Yves Guegniard with his Cabernet Sauvignon

Thursday 29th September was another very hot and virtually cloudless day in Anjou with temperatures reaching 32C in Saint-Aubin in the early afternoon. Even at 6pm it was still 30C in Brissac-Quincé. Many producers have spoken of how delighted and surprised they are by the change in the weather over the last ten days, which has transformed the outlook and potential of the 2011 vintage.

Cabernet Franc destined for Anjou Village Brissac at Domaine de Fesle (Jacques Beaujeau, Château de Varière)

Jacques Beaujeau checking the alcohol degree of his Cabernet Franc

Alexandre Cady (Domaine Cady)

 

Philippe Cady

Golden label ... golden wine

Decided that we could do with a warming apéro this evening (yes I know Bob that the UK is still hot compared to Alberta but all things are relatives), so selected the single vineyard 2007 Les Melleresses, Bonnezeaux from Jacques and Anne Beaujeau's Château la Varière (37.5cl) . It underlines what a great sweet wine vintage 2007 is because it has such a thrilling balance of opulent fruit – very ripe peach and apricot and and zinging, mineral acidity. This is really a wine to sip on its won either before a meal or after. Worth considering serving it instead of a dessert.

Jacques Beaujeau

2002 Clos de la Division, Anjou Blanc, Château la Varière, Jacques Beaujeau

I always like revelations. I remember tasting Philippe Vatan's 1990 Saumur (Château de Hureau) for the first time sometime in the summer of 1991, I guess, and then shortly afterwards drinking it with Nigel Wilkinson of the RSJ Restaurant at the Hotel Anne d'Anjou in Saumur. Philippe's Saumur Blanc was a revelation because it showed what could be done with Chenin Blanc in Saumur. Subsequently I have tasted and drunk many impressive Saumur Blancs from a number of producers but Philippe's 1990 remains a key bottle. Sadly the last one I tried a couple of years ago was completely oxidised but that is beside the point as what was important was how it tasted back in 1991 and 1992.

Although Jacques Beaujeau's 2002 is not revelatory in the same way as Philippe's was as I have tasted, drunk and enjoyed too many fine Anjou Blancs over the years for the quality of this 2002 to be a surprise. Rather I hadn't realised that Jacques Beaujeau at Varière was producing such stunningly good Anjou Blanc. Of course 2002 is a particularly well balanced and attractive vintage but even so!

Vinfication in barrel gives added complexity. The 2002 is golden hued with ripe yellow plum and peach aromas, richly textured palate, lovely balance with delicate acidity. The acidity of a Saumur Blanc of the same age would almost certainly be more marked. The 2002 could easily be mistaken for a fine Alsace wine or a Meursault, perhaps. A good match with a free range chicken in a rich sauce. It worked well this evening with chicken in a spicy coconut sauce. Proof that Anjou Blanc can be very fine and not expensive!

2009 Saumur-Champigny from Domaine de la Perruche

Over the past few days we have tried a couple of 2009 Saumur-Champignys from the 45ha Domaine de la Perruche in Montsoreau. The straight 2009 Saumur-Champigny, which we tried last night, has attractive soft red fruits and some balancing acidity – all in all an easy drinking style of Saumur-Champigny to enjoy over the next two or three years.

The Domaine de la Perruche was bought by Jacques and Anne Beaujeau (Château la Varière, Brissac-Quincé) in 2002. It has 42ha of Cabernet Franc and three of Chenin Blanc.

 

2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine de la Perruche

In contrast we tried the Perruche's single vineyard 2009 Clos de Chaumont, Saumur-Champigny which was a considerablde disappointment with thin fruit and rasping acidity. It may, of course, been a poor bottle, although it certainly wasn't corked. On the evidence of this bottle well below the level of the straight 2009 Saumur-Champigny.


NB 24th September 2010. I have tasted another bottle of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont and am happy to report that it was completely different from the one tasted above. It had the attractive fruit of a 2009 and none of the rasping acidity noted above. Although the above bottle wasn't corked, I can only assume that the cork in the above bottle was defective. Unfortunately this is the worst aspect of cork when it diminishes a wine without leaving the tell-tale aroma of TCA.

Reassessment of the 2009 Clos de Chaumont here.

2009 Anjou, Château la Varière 

This 2009 – 100% Cabernet Franc – is soft and deliciously easy drinking. It has the rich, ripe fruit that is typical of 2009. We took it along with us to the Lahore Kebab House, in London's East End on Friday night. Happily we had booked a table as the restaurant was completely heaving with a large queue out of the door. It was good to try the Varière Anjou with Indian food and find that this 2009 stood up well to the spicy food.

 

2008 Amjou Villages-Brissac 

The 2008 Anjou Villages is more structured than the 2009 Anjou, although it also has attractively rich, supple fruit. It is drinking well at the moment but should also age well over the nest five or more years. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon with the Cabernet Sauvignon aged for a year in barriques.  

See previous post on Château la Varière.

Jacques Beaujeau 

While in Brissac-Quincé we also visited Jacques Beaujeau at Château la Varière for an article to be published in the second edition of Wine International. The château dates from the 13th century and has been owned by his wife Anne's family since 1850. Jacques is pictured here tasting beside a document that listed all the owners since 1320. This includes a Jehan de Bor or Bour, described as a Seigneur anglais, who owned Varière from 1344 to 1361.

Looking past an ancient wooden press towards the vines

Jacques and Anne Beaujeau took over the running of Varière in 1970. There are now 100 hectares grouped under its name plus the 45ha Domaine de la Perruche in Montsoreau making mainly Saumur Champigny and Saumur.  

(I was kindly given a number of samples to taste and notes will be posted on the wines as I taste them.) 

(28th December 2008)

As we had enough foie gras from the Ferme du Prieure in Pocé-sur-Cisse for a first course, so what to drink with it? I opted for the Baron de la Varière 2007 Coteaux du Layon from Jacques Beaujeau in Brissac-Quincé. This youthful, reasonably rich and honeyed but not over-rich Layon worked very well with the foie gras. Although I have to say that this foie gras was over-salty and nothing like as good as the foie-gras we bought in Loches market from Michel Dufour of Mouzay (02.47.92.37.23) on Christmas Eve which was really excellent. However, the range of duck patés from the Ferme du Prieure are very good. The Baron de la Varière 2007 was one of some bottles that we bought at the Foire aux Vins held in the Champion store in Faverolles-sur-Cher at the end of September.

This seems an appropriate moment to post a short profiile of Jacques and Anne Beaujeau and Château la Varière that I wrote for Decanter magazine earlier this year to mark them winning the Decanter regional Loire sweet wine trophy for 2008.

Loire sweet wine trophy
Château la Varière Les Melleresses Bonnezeaux 2005
Just across the road from the imposing renaissance Château de Brissac is the immaculately kept Château la Varière owned by Jacques and Anne Beaujeau. With its gravelled driveway and beautifully kept barn and other outbuildings this 100 hectare estate is one of the showpieces of Anjou. The property dates from the 15th century and the barn, one of the oldest buildings, serves as the red wine barrel chai, while a slightly more recent building is used for the whites – dry and sweet.

Having owned the property since 1850, the Beaujeaus are well established in Brissac. However, in comparison to some of the other local vignerons like the Daviau family at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac since 1546 and the Richous (Domaine Richou) present in Mozé-sur-Louet since 1554 they are newcomers.

When Jacques Beaujeau took over the family estate in the 1970s they had 45 hectares of vines. He has more than doubled its size. Also in 2002 Jacques bought the 43-hectare Domaine de la Perruche at Montsoreau in the Saumur-Champigny appellation. Perruche also produces Saumur Blanc, Coteaux de Saumur and Saumur brut from Chenin Blanc.

At Varière they make the customary range of Anjou wines in all three colours including a very good Anjou Villages La Chevalerie made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2005 the 2003 won the DWWA Regional Loire Bordeaux varietal over £10 Trophy.

Jacques with the 2005 Les Melleresses, Bonnezeaux
(Unfortunately there wasn't time to take his picture in
the vines at Bonnezeaux, so this was
taken at La Varière in Brissac-Quincé.)

Early on Jacques bought a parcel of vines in Bonnezeaux appellation – one of two crus in the Coteaux du Layon. Bonnezeaux is about 10 kilometres south of Brissac. Quarts de Chaume is the other cru and both appellations are wonderfully well sited in relation to the River Layon for the early and extensive appearance of noble rot. Beaujeau’s parcel of Bonnezeaux is at the western end of the appellation on steep slopes just above the distillery of the small town of Thouarcé. Beaujeau makes two Bonnezeaux – Les Melleresses, the top one, is always the premier tri. Later in the 1990s he also bought a parcel in the Quarts de Chaume

2005 was one of those idyllic vintages when the autumn weather was so good that producers could wait until the optimum moment to pick. Normally, of course, harvest time is stressful and pressurised but in 2005 I have never seen the Loire vignerons so relaxed during le vendange..

“In 2005 the botrytis developed quickly and we picked Les Melleresses between the 15th and 25th October. The wine is vinified and aged in barriques here at Brissac. There remain around 220 grams of residual sugar per litre.”

We had two Bonnezeaux entered in the Decanter World Wine Awards tasting. The other was also Les Melleresses Château la Varière but from 2003. Although the 2003 is very rich and full, we preferred the balance and finesse of the 2005. Both are very fine and can be enjoyed now. However, they will live for decades and it is quite possible that as the richness of the 2003 mellows with time that it will long term be the greater wine. It will be fascinating to see how the two develop.