Jean-Hubert and Jean-Yves Lebreton tasting

Tried taking photos of Jean Hubert and Jean-Yves sitting around an interestingly lit table with decanters. Unfortunately I couldn't get the lighting right. Ideally they would have been sat the other side of the table but that would have been difficult as it was against the wall. Anyway I like to think there are some intruing effects here, even though it is too dark despite some adjustments on photoshop.

Table with decanters

Nigel Wilkinson (RSJ Restaurant) tasting @Domaine des Rochelles

 

2007 La Garde, Anjou, Château Pierre-Bise

Excellent drive down from London to Angers. Leaving just before 6am we were through London before the traffic got at all busy and we were lucky with the lights. Then a good drive down to Angers, arriving with enough time to drop off our luggage and to clock that Andy Murray had won his semi-final before heading out to see the Lebretons at Domaines des Rochelles at Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets. We had an impressive and illuminating tasting with Jean-Yves Lebreton and occasional appearances from his son, Jean-Hubert. The reds continie to be very good, while the whites have shown very marked progress over the past five years or more both for dry and sweet styles. 

We finished the day with a convivial dinner at Le Relais with Sarah Ahmed joining Nigel Wilkinson, Tom King and myself.

We started with the 2007 La Garde (no sulphur), Anjou Blanc from Claude Papin's Château Pierre-Bise. Full bodied and reasonably rich but with lovely balancing acidity and mineral character, this is better balanced that some of Claude's Anjou Blanc where the richness of fruit and alcohol can be initially attractive but which becomes tiring. 

2005 Coteau des Ouches, Bourgueil, Thomas and Denis Gambier

Spotting this Gambier Bourgueil on the list I thought it would be good to try as I don't think I have tasted anything from this estate since it was run by their father Paul. Deep coloured with good concentration, dense rich fruit and decidely attractive to drink, although perhaps without the complexity that would have lifted it onto another level. 

2008 Cuvée Prestige, Anjou-Villages, Château de Putille

This deep coloured gamy and savoury wine has attractively vibrant fruit with the tannins more present than in the 2005 Bourgueil, reflecting the customary differences between cabernets from Touraine and the more angular wines from Anjou. Unfortunately the label is surely a leading contender for the worst label award. It is difficult imaging that anyone would voluntarily select this Touraine from a retailer's shelf without considerable prompting. This is a pity as the wine is good and Pascal Delaunay (Château de Putille) has reputation for quality.   

Name plate outside Château Pierre-Bise

Just got back to the Hotel du Mail after a busy day – four excellent visits starting with Claude Papin, then Vincent Ogereau, followed by Domaine des Rochelles – Jean-Yves, Jean-Hubert and Anita Lebreton – and Christophe Daviau to finish. Now off to Le Relais for dinner with Sarah Ahmed (the wine detective), Chris Kissack (the wine doctor), Neil Irvine (HG Wines) and Tom King (RSJ Restaurant).

The four visits provided not only the opportunity to see how the 2008s and some of the 2007s are developing but also raised anumber of very interesting issues including a detailed explanation from Claude Papin about the harmful effects of working the soil, several mentions of the use of osmosis machines in Anjou during the 2008 harvest to convert grapes picked at around 14˚ natural into sweet wines, and the possibility of the Coteaux de l'Aubance banning chaptalisation. Clearly all themes to return to in more detail but if the Coteaux de l'Aubance do have the courage to ban the chaptalisation in the making of sweet wine – then bravo you will have put a stop to an aberration! Hopefully the Coteaux du Layon would rapidly follow your example.

Claude Papin: "Le travail du sol is an aberration"

Similarly the use of osmosis machines, if indeed they have been used and Jim's Loire would be delighted to hear from any Anjou producer who has used them, surely undermines the hard work that a good number of Anjou producers have put into the remarkable renaissance of quality sweet wine in Anjou since 1985.