LOIRE VALLEY
Page 3 Vatan/Hureau Vincent Ricard,
Breton, Vieux Pruniers, Domaine Laporte, etc.
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CHÂTEAU DU HUREAU
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- We had tasted some of this estate's wines and usually found them to be
pretty good. I confirmed this in a blind-tasting of Cabernet Franc
wines from the Loire Valley when I had one of Monsieur Vatan's wines as my
top selection in the tasting.
Philippe Vatan runs the estate by himself, his brother having died in a
tragic accident several years ago. The estate comprises something
like 17 hectares of vines.
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- The name of the estate, Hureau, refers to a wild boar. We didn't
see any on our brief visit to the estate, but we did taste some really
lovely wines. The cellar is immaculate.
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- A few wines are matured in wood, but oak is not a major component in
most of Vatan's wines. I inquired about all the information
scribbled on the stainless steel fermentation tanks and Philippe explained
they like to record the wine's progress during its fermentation.
We're big fans of the basic bottling of Saumur-Champigny.
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This is made entirely of Cabernet Franc. Vatan was amused when a
famous French sommelier tasted this wine and told him "The oak is
perfectly integrated with the fruit." When you're a sommelier
in France, you know everything about wine. Of course.
Funny thing is, though, the Hureau Saumur-Champigny the fellow had tasted
was vinified in stainless steel and never saw the inside of an oak
barrel.
No wonder the wine had such good integration of the oak...it didn't have
any!
We currently have his basic bottling of Saumur-Champigny. Good
wine. It's vinified to be drinkable in its youth and is not intended
for cellaring. It's also not subjected to wood, so it tastes like
Cabernet Franc. We usually serve this at cool cellar
temp. I saw a great posting from some journalist in Europe,
praising Vatan for making such good wines at sensible prices...the fellow
noted he can't afford Bordeaux any longer, but the Saumur-Champigny from
this producer hit the spot and was attractively priced.
Vatan's white wine has just arrived... It does
see a bit of wood and we have found the past few vintages to be
exceptionally good. The wine displays a lovely, intense, melon-like
character of Chenin Blanc. It's got a nice bit of oak, perhaps
somewhat unusual for most white wines from the Loire. This is a
wonderful bottle of wine.
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Currently in stock: 2009 Saumur-Champigny $16.99
2008 Saumur Blanc $20.99
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DOMAINE RICARD
Vincent
Ricard is making some of the most impressive Touraine wines in the Loire
Valley and it's clear this fellow has learned from his mentors.
Ricard was an intern at the estate of Philippe Alliet in Chinon, where he
learned about red wine production and he spent time with Francois
Chidaine's uncle, Claude Levasseur, learning about white wine. And
how!
We understand Vincent's grandfather was instrumental in establishing a
modest grape grower's cooperative winery in the Touraine appellation which
still exists today.
The family estate features some rather old vines. This is but one of
the secrets of Domaine Ricard. Vincent is well-versed in biodynamic
farming and organic viticulture and he reportedly employees
environmentally-friendly techniques.
We've
certainly enjoyed "Les Trois Chenes" in its 2008 incarnation.
The 2009, however, is even better. The wine, though coming from an
appellation which is less prestigious than Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, is far
more complex than most of the wines sold bearing those illustrious
appellations. The wine comes from vines dating back to 1947 and it's
fermented in a cool, underground cave for about three months in oak. The
aromas are intense, but in a ripe fruit sort of way, rather than herbal/grassy
or vegetative. Good value at $15.99.
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Ricard makes a Touraine white called
"?" and this is, unquestionably, a remarkably fine wine.
No question about it.
Sauvignon Blanc from low-yielding vines and the juice spends about 3 months
fermenting in the cool, underground cellar used by Ricard. The wine is
then racked into new oak and it spends nearly a year in wood. I find it
stylistically similar to Dagueneau's fabulous Pur Sang bottling or the
wonderfully intense Sancerre from Henri Bourgeois called "La Bourgeoise."
This will set you back $29.99. Don't miss it.
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Currently in stock: 2009 RICARD
"Les Trois Chenes" Touraine $15.99
2008 RICARD "?" Touraine $29.99 (back in stock May
2011)
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DOMAINE PIERRE & CATHERINE BRETON
Breton
wine made by Breton.
Breton, you see, if the local name for the Cabernet Franc grape variety
and, of course, the wine is made by the Bretons.
This is a husband and wife team situated in Bourgueil. They
converted their vineyards to biodynamic farming in the 1990s and found the
quality of their wines improved dramatically. We've only known their
wines for a few years, so we have no point of reference, except today's
wines are usually quite good.
The domaine comprises approximately 16 hectares. There are numerous
bottlings, mostly Cabernet Franc wines, though I believe they do have a
Chenin Blanc from the Vouvray appellation.
We currently have a lovely Bourgueil from the Bretons called
"Galichets" This is named for the gravelly soils where the
grapes are grown. The Cabernet Franc vines are about 50 years
old. The juice is fermented using indigenous yeasts and
they only add a small dose of sulphur at bottling...the wine is intended
for immediate consumption and it's best served lightly chilled. You
can pair it with all sorts of foods...lighter fare to more hearty
dishes.
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Currently in stock: BRETON Bourgueil
"Galichets" $26.99
- DOMAINE JO PITHON
This fellow
started his domaine in the late 1970s. I heard he had ventured to
Burgundy and got a taste of Burgundian winemaking which was much different
than his home region of the Loire Valley.
I tasted a few of Pithon's wines recently and knowing the Burgundian
background helped explain why these tasted so different from standard Chenin
Blanc wines from the Loire.
The estate comprises some 25 acres of Chenin Blanc. They have
vineyards in various appellations, some sites devoted to dry wines and
others planted in hopes of catching some botrytis to make luscious
sweet wines.
I was intrigued by an Anjou wine, a dry white dubbed "Pépinières."
If you like white Burgundy, this is an interesting wine and worth
trying. It's got a fragrance and flavor of really nice apples.
There's a hint of spice which I suspect comes from its time in wood.
The aromas are fresh and bright and the wine has nice length on the
palate...most intriguing!
I don't know if this is capable of extended aging, but it tastes so good
right now, I don't expect any customers would be cellaring it anyway.
Currently in stock: 2003 DOMAINE JO PITHON Anjou Blanc "Pépinières"
$22.99
FRANCOIS CHIDAINE
One of the top names in Montlouis is that of the
Chidaine family.
They have their own vineyards and winery, but I also understand they operate a
small negociant business, as well.
The domaine comprises some 27 hectares of vineyards, predominantly Chenin Blanc
(some 2% of their holdings are Sauvignon Blanc). Some 17 hectares are in
Montlouis, but they recently added ten in Vouvray*! François started his
winery in 1988. His father, Yves, has long been entrenched in Montlouis,
even being the chairman of the local grower's association.
François is a believer in organic farming, yet you wouldn't know it by looking
at his labels. That's because there's no mention of this on the bottle,
but his vineyards have been certified as such.
If you look closely at this photo, you will notice the letters "D S L
S" on the barrel...so, obviously Monsieur Chidaine buys used cooperage from
his buddy (another organically-farming fellow) Didier Daguenau from the Pouilly-Fumé
area.
As noted elsewhere on our site, "D S L S" is the acronym for however
the French would say "God Only Knows". This refers to the
widely-held belief that those who sell barrels don't really know the origins of
the wood they're selling.
Yields are kept to
sensible levels, averaging about 30-34 hectoliters per hectare.
We sampled a tremendous range of barrels in this place, various lots being from
old vines, special sites, etc.
Their Clos de Breuil is a particularly famous wine of the Montlouis
appellation. Clos Habert is another.
The 2005 Montlouis of the Clos du Breuil site is excellent. This comes
from a 3.5 hectare site of mature vines. They're something close to 45
years old and Chidaine obtains sensible yields to maximize quality. In a
vintage such as 2005, you'd better turn in your winemaking license if you didn't
make an excellent wine. We think Chidaine gets to keep his license.
The wine offers hints of melon and white flowers on the nose and palate.
It's gentle and supple in texture with a nice finish.
*The "addition" of Vouvray to the portfolio here is because Chidaine
now manages the Vouvray estate of the Poniatowski family, the Clos Baudoin.
- Currently in stock: FRANÇOIS CHIDAINE 2005 "CLOS du
BREUIL" MONTLOUIS Sold Out
DOMAINE DES VIEUX PRUNIERS
The Cave
Christian Thirot is located in the famous little Sancerre village of Bué.
He makes terrific Sancerre, capturing the citrusy notes of the Sauvignon with a
mildly minerally note in the background. The wines are about 30 years of
age, so they're mature and hitting their prime.
The
2010 vintage is stone, bone dry.
It is a magnificent example of Loire Valley Sauvignon. Thirot likes
to ferment the juice at low temperatures and he ages the wine on its spent
yeast, two of his "secrets."
The 2010 is delicious and perfect for seafood!
Currently in stock: 2010 VIEUX PRUNIERS Sancerre (list $26) SALE $21.99
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DOMAINE DU SALVARD
The
Cheverny appellation is rather overlooked by most French wine
drinkers.
Your average French citizen is imbued with wine expertise at birth and
many have no trouble to tell you "This is a good wine" merely by
looking at the label and knowing the fame of the wine's appellation.
"Oh, Gevrey-Chambertin...that's a good wine" they will say, even
if they have never tasted wine from that particular producer. You
see, it's easy to generalize.
Since the French have a penchant for classifications, they know
which appellations are the most prominent and best. Meursault and
Puligny-Montrachet are excellent, no matter the vintage or vintner.
They might look at a range of Sauvignon Blanc wines from the Loire and
will "know" the Sancerre is good, while a wine from the Cheverny
appellation is automatically regarded as "less good" to
"average."
The Delaille family owns this property. I read an article concerning
the wines of Cheverny and the difficulty in selling wines from this
appellation to people in France. You see, it's simply not as chi-chi
a neighborhood as Sancerre. As a result, when dining in Paris, you
can find Sancerre in virtually every neighborhood bistro, but Cheverny is
not on their radar screens.
Too much history. Too many classifications. Too little
fame.
Too bad for the winemakers of Cheverny.
Winemaker Emmanuel Delaille was quoted in an article in the French
journal, Le Point, as saying "In France, too many people believe to
know all and the lessons one learns about French wine. Abroad, the professionals say:
'It is good or it is not good.' There is no border when one is
outside our country. Only the wine counts. In France, it is very
sectarian. One is never invited to visit Château Margaux, whereas at Mondavi, yes."
We have had several producers' wines from the Cheverny appellation.
It's a region where Sauvignon Blanc is the main player, but typically
Chardonnay makes a small contribution to the wines. The Salvard
property has vines averaging about a quarter-century in age. Their
wine usually has about 15% Chardonnay in the blend, but it's a wonderfully
crisp, steely, Chablis-meets-Touraine sort of white wine. No
oak.
The 2007 was quite good and the 2009 is very fine.
We enjoyed a perfectly chilled bottle at the Hog Island Oyster
Company at San Francisco's Ferry Plaza market. It's a steely, lightly
minerally wine, so you can imagine it was a sheer delight paired with a range of
fresh, tangy oysters. In the Loire they'll also serve this with local goat
cheeses.
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Currently in stock: DOMAINE du SALVARD 2009
CHEVERNY $14.50
DOMAINE DU BEL AIR
Here's
a delightful little Cabernet Franc from a 15 hectare estate in the Bourgueil
appellation.
Catherine and Pierre Gauthier believe in eco-friendly farming and modest
yields in the vineyards.
They make several reds...our current favorite is the moderately-priced,
"entry level" bottling called Jour du Soif (day of
thirst). One taste of this and you'll be thirsting for more,
too! It is a medium-bodied red with exceptional fruit. I'm
reminded of raspberry and currants. It's the sort of wine you chill
slightly as it doesn't have much in the way of tannin. Very
drinkable now and it'll be good for another year or so.
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Currently in stock: BEL AIR 2009 "BOURGUEIL"
Jour du Soif
$15.99
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DOMAINE HENRI
BOURGEOIS
The
Bourgeois family is a bit like the Mondavi family of Napa. I don't
mean they fight all the time...I mean, they're really a great
"ambassador" for Loire Valley Sauvignons.
The property amounted to all of two hectares back in the 1950s and today
they've got 65 hectares in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Add to what
they make of their own grapes and you'll find all sorts of appellations in
the portfolio.
The family tirelessly points out the various terroirs they have...we
recall a visit from one of the family and the fellow had various rocks in
his pockets (unlike us, who have rocks in our head) to demonstrate the
various soil types in which they cultivate Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.
The range of wines is impressive...from simple Loire Valley
Sauvignon to top-of-the-line bottlings. We usually have one or two wines
in stock from Bourgeois and sometimes their "new world" venture, a New
Zealand Sauvignon from Marlborough.
Readers of these pages know we're fussy about quality, but also
sticklers for "value." So it may come as a surprise to read
about a $35 bottle of Sancerre here, but their La Bourgeoise bottling of
Sauvignon from the 2006 vintage is absolutely stellar.
La Bourgeoise Sancerre comes from flint soils and vines that are as old as I
am. Part of the batch is fermented in stainless steel, while the rest sees
fermentation and maturation in Tronçais barrels. The wine is stirred
regularly, this battonage process adding complexity to the
Sauvignon. Once assembled and bottled, the wine sees further maturation in
bottle before it's released.
The 2006 is remarkably good. The nose is superb, showing hints of stony
Sauvignon, citrus notes and some toasty, smoky elements, a combination of the
oak and aging on the spent yeast. On the palate the wine is dry and crisp,
with a remarkably long finish. Unlike many wines from our backyard, this
is dangerously drinkable (not being 15% alcohol, thank you very much!). I
think it gives Didier Daguenau's wines a run for the money, frankly (and I love
his Pur Sang bottling!!).
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Currently in stock: 2006 SANCERRE "LA
BOURGEOISE" (List $40) Sold Out
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DOMAINE LAPORTE
The Domaine Laporte winery produces a nice range of Loire Valley wines,
working as both a grower/winery and as a negociant.
We've found their wines to be solidly reliable over the past
so-many-years and we stock a nice little Sancerre in half bottles...
I was invited to judge some Loire Valley red wines with the San Francisco
Chronicle's wine guru, Jon Bonne, in August of 2011.
A young lady from a San Francisco restaurant was also on the panel and we were
tasting totally "blind," while Jon had access to the wine's
appellation, varietal composition, appellation and, in some instances, its
price.
I was enchanted by a wine in the first flight and it turns out it was a Domaine
Laporte wine, a young Cabernet Franc. Jon found fault with it, saying a
Vin de Pays shouldn't cost $18. I was evaluating it solely on what I found
in the glass and, not knowing the price or appellation, I was more enthusiastic
for the wine.
We had an opportunity for the whole staff to taste the Cabernet Franc and
everyone was delighted by the wine, finding it reasonably dark in color and
youthfully fruity. We thought it had loads of red and black fruit notes
and no oak...they've really highlighted the Cabernet Franc. It's best
served at cool cellar temperature and it will pair well with all sorts of foods.
We also suggest enjoying the wine in its youth.
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Currently in stock: 2009 LAPORTE CABERNET FRANC $14.99
LAPORTE SANCERRE 375ml bottles $14.99
Under construction, of course.
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