2010 harvest@Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil

This is a rather belated report on a tasting at the RSJ Restaurant on Monday 4th July featuring a range from the 2010 vintage. 2010 is an interesting contrast to 2009. Overall the wines, although they have good fruit, have crisper acidity and a more marked mineral character than the richer 2009. 

Growing season of 2010 the Loire divided climatically into two parts: west and east of Tours. To the west it was very dry with some parts of Anjou having virtually no rain in April and May then again in July and August. Over the the whole year Angers had 595mm of rain compared to the average of 647mm. The 2010 total was boosted by high rainfall in November and December. The Pays Nantais had a similarly dry summer. Average temperatures here in 2010 were 16.2˚C exactly in line with the norm average of 16.2˚C. In contrast the average for 2009 was considerably higher at 17.1˚C.

Further east in Bourges the rainfall total in 2010 was 691mm against a norm of 732mm. Although slightly below average, it was well above that of 2009 – 622mm. Average max temperatures in 2010 were 15.6˚C compared to the norm of 15.8˚C. 2010 was much cooler than 16.9˚C.

Aperitif:

2010 Sauvignon, Vin de Pays de la Loire, Domaine de Bablut

This Sauvignon Blanc from Christophe Daviau was for many among their favourite wines of the tasting. It immediately pointed up the difference between the 2009 and 2010 vintages. The 2009 SB Bablut was a fatter, richer wine with more exotic fruit flavours. In contrast, although the 2010 has some weight, it is more mineral and has more marked acidity.

Whites:

2010 AC Touraine Sauvignon, Clos Roussely, Vincent Roussely

Attractive crisp lemony fruit well balanced with mineral acidity. As is often the case the acidity is more marked on the Touraine Sauvignon than those from Anjou. Whites from the clay limestone soils of Saumur and Touraine tend to have higher levels of acidity than those from the impervious rocks and soils of Anjou.

2010 Quincy, Domaine des Ballandors, Jean Tatin and Chantal Wilk
The Ballandors' Quincy is quite lean and citric at present. It may take on more weight over the next few months.

2010 Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc, Ch de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

A change of grape variety here moving from the trio Sauvignon Blancs to Chenin Blanc. Again la Roulerie is quite crisp and lemony at present and may gain weight with a little more time in bottle. I found this showed better with the  

2010 3 Coteaux, Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

An ideal bracing aperitif – very clean citric flavours with light floral. Closed with a screwcap. Tasted without food this was the clear preference amongst the tasters. With the salmon the verdict was less clear cut.

Reds:

2010 Clos de la Bienboire, Château de Villeneuve, Jean-Pierre Chevallier  
This was probably the first time this new no sulphur cuvée from Jean-Pierre has been shown at a tasting in the UK. Its attractively soft, bright reds fruits are to be enjoyed now. A wine to drink with friends rather than on to analyse.   


2010 Les Rouillères, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau
Showing more concentration than the Bienboire with juicy black fruits to the fore. Can be kept two or three years but very good to drink now and enjoy the youthful fruit. 

2010 Anjou Rouge Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

Again black fruits to the fore being from Anjou the tannins are a little more present.

2010 Saumur Champigny, Domaine de Roches Neuves, Thierry GermainBright youthful, vibrant fruit – both red and black fruits. The 2010s from Thierry are a real success.  

1996 Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Jean & Christophe Baudry
We chose a 1996 to finish as it was our guess as a vintage that may give a clue as to how the 2010 may age. The mid-weight Vieilles Vignes has aged attractively with mature soft, round fruit. Ready to drink now it can be kept a while longer although I doubt if it will improve further.

Starter:

Ballotine of Salmon with cucumber dressing

Main:

Confit Duck leg

Saute potatoes, spinach, braised celery, carrots

Dessert
Griottine cherry and Greek yogurt jelly with whipped cream and shortbread

Pipette and glass@the cave Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

I spent this afternoon with Jacky Blot (Domaine de la Taille aux Loups) first visiting his new vineyard – Le Clos de Mosny – and then tasting from barrel a number of his 2010 Montlouis and Vouvray.

Jacky looking towards the south western end of the Clos

Jacky and Joëlle Blot took over the historic Clos Mosny from Monmousseau after the 2010 harvest. See the details here. Driving along the D40 from Saint-Martin-Le-Beau to Montlouis you pass the southern end of the Clos, whose walls completely encircle the 12ha vineyard and the Château de Mosny making 1.6 kilometres of wall to look after! Jacky has already hired a stonemason called Antoine to repair and look after the walls. I suspect he will be busy!

Ivy infested gateway

Although I had previously looked through the gate at the Clos I had never been inside, so it was particularly interesting to visit it with Jacky yesterday. It seems very likely that not all of the Clos will produce the same quality of grapes. The soil is a mix of flint and sand. Typically the soil in Montlouis becomes more sandy as you approach the southern part of the AC around Saint-Martin-le-Beau. The Clos slopes gently down from its northern end to the D40 road. It seems likely that the best part of the Clos, which faces south – south-west, will be from the upper and the middle parts. In the lower part the soil may be deeper with more clay. There looks to be a frost prone hollow at the south-western end. Some of the vines are around 50 years old.

The intention is that the best fruit from the Clos will be used for a single vineyard cuvée with the lesser fruit going into either Les Dix Arpents or to the base wine for Triple Zéro.

Pruning in the Clos (above and below)

Vines beyond the wall are part of the Clos Michet

Pruning has already started in the Clos as the cold snap at the end of November has allowed producers to start pruning earlier than normal. It makes particular sense in the clos as all the posts, etc. will be replaced here once pruning has finished. Yields will be drastically reduced – Jacky suggested that yields here in 2010 could have been in the order of 120/130 hl/ha, which was reduced at vintage time around 70hl/ha by discarding rotten bunches.

There is also a winery at the entrance to the Clos with a ground florr and cellar, which has a stock of bottles from the Monmousseau purchase. 

The Blots have a virtual monopoly of the Clos except for a small patch of untended vines (see below) at the northern end which belongs to the Château de Mosny, more an attractive manoir than a true château.

The Château de Mosny

It is a pity that the vineyard and the château have been in separate hands for some years now as there is a potential to make the Clos Mosny a show place for Montlouis.

Barrel tasting of 2010s

After visiting the Clos we headed back to the village of Husseau to taste the 2010s from both Montlouis and Vouvray from barrel – many of them still fermenting. It is always fascinating to taste wine at all of its stages, although it is difficult to fully know how the finished wine will taste, especially if there is still some sugar left to ferment and the blend is yet to be made. However, you can discern the broad outlines. At this early stage in their life they seem reminiscent to the 2007s and 2008s – very precise, clean flavours with quite strong acidity.

Among the many samples we tasted was the Clos Michet. 2009 was the first vintage of this Clos, which is adjacent and just to the west of the Clos Mosny. Michet is also 12 hectares but has a number of owners with Jacky now having some 4 hectares here as the deal with Monmousseau included some parcels in this Clos. My current impression is that Michet has less weight than Rémus, which comes from a number of parcels, but has delicacy, finesse and precision. We also tasted wine from the Château de la Bourdaisière, whose harvest Jacky has been looking after for the past three or four years.

Chassin – Jacky's preferred barrel maker

Jacky Blot (above and below)

**

I gather that sometime over the past year Domaine Deletang (20ha) was sold to Michel Antier, a wine producer (Domaine de Cray) and restaurateur (La Cave à Montlouis).

Discarded grapes

By late September/early October it was already clear that unlike Anjou, the 2010 vintage was going to be difficult as these photos taken at Domaine Huet's Clos du Bourg on 1st October show.

A victim of esca

View across the vines to the tower with some of the buildings of Tours in the background