1997 Côtes de Forez, Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel
This week there has been much talk – admittedly mainly in France and possibly Japan – of Beaujolais Nouveau and to lesser extent Touraine Primeur. So it seemed appropriate to try some older Gamay this week. Although I would be happy to try a few Touraine Gamay Primeurs if I happened to be in the Loire, in London the fashion for Beaujolais Nouveau has long receded and few supermarkets now bother with it.
There was no sign of any BN during a quick visit to Sainsbury's at Dog Kennel Hill, East Dulwich and as far as I know Tesco are not selling any either, although Waitrose have some on line.
Anyway back to the mature Gamay. Tuesday night we tried a bottle of 1997 Côtes de Forez from Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel. We hadn't intended to keep this so long but somehow it got mislaid. I think we must have acquired it during a visit to the Côte de Forez and the Côte Roannaise in August 1998. Verdier and Logel are one of the few independent producers in the Côtes de Forez, an AC since 2000 with some 200 hectares of Gamay planted. Gamay is the sole permitted variety here – producing mainly red but a little rosé and even some sparkling. Most of the wine is made by the co-operative based at Trelins.
Accordig to their website they have 17 ha of vines – 14.5 ha of Gamay with 2.5 of Pinot Gris and Viognier. A few growers in the Côte Roannaise are experimenting with Viognier, which has to be sold in both appellations as a vin de pays. The Verdier-Logel vines are cultivated organically.
The Côtes de Forez is the Loire first appellation you reach as the river flows away from its source – about 150 kilometres from the Gerbier de Jonc where the Loire rises.
Although the 1997 would properly have been best drunk three or four years ago and was a little faded, it still had sweet fruit – typical of 1997 – and a noticeable Gamay character. Although not designed for long aging, this Gamay showed that it did have a potential to age. How much it had benefitted from quite extended bottle age is another matter.
Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel
La Côte
42130 Marcilly le Châtel
Tél. 04 77 97 41 95
Fax. 04 77 97 48 80
mail : contact@verdier-logel.com
There was no sign of any BN during a quick visit to Sainsbury's at Dog Kennel Hill, East Dulwich and as far as I know Tesco are not selling any either, although Waitrose have some on line.
Anyway back to the mature Gamay. Tuesday night we tried a bottle of 1997 Côtes de Forez from Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel. We hadn't intended to keep this so long but somehow it got mislaid. I think we must have acquired it during a visit to the Côte de Forez and the Côte Roannaise in August 1998. Verdier and Logel are one of the few independent producers in the Côtes de Forez, an AC since 2000 with some 200 hectares of Gamay planted. Gamay is the sole permitted variety here – producing mainly red but a little rosé and even some sparkling. Most of the wine is made by the co-operative based at Trelins.
Accordig to their website they have 17 ha of vines – 14.5 ha of Gamay with 2.5 of Pinot Gris and Viognier. A few growers in the Côte Roannaise are experimenting with Viognier, which has to be sold in both appellations as a vin de pays. The Verdier-Logel vines are cultivated organically.
The Côtes de Forez is the Loire first appellation you reach as the river flows away from its source – about 150 kilometres from the Gerbier de Jonc where the Loire rises.
Although the 1997 would properly have been best drunk three or four years ago and was a little faded, it still had sweet fruit – typical of 1997 – and a noticeable Gamay character. Although not designed for long aging, this Gamay showed that it did have a potential to age. How much it had benefitted from quite extended bottle age is another matter.
Odile Verdier and Jacky Logel
La Côte
42130 Marcilly le Châtel
Tél. 04 77 97 41 95
Fax. 04 77 97 48 80
mail : contact@verdier-logel.com
