On Monday just had a short time to pop into this tasting held at The Deck of the National Theatre before heading off to the RSJ's 30th anniversary dinner. The wines in the tasting are recommended by wine writers in several price categories. There were some interesting Loires included.
Wines tasted:
2009 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Domaine Bois-Maligne (£5.99 Morrisons)
Easy drinking, lemony Muscadet. Selected by Tom Cannavan.
2009 Fief Guérin, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie, Jérôme Choblet (Waitrose £5.99)
Crisp and lemony with more weight and length than previous wine. Selected by Sarah Ahmed.
Screwcap for Jérôme's wine – surely the way ahead for Muscadet!
2009 Romorantin, Vin de France, Un Saumon dans La Loire, Frantz Saumon (£15.50 Les Caves de Pyréne)
2007 Le Volagré, Montlouis, Stéphane Cossais (£29.99 Les Caves de Pyréne)
Fine Romorantin from Frantz Saumon, wearing his négociant hat. Attractive lemony and minerla weight, touch of honey and good length. Selected by Sarah Ahmed.
The wine of the tasting showing the talent of the late Stéphane and revealing that his wines were getting better and better. Sadly we will never know what heights he might have reached. Rich, mouthfilling wine with lovely precision and length. All the cleanness of 2007 with a hint of honey and a tuch of oak still. A fitting tribute to a great winemaker and generous and unassuming character. Selected by Anthony Rose.
2009 Sauvignon de Touraine Domaine Mardon (£8.95 Swig Fine Wines)
Quite an aggressive and in your face style style of Touraine Sauvignon. Zesty, nettley and certainly hits the popular image of Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Selected by Jane Parkinson.
Have tasted and drunk Eric's Fié Gris over the past two or three years and it always impresses – on this occasion spice, touch of tar, real character and length. Given how good Fié Gris can be – Eric's, of course, but also from Jacky Preys in Touraine – it is surprising that it isn't more widely planted in the Loire since the rare examples are often more interesting than many Sauvignon Blancs.
Sainbury's have long stocked this Chinon, this 2008 is in a quite ripe, light style with sooty fruit. Selected by Tim Atkin MW.
2009 Fié Gris, vdp Val de Loire, Eric Chevalier, Domaine de l'Aujardière (£14.95 Lea & Sandeman)
Front and back label
2009 L'Ardoise, Anjou Rouge, Domaine des Rochelles, JHC Lebreton (£7.95 The Wine Society)
Onto the reds with this Anjou from Jean-Hubert Lebreton – soft and juicy with sooty aromas, grip in finish and acidity in finish. Needs to be drunk with food. Selected by Sarah Ahmed.
2008 Chinon, Domaine du Colombier (£5.99 Sainbury's)
Sainbury's have long stocked this Chinon, this 2008 is in a quite ripe, light style with sooty fruit. Selected by Tim Atkin MW.
2007 Les Cailleries, Sancerre Rouge, Domaine Vacheron (£17 The Wine Society)
Hint of a gamy aroma with the precision and edge of the 2007 vintage – quite lean and needs food. Selected by Amy Wislocki.
