Domaine Robert Sérol will be one of the producers@the November Salon

La Fédération Départementale des Viticulteurs de la Loire est plus généralement désignée par le nom du salon annuel "La Loire aux Trois Vignobles". La Fédération est forte de 5 AOC (la Côte Roannaise, les Côtes du Forez, le Chateau Grillet, le Condrieu, le Saint Joseph) et des vins de pays (Vin de Pays d'Urfé, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes).

Salon la Loire aux Trois Vignobles les 11, 12 et 13 Novembre à l'Hippodrome de Saint Galmier (near Saint-Etienne).

La Boudinèrie, 2009 Gamay, AC Touraine, Noëlla Morantin

There are some things that are quite inexplicable. Take Noëlla Morantin's wines, which she makes at La Tesnière, Pouillé from vineyards that she bought off the Clos Roche Blanche. She is no distance from Epeigné-les-Bois but I have never managed to go and taste her wines even though it was my intention. It has taken getting a sample of her delicious 2009 Gamay from Les Caves de Pyréne to finally get round to tasting Noëlla's wine. La Boudinèrie is quite deep coloured with plenty of black fruit aromas with some attractive earthy and spicy notes. Softly textured this has spicy complexity as well as concentrated ripe fruit. Can be enjoyed on its own but it also worked well with cold chicken served with a potato gratin and cauliflower cooked with hot paprika and ginger.

Imported by Les Caves de Pyréne Noëlla's 2009 Gamay will retail around £11.99. Not cheap I would be happier to see it around £9.99. On the other hand it does come from low yielding, organically farmed vines and it does have the potential to keep a few years.

2009 Les Vieilles Vignes, Côte Roannaise, Domaine Robert Sérol

The second Gamay comes from much further up the Loire from the Côte Roannaise, some 70 kilometres east of the Beaujolais, so little surprise that the vines here are mostly Gamay. The Sérol has attractively sweet fruit with red plums and cherries to the fore. Easy drinking it is ideal as a red to drink by itself, although it lacks the complexity and the additional weight of Noëlla's Touraine.

The Robert Sérol is available from the Wine Society at £7.95.

2002 Chinon Blanc, Christophe Baudry

Time for a round up of recent bottles starting with this very attractive 2002 Chinon Blanc from Christophe Baudry, which must have been made prior to the tie up with Domaine de la Roncée and the founding of Baudry-Dutour. Nicely evolved with honey and tufa (the aromas of a dry, clean limestone cellar), this has the typical balance of the 2002 vintage. Enjoyed it as an apéro over several nights and if anything it got better and fuller with time. 

2007 Les Millerands, Côte Roannaise, Domaine Robert Sérol

Two reds from Domaine Robert Sérol that I visited last August. The 2008 Cuvée Troigros (name of the famous 3-star Michelin restaurant in nearby Roanne) is a typical easy drinking Gamay, which can be drunk on its own or with a light lunch. Rather mistakenly I tried with a magret de canard and as I should have realised it was too light for the duck. Les Millerands, even though it was a 2007, would have been better as it has more structure but we had opened that a couple of nights previously with cold chicken – a good match.

2008 Cuvée Troigros, Domaine Robert Sérol

 

2008 Touraine Sauvignon, Antoine Simoneau

Antoine Simoneau is a family estate in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. This 2008 has a few grams of residual sugar that rounds the wine out making attractive and easy to drink with ripe grassy and goseberry scents.The domaines whites tend to be more successful than the reds. Unfortuntaely there is a reliance on the use of weedkillers, which in some vineyards with a slight slope causes some erosion. It would be good to see a reduction in their use.    

 

2003 Anjou Villages, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau 

Domaine de Bablut in Brissac-Quincé is biodynamic and this rich and powerful 2003 is very typical of this heatwave vintage. Lot of concentrated black fruits giving the impression of coming from somewhere well to the south of the Loire. Still very much on good form and looks to be good for a number more years.