2008 Clos le Grand Beaupréau, Savennières, Domaine Ogereau

After our return from Lisbon, Friday night was the first opportunity to have an evening of Loire wines for some time. We made a start with the 2008 Clos le Grand Beaupréau Savennières from Catherine and Vincent Ogereau as the aperitif. This Savennières comes from the vineyard that they share with Claude and Joëlle Papin and Yves and Marie-Annick Guégniard. This 2008 still has a touch of buttery oak in the good mouthfilling fruit – the richness balanced by minerality. A lovely glass with all the precision associated with the 2008 vintage.

2009 La Cerisaie, Anjou Rouge, Domaine de la Bergerie

We then enjoyed the easy drinking, juicy red and black cherry fruited Anjou Rouge with the roast chicken. Very much a wine to enjoy with friends – not one to analyse at length and it worked well with the chicken helping the flow of animated conversation with our neighbour. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc this is best drunk young to enjoy its fruit.

2009 Coteaux du Layon Saint-Lambert, Domaine Ogereau

With the cheese I opted for this 2009 Coteaux du Layon from the Ogereaus. Delicately sweet it shows how versatile this style of Layon can be – it worked very well with two types of Gorgonzola – creamy and piccante. This 2009 has lovely balance with citric flavours along with some apricot and just a touch of honey – all set off by refreshing acidity. This 2009 will doubtless age well but I'm not convinced that there is necessarily much point in long cellaring as it is already showing well. Naturally this rather depends upon whether it closes up this year (two years on from the vintage) as Loire Chenins often do.

2009 Saumur Blanc, Domaine de Nerleux

Last night three of us had a quick bite to eat at the RSJ Restaurant before heading off to the National Theatre to see a gritty Glaswegian play called Men weeping buckets (Men should weep – ed). Naturally short of time we chose a half bottle of Régis and Babette Neau's 2009 Saumur Blanc from Domaine de Nerleux. 100% Chenin Blanc this is showing very well at the moment with rich peach and quince fruit but with enough acidity in the finish to carry it off.   

2009 Anjou Rouge (Cabernet Franc), Château de la Roulerie

We following this with a half of Anjou Rouge from Philippe Germain. Delicious at the moment with soft, quite opulent sooty fruit – very 2009.

Frédéric and Thomas welcoming Sarah Ahmed

to Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

(14 August 2008 – following on from our visit to PJ Druet)
We managed to get to Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Frédéric Mabileau just after 12.30, so we weren’t too horrendously late. Straight into tasting with Frédéric and Thomas Meunier, who looks after the commercial side. The main purpose of our visit was to taste the bottled version of the first vintage of Fred’s Saumur Blanc. I have tasted this 2007, made from 100% Chenin Blanc from vines at Le Puy-Notre-Dame, at various stages in its development from the end of October last year.

Until just after the Second World War many producers in Saint-Nicolas made a little white wine from Chenin Blanc, which used to be planted on the coteaux until Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil gained its appellation status in 1937. As there no was appellation for the white, the Chenin was pulled out. The Mabileaus bottled their last white in 1947, the year Frédéric’s grandfather, Armand, took over the domaine from his father.

2007 Chenin Blanc, Saumur – the Mabileaus first white since 1947

The vines in Le Puy are rented, although Frédéric is looking to buy vines there. The grapes were picked on two separate occasions. The first tri was on 29 September when they picked the golden coloured grapes – taking 20% of the crop. Then on 12 October, when the grapes, now violet and thin skinned, were about to be affected by noble rot. 30% of the must was fermented in new oak, while the rest was fermented in stainless steel. Fréd’s 2007 Saumur Blanc was attractively floral, honeyed with apricot notes and good length. At a little over 13% it is quite powerful. I tasted the wine again about ten days later and it had tightened up considerably and become quite austere. I expect it will open up again in a few weeks.

Somewhat to our surprise Frédéric told us that the grapes this year were being held back because it was too dry – the véraison was blocked. Clearly Saint-Nic didn't have the rain that Sancerre had earlier on in the week. We tasted Les Rouollières 2007, which makes up 80% of the domaine’s production, and the Anjou Rouge 2007 from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in Chouzé-sur-Loire, which is just to the west of the Saint-Nicolas appellation. Both were easy drinking, while Couture 2007 (Saint-Nic) was deeper hued, more full-bodied and showing well – due to be bottled in mid-September. Couture 2006 was silky and delicate, while Racine 2005 and Eclipse 2005 were impressive – both showing pruny fruit but sadly both long sold out.

A swift but delicious lunch prepared by Natalie Mabileau accompanied by several wines including the fine 2000 Cuvée du Bel Ouvrage, Savennières from Domaine Laureau. When Thomas kindly asked us to stay to lunch I’d said a quick snack (casse-croûte) would be great. Clearly ‘quick snack’ doesn’t translate into French!

And so to Chinon to see Bernard and Matthieu Baudry and then Pierre and Bertrand Couly.

Frédéric Mabileau, 6 Rue du Pressoir, 37140 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Tel: 02.47.97.79.58
Email: frederic@fredericmabileau.com
Web: www.fredericmabileau.com