Frédéric Brochet (Ampelidae – Marigny-Brizay) has cellar visits this Sunday (16h) and the following Saturday (10h and 16h). To reserve you place call: 05.49.88.18.18

2010: Sauvignon Blanc@Clos Roche Blanche

Following the sunny and dry weather from March through to early-mid June, things have been more complicated subsequently. Grape maturity for some vines became blocked due to the early drought, and the cold and wet July together with a fairly cool August had set the vines back. However, the last week or so has been hot with temperatures going over 30˚C so, for some, the vintage has now come forward again.

Frédéric Brochet (Ampelidae, Poitou) will start picking his Chardonnay for the sparkling wine on Thursday (25th August) and Didier Barouillet has just recently informed Catherine Roussel the 2011 Clos Roche Blanche (AC Touraine) vendange will start on Friday, so Catherine is now busy assembling her band of pickers so that they can be ready to start on the Sauvignon. "The alcohol degrees are not high," says Catherine, "but the acidity levels are dropping."



In 2010 they were still picking their Sauvignon on 20th September, so 2011 is going to be around three weeks earlier.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Touraine), Villebois
2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Villebois, Seigy

2009 Le Clos, Touraine Sauvignon, Domaine du Clos Roussely, Angé

2009 Pointe de Doux, Sauvignon Blanc, Frédéric Brochet, Marigny Brizay

Here are three quite different expressions of 2009 Sauvignon Blanc: two come from Touraine –  Villebois and Domaine Roussely – and the third from Haut-Poitou – Frédéric Brochet of Ampelidae.  

Villebois is Dutch owned. The 2009 Villebois is made by Thierry Merlet, who trained in Australia and worked for Brian Croser at Petaluma, before returning to France and working in the Cher Valley. It is the most citric, aromatic and refreshing of the three Sauvignons here. Watching this video clip on YouTube, explains why is this is the case. In the clip Thierry explains that the Sauvignon is picked at different times. Part of the Sauvignon is picked early to give the aromas and freshness, while part is picked later to give some weight and body to the wine. 

 

2009 Le Clos, Touraine Sauvignon, Domaine du Clos Roussely, Vincent Roussely

Vincent worked in Bordeaux, Reims, South Africa, Australia and California, before returning to his native Cher Valley. Le Clos comes from the vineyard just behind the old family cellars in the village of Angé. The cellars used to be rented to Vinival – they returned to family hands in 2010. The 2009 Le Clos is a richer style of Sauvignon than the Villebois, although it does have good freshness in its long finish.

2009 Pointe de Doux, Sauvignon Blanc, Brochet

The wine is called Brochet after the maker – Frédéric Brochet. As brochet means pike (the fish) in French there is a a drawing of a fearsome fish. Despite the nice joke on the label, I find this the least successful of the three Sauvignons featured here as I find it has less character. Well made it is bland and this may be due to the small amount of residual sugar (3.6 gms). I should taste Brochet's Mon Blanc, another Sauvignon Blanc, which has less than a gram of residual sugar in it.

I had hoped to taste Frédéric's wines at this year's Salon des Vins de Loire but as was the case with a number of other producers I just ran out of time.

Good to see that both Villebois and Brochet are closed with screwcaps.  

Contact details:

Villebois, 43 Rue de la Quézardière, 41110 Seigy

Email: vin@villebois.nt

Domaine du Clos Roussely, 11 Route du Château, 41400 Angé
Tel: 02.54.32.86.46
Email: clos_roussely@yahoo.fr


Ampelidae, Manoir de Lavauguyot, 86380 Marigny Brizay
Tel: 05.49.88.18.18
Email: ampeliade@ampeliade.com