Loire near Sancerre: Narioo will change its course for London!

I saw Eric Narioo, le grand fromage of Les Caves de Pyrène and also one of the movers behind restaurants/wine bars Brawn and Terroir, at the Oddbins CVA meeting. Eric arrived slightly late, heard the announcement that HMRC were not supporting the CVA and left. Fortunately Les Caves are only in for £7138.87.

As Eric left he told me briefly about a new eating place venture that they plan to open in October, which will feature only food and wine from the Loire. "We will be bringing the Loire to London from the Auvergne right down to Nantes.'

I hope to get more details from Eric soon.

Further downstream: Loire@Saumur

I rather assume that the sales force of Les Caves de Pyrene must feel a certain sense of trepidation when Eric Narioo, their boss man, heads off on one of his now legendary wine buying trips. What amazing find will Eric come with this time to test their wine selling skills?

Take the 2007 Le Petit Curieux, VDP de l'Aveyron from Patrick Rols of Le Colombier, Conques. I can imagine Douglas Wregg, Les Caves' resourceful sales director, taking a call from Eric deep in the Lot Valley.

"Bonjour, Douglas. I've just found this fantastic wine."
"Where are you Eric?"
"In the Aveyron, Douglas. I'm with Patrick Rols, a great producer near Conques and he's got this barrel of sweet Chenin or, at least, it was supposed to be sweet?"
"Supposed. Eric?" (Douglas looks concerned.)
"It was sweet, Douglas, but it refermented in barrel."
"So now it's sparkling, Eric?"
"No, just slightly pétillant." (Douglas looks more concerned – another looming challenge! ) "I asked the producer," continues Eric, "what he was going to do with it. He didn't know, so I've bought it."
"Well at least it's just one barrel, Eric!" replies Douglas as he looks around for a very stiff drink!

The classic Sir Walter Raleigh telephone sketch here will give a flavour of this imaginary call between Eric and Douglas.

So what about the 2007 Le Petit Curieux? Chenin is the white variety planted in this part of the Lot Valley and is found in nearby Entraygues et du Fel and Estaing. Due to the refermentation the wine is dominated by yeasty aromas and flavours – certainly for me on the cusp between drinkability and fit to be poured down the sink.

I was intrigued to see how Douglas and his resourceful team dealt with Eric's Curieux purchase, so below is the tasting note from Les Caves' Weird and Wonderful tasting – a showcase of our "Natural" wines held on 30th October 2009.

'This wine resists easy categorisation. Light gold, it conveys a touch of funny honey on the nose giving way on the palate to ripe, almost tropical-fruit-like pineapple chunks in syrup, followed by full throttle tartness. Not for beginners!'

'Funny honey' is a stroke of genius!

Managed a quick hour or so in @Les Caves de Pyrene new release tasting today at The Contented Vine in Pimlico. One could never accuse Les Caves of selling bland or boring wines. Their selection is always worth tasting if even a few of the wines fall over the edge of what I find acceptable and the faults in the wine starts to dominate.

2008 Vouvray Sec Catherine and Pierre Breton

As far as I know the only producer present was Pierre Breton from Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray, so I started with Pierre and Catherine's 2008 La Dilettante, Vouvray Sec. (£9.78 ex vat). They rent some three hectares in Vernou and concentrate on making sec and sparkling wines. I tasted their 2008 Sec at Les Caves' April tasting and today it again impressed with its minerality and crisp, clean flavours. The Vouvray Brut (£11.99) – a blend of 2003 and 2004 and recently degorged – is also well made.

2008 La Dilettante Bourgueil. It is not clear whether it is Pierre or Catherine who lounges on the grapes here during the harvest, while the rest of the team work like mad.

Among the reds Pierre was showing the supple fruited and spicy 2008 La Dilettante Bourgueil (£11.28) stood out. From the 2008 vintage Pierre was also showing the leafy Trinch (£9.78) with a greenness in the finish. Over the years I have probably tasted all the vintages of Trinch and I have to say that this is a wine that I just don't get. I have often found it thin and charmless and substantially over-priced. Today La Dilettante was well worth the extra £1.40 plus vat.

There were three other Loire wines on show: the 1999 Les Gênets, Savennières, Domaine Laureau (£12) and 2007 Goutte d'O, VDT, Domaine Sylvain Martinez (£18.95). I have already posted on both of these wines here and here. Both showed well again today. I agreed with Doug Wregg, Les Caves' sales director that the Laureau has less opulence than a few months ago with its minerality increasingly to the fore. £12 plus vat remains a very fair price for a Savennières of this quality.

2008 Franc de Pied, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Thierry Germain

The last Loire representative was a completely new wine – having I think its first showing in the UK. Thierry Germain had shown me his ungrafted vines in early October 2008 but I hadn't tasted the wine, so it was good to have the chance to look at the leafy, herbal and sooty 2008 Franc de Pied, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves (£24.10). Currently this is quite lean but probably needs a while in bottle to soften down. It is, of course, interesting to have something from ungrafted vines and Thierry is risking capital because phylloxera could turn up tomorrow and wipe out his vineyard. However at £24.10 ex vat this does not represent good value compared to other quality wines from Saumur-Champigny.

Thierry Germain and his Franc de Pied Cabernet Franc: 2nd October 2008 (above and below)

(As usual more to add including an Eric Narioo special from La France profonde, which may now feature as one of tomorrow's posts.)