines planted in 1955 and 1957. About three-quarters of the fruit typically comes from Les Arboises and the remainder from Les Motelles. Maturation is in neutral (third- and fourth-fill) barrels for nine to 18 months depending on the vintage. About 10,000 bottles made. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
A little sweaty and farty at first but then a classic Cabernet Franc nose of red berries, spice (“cardamom” per one taster), dried wood and green pepper. Medium-bodied and dry, young and bright. The fruit is pure, the acidity sweet, the tannins slender and just firm enough. The long finish is marked by mineral and forest floor aromas and hint of black licorice. Refreshing and so easy to drink. The winemaker says this will age five to ten years from vintage, but I’d find its youthful freshness hard to resist. (Buy again? For sure.)
Saumur 2011, Les Motelles, Domaine Guiberteau ($44.00, 12114822)
Planted in 1955, Les Motelles in a 1.4-hectare lieu-dit located in Montreuil-Bellay. The soil is gravelly clay. Guiberteau keeps the yields at an astoundingly low 25 hl/ha. Matured in second-, third- and fourth-fill barrels for at least 18 months. In most years, about 4,000 bottles are made. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Ash, red and black currants, dried leaf and slate. Lush and velvety on the surface. Despite the underlying acidity, the wine comes across as a bit lumbering alongside the other two wines in the flight, lacking the domaine’s fleetness and the Arboises’s refinement. The ripe fruit holds no hint of greenness while the tannins are round and plush. The wood is detectable only on the long finish and will be fully integrated in a year or two. The winemaker says this will age more than ten years. (Buy again? A fine wine but I’d pony up the extra $8 and buy the Arboises.)
Saumur 2011, Les Arboises, Domaine Guiberteau ($52.00, 12114857)
Les Arboises is a 1.65-hectare lieu-dit with chalky-clayey soil in Brézé. The vines were planted in 1957. Matured in a mix of new and first- and second-fill barrels. In most years, about 4,000 bottles are made. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Beautiful, complex bouquet with all of the above and more, including spice chest and faint toast. Structured and taut, with a velvety texture. The ripe fruit is in perfect balance with the fine, lightly astringent tannins and sleek acidity. A floral note (violet?) chimes in on the long finish. So pure, so fresh, so profound. A gorgeous wine with a decade or two of life ahead of it. If a Pauillac mated with a Vosne-Romanée, their offspring might be something like this. (Buy again? A case if I could afford one.)
(Flight: 3/6)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Chenintensity
Writing up my tasting note on Domaine Guiberteau’s delicious 2013 Saumur Blanc (the domaine bottling) back in September, I noticed that six of the estate’s seven wines were currently available in Quebec. Whence the idea for this and the following flight.
Mentored by Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, 40-something Romain Guiberteau has been making wines from his family’s vines since the late 1990s. The 12-hectare estate, 9.4 hectares of which are planted to vines, comprises parcels in Montreuil-Bellay, Saint-Just-sur-Dive and, above all, Brézé, a legendary climat for white varieties. The vines, about evenly split between Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, range in age from four to 80 years, with most toward the upper end of the range. Guilberteau has been farming organically since 2000 and received AB certification in 2007. The wines are well regarded – Guiberteau is widely viewed as a rising star of Saumur – and are found on the lists of many of France’s top restaurants.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($23.45, 12370658)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed, five- to 60-year-old vines grown in the estate’s three main vineyards. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete tanks. Spent several months on the lees with no stirring. No additives other than sulphur dioxide. Lightly filtered before bottling. 11.5% or 12% ABV, depending on whom you believe. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Complex nose of white flowers, chalk and quartz, mowed meadow, lemon. One taster claimed to detect “wet tweed.” Clean, focused and bracing in the mouth, not extracted or weighty. Acidity is high but not sharp, instead conferring freshness and, in combination with the citrusy fruit and chalky minerals, tension. Long tart finish. An elegant, food-friendly wine. (Buy again? Def.)
Saumur 2012, Clos de Guichaux, Domaine Guiberteau ($30.00, 11461099)
Located in Bizay, near Brézé, the Clos de Guichaux is a monopole, meaning Guiberteau owns the entire vineyard and makes all the wine that comes from it. The chalky clay subsoil is covered only by a thin (30 cm) layer of topsoil. At present, about 1.5 hectares of a total 3 hectares has been planted, entirely to Chenin Blanc from massale cuttings taken from the estate’s best old vines in Brézé. As the cuttings were planted in 2003 and 2004, this is a young vines cuvée. The grapes were manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts and no chaptilization. Maturation lasted ten months and took place in second- to fourth-fill 600-litre oak barrels. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV. Québec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
People got caught up in exclaiming over “Bazooka gum wrapper” aromas but there was lots going on besides: quince, wool, dried honey, a veritable mine of minerals. In the mouth, it’s richer, minerallier and tighter than the domaine bottling. There’s so much stuffing you almost don’t notice the massive acidity. The fruit tends less to citrus, more to peach and apricot, and is buttressed by an intense minerality. A bitter honey note colours the long finish. A bit monolithic but, then again, this is nowhere near peak. (Buy again? Yes.)
Saumur 2011, Brézé, Domaine Guiberteau ($51.25, 12114831)
Sourced from two small parcels of half-century-old, low-yielding vines in the Brézé vineyard. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed, transferred into second- and third-fill 228-litre oak casks for fermentation and maceration on the fine lees for up to 24 months. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
A strong bacon aroma dominated the yellow fruit (stone and tropical), caramel, honey, chalky earth and oak (as distinct from vanillin, mocha and smoke). On the palate, suave and… bacony! Elegantly structured: the humming acidity, pure fruit, crunchy minerals and elegant wood are exquisitely balanced. That fruit? Yellow apple-ish and less extracted and driving than in the Guichaux but also deeper, more layered. The oak is discreet and integrating nicely. All the elements intertwine persistently on the long finish. Just beautiful though still a youngster. (Buy again? Yes, to cellar for five to ten years.)
Oddly, neither the Bazooka gum in the Guichaux nor the bacon in the Brézé were noticeable when the wines were opened and carafed, about an hour before they were tasted. The Brézé’s bacon began dissipating after 30 minutes in the glass and had disappeared entirely an hour or so later.
(Flight: 2/6)
MWG September 11th tasting: Grounded, alive, drinkable
Drawing inspiration from natural winemakers such as Yvon Métras and Dominique Derain and mentored by the likes of Eric Pfifferling and Olivier Cousin, young Benoit Courault worked at Domaine des Sablonettes before setting up shop in Faye d’Anjou about eight years ago. His vineyards, which total about 5 hectares, are planted to Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and a little Cabernet Sauvignon. He farms organically, works the soil with a horse, adopts a non-interventionist approach in the cellar and minimizes the use of sulphur. For an extended profile with lots of photographs, see this post on the Wine Terroirs blog.
Vin de France 2012, Les Tabeneaux, Benoit Courault ($28.70, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A middle-Loire blend of organically farmed Cabernet Franc and Grolleau (about 2/3 and 1/3 respectively) from five parcels. Destemmed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured in concrete tanks. Minimal or no added sulphur. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Glou.
Fresh but not herbaceous nose: plum, black raspberry, a floral note, a hint of ash. Smooth and round in the mouth, with soft tannins, an acidic hum, pure, ripe fruit, a slatey substrate and a long, clean, tartish finish. So grounded, so alive, so drinkable. Proved the perfect charcuterie wine, unfazed even by pickled pork tongue. (Buy again? Yes.)
(Flight: 5/9)
MWG September 11th tasting: Natural gas
Glou partner Jack Jacob joined the Mo’ Wine Group on September 11 to lead a tasting of several of the agency’s private imports. This being Glou, all the wines were natural (see this earlier post for a working definition) and many of the winemakers involved have shunned the restrictive controlled appellation designation. We began with an impressive sparkler.
Vin de France 2013, Pet’Sec Blanc, Domaine des Capriades ($31.50, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Based in the Loire Valley’s Touraine region, Capriades founder and co-owner, Pascal Potaire, is considered the king of pet nats (short for pétillants naturels, natural sparkling wines produced using the méthode ancestrale). This example is made from organically farmed Chenin Blanc with a dollop of Cabernet Franc (70-30, according to some reports). Spontaneous fermentation without additives. Maturation in old barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unsulphured and closed with a crown cap. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Glou.
Complex bouquet: apples, lemon, chalk, hint of perfume, eventually pipe tobacco. Fine bubbles, trenchant acidity, clean fruit, veritable strata of minerals and a very long tart and saline finish. Pet nats have a reputation for being summer sippers – off-dry fizzies for uncritical drinking – but this bone-dry and bracing wine is far more serious and accomplished than that: a refreshing and engaging aperitif that’s also substantial enough to accompany oysters on the half shell. (Buy again? Naturally.)
(Flight: 1/9)
Chenin again
While SAQ.com says this will be available shortly, it’s already on the shelves of several Montreal stores.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($23.45, 12370658)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed, five- to 60-year-old vines grown in the estate’s three main vineyards. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete tanks. No additives other than sulphur dioxide. Lightly filtered before bottling. 11.5% or 12% ABV, depending on whom you believe. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Whiffs of lemon, white minerals, ham brine, flowery meadow. Buoyant texture: light but very present. Sweet and sour fruit, zingy acidity, strong mineral undertow, the faintest hint of honey in the background and an ample, sustained finish. Clean and tonic if a bit wound-up and austere in the manner of a Savennières, not that there’s anything wrong with that. A fine, food-friendly wine with a few years’ cellaring potential. (Buy again? For sure.)
Sincere Sancerre
Sancerre 2013, Terroirs, Domaine Sylvain Bailly ($23.35, 10861808)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from vines 20-plus years old grown in various parcels. Manually harvested. The must produced by slow and gentle pneumatic pressing was chilled and clarified by settling. Alcoholic fermentation used indigenous yeasts, took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and lasted 15 to 30 days. The wine was matured on its lees in stainless steel tanks, then racked, cold-stabilized and lightly filtered. Bottled in the spring of 2014. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Dupré.
Textbook Sancerre nose: gooseberry, grass, chalk and flint, hints of kaffir lime leaf. Rounder and less sharp than expected, fruity but very dry. Green grapes, salt and minerals dance across the palate, then segue into a smooth finish marked by crescendoing chalk and tart acidity. Earlier vintages have had more dazzle but this is, as always, well made and very fairly priced. Good with the season’s first Trésor du large oysters on the half shell and with shrimp marinated and grilled with butter, lemon, garlic and tarragon. Certifiably great with Crottin de Chavignol. (Buy again? Sure.)
Aïoli monsters, unite!
While the weather forecast may not be particularly Provençal, you can be sure the food, wines and atmosphere will be when the Foodlab holds its annual aïoli monstre tomorrow. The garlic-rich menu features vegetables from Birri and rosés from oenopole stalwarts Gros’Noré, Breton and Thymiopoulos. Be there or be square!
Aïoli monstre par oenopole
Thursday, August 14, 2014, from 5 p.m. on
SAT Foodlab
1201 St. Lawrence Boulevard, 3rd floor
MWG June 12th tasting: Return of an old friend
Cour-Cheverny 2010, Domaine des Huards ($21.65, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Romorantin from 35-year-old organically and biodynamically farmed vines. Manually harvested, lightly pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured on the lees for six months. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Sour wax, yellow apple, straw, chalk and a touch of honey. Medium-bodied. Smooth, even a little waxy on the surface but with a acidic lemony core. Pear and minerals last well into the long, clean, bone-dry finish. Pure and intense, fresh and savoury: a delight. Can be aged up to a decade. (I successfully cellared several bottles of the 2001, for example. It probably peaked around 2007 though the last of my bottles, uncorked in 2012, was glorious for 15 or 20 minutes after opening and then quickly expired.) This used to be a staple at the SAQ and will be returning to the monopoly next year, likely in the form of the 2011. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
A night in Villeray
Fou du vin’s Chapitre de Villeray tasting group sometimes has a seat or two available for outsiders and I was lucky enough to snag one at their most recent event.
While there was reportedly some Pinon Vouvray sec floating around, for me the evening began with a glass of Givry 2010, Clos de la Servoisine, Domaine Joblot. The nose was textbook Côte Chalonnaise Chardonnay: lemon, apple, chalk, oats, a hint of butter and vanilla. Rich and mouth-filling but still fluid with a firm acidic backbone, tons of chalk, very pure fruit, well-integrated oak and a long clean finish. Tonic and delicious.
Glasses were shuffled as we moved on to the main event: a 12-bottle vertical of the Patrimoine line of Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil from Domaine Sébastien David (no website that I’ve found but the winemaker does have a blog). Turning 40 this year, David comes from a long line of Loire vignerons. His 15 hectares of Cabernet Franc vines were planted by his grandparents in the 1940s. The vines are farmed organically (the estate began converting to biodynamic farming in 2003) and the wine-making is fully natural. All the Patrimoine wines are made the same way: the whole clusters are crushed by foot, then macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open wood vats for around 25 days. This is followed by a light pressing in a manually operated vertical press. After maturation in barrels for 24 months, the wines are bottled unfiltered, unfined and with minimal added sulphur. In the winery, the grapes and wine are transferred by gravity, not pumping.
One particularity of the Patrimoine line is that the label, bottle shape and name is different for each vintage: 1999 through 2004, 2005 through 2010.
All the wines were carafed several hours before the tasting. All are listed as 12.5% ABV except the 2007, which officially clocks in at 12%. You’ll find my notes after the jump.
Brett happens 