Concealed bottles ready to taste
 

Today was the occasion to choose Le Master (Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine) for 2010. The almost unanimous choice was the 2010 from Charpentier-Fleurance in Le Landreau-Bretonnière.
 
Launched in 1984 the concept of Le Master was established in the 1980s when Donatien Bahuaud was still family owned. The final selection would be made by a panel of tasters including oenologists, journalists etc. with the winning wine sold under the name of Le Master. When Donatien-Bahuaud went bust and was bought by Grand Chai de France this practice ceased. However, when Ackerman bought the Donatien brand in 2009 from Gabriel Meffre, they decided to relaunch Le Master. Once more there is a super-jury that makes the final selection.

I was invited last year to judge but unfortunately was in the UK, so unable to make it. This year as the tasting is a bit earlier it was possible with an early start from Bléré-la-Croix by train to Nantes.

Just as last year the tasting, followed by lunch, was held at La Cigale, a café-brasserie that is a Nantais institution.

We had ten bottles of 2010 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine to taste. Much of our work had already been done with a pre-selection process whittling down some 68 samples to ten.

My favourite wine turned out to be the overall winner – no 4 in the order. Next was Joseph Petiteau – Vigne et Saveurs and the third – Luneau Courtage, Vignobles Delaunay. I found Charpentier-Fleurance the best balanced with a lemony, mineral nose and good palate weight plus a long fresh finish. It certainly stood out in the line-up.

Tasters@work

All the stress of collating the results!

La Cigale: outside and the bar inside

Shellfish stall outside La Cigale

Preparing oysters

Bernard Jacob, director-general of Ackerman

Charpentier-Fleurance

La Bretonnière 
44430 Le Landreau
Tel: 02 40 06 43 39 

I didn't get a chance to taste many Loire wines at the London Wine Trade Fair this year but I did stop by the Ackerman stand to try their popular rosé fizz, which is made from Pineau d'Aunis sourced in the valley of Le Loir. X Noir has the characteristic spicy, peppery flavour of Pineau d'Aunis. First launched in 2007 X Noir's main customers are young women up to the age of 35. X Noir has its own blog.

A number of very attractive rosés are made from Pineau d'Aunis in the Cher Valley. Usually they are pale coloured as the grapes are pressed immediately without any skin contact. For the moment these are usually sold as Appellation Touraine but under the proposed bizarre reforms of the Touraine appellation pure Pineau d'Aunis rosés will not be allowed. A local variety, Pineau d'Aunis after some years in the wilderness is now inceasing valued. As well as making attractive spicy rosés, it also makes good, light and delicious summery reds.       

 
X Noir's tag

Ackerman was founded in 1811 and this year celebrates its bicentenary. It was the first of the Saumur sparkling wine houses to be established. During this year's Salon des Vins Loire the company launched a book that covers the company's history written by Goeffrey Ratouis. 

Further details when I have had a chance to read the book.

Update: 23.20

Got well stuck into this on the QueasyJet flight to Lisbon this evening. Clear that while this might be the bicentennary of the association between Jean-Baptiste Ackerman and Jean-Pierre Laurance, it is certainly not the bicentennary of sparkling wine from Ackerman. Ratouis concludes that Jean-Baptiste was not making sparkling wine in commercial quantities until 1845, although Ackerman can have the distinction of being the first sparkling wine house of Saumur.