2005 Côt Franc de Pied, Henry Marionnet, Domaine de la Charmoise, Soings-en-Sologne

This deep coloured and concentrated 2005 Côt or Malbec from ungrafted vines planted in 2000 is very much a wine made in Touraine but with a distinct echo of Mendoza – Argentina's largest and most important wine growing region. Lots of black fruits – cherry, blackberry and mulberry here – but lacking a little acidity that would have helped to carry off this concentrated fruit. Perhaps if I had kept it longer Touraine's customary acidity would have come through.



Henry Marionnet now has a significant holding of ungrafted vines – on original root stock and therefore open to being attacked and devoured by phylloxera. There are other patches in the Loire, or were because eventually phylloxera appears and does its deadly work. Over the past two or three years parcels owned by Mark Angeli (his Vignes Vignes Françaises in Anjou) and at Domaine Charles Joguet (Les Varennes du Grand Clos Francs Pieds, Chinon) have had to be grubbed up. So far, Marionnet has been spared ..............

(23 October 2008)

Non greffées = ungrafted

Off to the Barbican Centre (London) last night for the amazine Africa Now concert that featured Baaba Maal, Amadou & Mariam, Bassekou Kouyate, Oumou Sangare, Muntu Valdo, Toumani Diabate, Amy Sacko, Souad Massi, Rachid Taha, Sola Akingbola, Daara J Family and others. After an OK first half, the second set that featured a constantly changing group of musicians chiefly around Toumani Diabate was absolutely stunning – amazing haunting sounds. The concert was supposed to have been sold out but there were a number of empty seats near us.

So where does Henry Marionnet’s Ungrafted Gamay 2007 AC Touraine fit in? Well we grabbed a takeaway doner kebab on the way home and drank Henry Marionnet’s attractively black fruited 2007 Vinifera Gamay, which has considerable depth of flavour and is a real success for 2007, which was not an easy year for Loire reds. It certainly matched the doner kebab.


The ungrafted vines were planted in 1992 and, as far, as I know have not yet been attacked by phylloxera. He has around five hectares of ungrafted vines. As well as the Gamay, there is also Côt, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin. It is fascinating to taste grafted versions of the same grape against the ungrafted ones. I was able to do this in early February 2007 and invariably the Vinifera wines had greater depth of flavour and more character.

Report on Henry Marionnet's 2008 vintage now in Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Touraine (8 October 2008)