LOIRE VALLEY OFFERINGS

The Chenin Blanc grape is often overlooked as a "noble" variety, largely because it's difficult to make (for one) and, secondly, because it's rarely as flashy as other grape varieties.  Every once in a while you might taste a Chenin Blanc (or Pineau de la Loire as it's known in this part of France) which is a profound and complex wine.  Unfortunately, many times this grape comes up short...in a certain way, its lack of popularity mirrors that of Pinot Noir.  The average bear isn't sure what to make of it and it's not as "obvious" a wine as oak-laden Chardonnays or big, honeyed Sauternes. 

Chenin Blanc grown in the Loire Valley is affected with botrytis on an irregular basis, as there tends to be less fog than in Bordeaux's Sauternes environs.  Typically the dessert wines of Chenin Blanc are produced by the  late picking of over-ripe, dehydrated fruit. 

When you taste a great Chenin Blanc, you will long remember the experience.  Trust me.

CHATEAU SOUCHERIE
2014 Coteaux du Layon "Chaume" $39.99

The Beguinot family has owned this esteemed domaine since 2007 when the Tijou family sold the property (and bought a neighboring estate).  

They've been renovating the cellars and moved towards organic viticulture (and they have their first certification coming in 2022.

They currently cultivate about 28 hectares of vineyards and there's a nice range of grapes, but Chenin Blanc is the focus, of course.

We have typically offered their Coteaux du Layon bottling from the Premier Cru site called "Chaume."  The Chenin Blanc vines are about 70 years of age.  They'll typically harvest in late September/early October and the pickers pass through the vineyards more than once to harvest fruit in optimal ripeness.  They further selectively sort through the bunches once harvested.

The juice is then fermented, with half the lot going into new barrels and half into older wood.  The winery web site indicates this is matured for but nine months, while the importer tells us it's aged for a year and a half (which makes more sense).

 

We currently have the 2014 vintage and it's a moderately honeyed sweet wine with crisp acidity to balance the sugar.
We detect notes of ripe pineapple along with some dried apricot and pear notes.
Of course it's a good choice to pair with Foie Gras, but also will match up with an Apple Tart or summer fruit desserts.
Blue cheese can be accompanied by this.
It's still youthful, so you need not be in a rush to enjoy this.

 

 

 

 

PHILIPPE FOREAU  "CLOS NAUDIN"
2009 VOUVRAY "MOELLEUX"   Sale $55.99

Perhaps as Vouvray is typically overlooked by most wine drinkers, its pricing remains attractive to serious wine geeks who appreciate the finesse and elegance of wine made of the under-estimated Chenin Blanc grape.

If you look at the cost, these days, of wines from other top artisan estates around Europe...think of Bartolo Mascarello, Quintarelli, Clos Rougeard, Comtes Lafon, Dagueneau, Valentini and others of that level, you'll see this "expensive" bottle of nicely cellared Vouvray is actually a bargain.

Philippe Foreau assumed the helm of the family domaine in 1983, the property having originally been acquired by his Grandfather Armand back in the 1920s.  We understand he cultivates something like 12 hectares of vineyards and produces maybe 50,000 bottles annually.  Yields are fairly low and the vines are cultivated organically.

The vineyards are picked with multiple passes over the course of the harvest season, as the pickers are selective as to which bunches are brought in.  They hope to have some Botrytis for their sweet wines, but the 2009 Vouvray Moelleux that we have is said to be made from over-ripe Chenin Blanc with little or no "Noble Rot."  The juice is fermented in 300 liter French oak cooperage and only a tiny percentage of the barrels are new.  Foreau seeks to display the Chenin Blanc fruit, first and foremost.


We opened a bottle in July of 2021...paired it with a homemade Apple Crumble & Cinnamon Ice Cream.
The color of the wine might lead you to expect it's quite mature and maybe even a little bit tired.
But the wine was sweet and bracingly acidic on the palate, so it was a real palate cleanser with the sweet dessert.
In fact, it showed a sort of Calvados-like aroma (apple brandy!), so it really worked well in this setting.

CHATEAU de SURONDE 2002 Quarts de Chaume  $64.99 - 750ml

Once owned by a guy whose college training was as a language interpreter, this family used to own about a half the appellation of Quarts-de-Chaume at one time. 

We visited the property in March of 2002 and found an amazing cellar and vineyard. Organic farming. In fact, winemaker/wine grower Francis Poirel does biologique farming. Tiny yields, as he makes just 5,000 to 10,000 bottles annually from his 7.5 hectares. Amazing wines

When we visited him we tasted a terrific dry white wine which he explained could "only" be designated as a Vin de Table. That's because the Appellation Contrôllée laws required the wine be fermented with a commercial yeast, not the wild yeast that's part of the grape skins! I can't quite recall precisely the rest of the silly, appallingly lame requirements, but the fruit was harvested too ripe and did not require Francis add sugar to the juice. This was another strike against the wine from the legal standpoint, but a positive factor from a wine quality perspective.

His 2002 Quarts de Chaume is an outstanding wine...rich, without being cloying sweet.  There's a nice concentration of honey, melon and white flowers to the aromas and flavors.  We had a bottle of an earlier vintage with an apple dessert Bob Gorman put together and it was superb.  Foie gras would also be another fine pairing.

BAUMARD

The Baumard name is highly-respected around the planet as one of the top domaines in the Loire Valley.  Most of the family's holdings are in the appellations of Savennières and Quarts-de-Chaume, though they also have other vineyard sites. 
Chenin Blanc is the predominant white grape, though they do dabble with something called Chardonnay.  
Florent Baumard runs the show these days, taking over for his famous father in the 1990s.  Their sweet wines are amongst the most highly-prized in the Loire Valley.  

Their wines range from bone dry Savennières to sweet and unctuous.

We have their 2016 Clos du Papillon, coming from a vineyard that happens to be configured in the shape of a butterfly.  Baumard owns about half the surface of the Clos du Papillon and makes what some call an old-school Savennières as the wine is not vinified in wood and never sees oak.  
They vinify this as close to dry as possible, so it's not really much of a dessert wine, though some people do enjoy it after dinner with an array of cheeses.

The Quarts du Chaume is an "important" or noble wine.   The entire vineyard comprises about 100 acres and Baumard owns something like 15.
You might consider this to be a Grand Cru site for Chenin Blanc.
Baumard's wine is regarded as a bit of a benchmark.
The 2017 growing season was a challenge and yields were quite meager as a result.  Not much botrytis in this vintage, but they still managed to produce a showy wine with moderate levels of sugar and bracingly high acidity.

Currently in stock:  
2016 Clos du Papillon SAVENNIÈRES  $59.99 (750ml)
2017 Quarts du Chaume  $79.99  (750ml)

 

BANYULS, etc.

Just north of the Spanish border along the Mediterranean sea is the region which produces the rather obscure dessert wine called Banyuls.

Only four communes are entitled to the appellation.  Something like 1400 hectares comprise this appellation, but due to the poor soil, production levels are rather meager.  The hills are terraced (they must be maintained by hand, so the work is difficult), allowing the vines to receive the maximum amount of sun.  

Drive along the twisting, winding roads here and you'll see lots of very old vines.  Grenache is the main grape (50% minimum for normal Banyuls, 75% for Grand Cru Banyuls), though Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre are also cultivated in this region. It is made in a curious fashion, the fermentation being stopped by the addition of brandy.  The grapes are allowed to macerate for a week or so before the wine is transferred to some sort of aging vessel.

Wooden barrels of very large size are often employed.  Smaller casks of 600 liters are used, too.  Some producers use smaller containers which are known to the locals as bonbonnes.  

Les bonbonnes...

A range of styles is made.  Some wines are left for many years to obtain the oxidized, nutty notes of an old tawny Port.  Other wines are blends of different lots to create a particular character.  Some wines are bottled early to capture the berry-like Grenache fruit and avoid the oxidative elements of many Banyuls wines.  Wines matured in wood for 30 months may earn the "Grand Cru" designation.  These must also have a minimum of 75% Grenache and be left to macerate for at least five days before they fortify the wine with the alcohol addition.  The word "rimage" signifies "variety," though this is usually seen on wines which have been bottled at a youthful stage.  

Banyuls is typically made in "red" format, though a Banyuls Blanc is sometimes produced, typically of Muscat, Grenache Blanc and Malvoisie.

Young Banyuls has aromas and flavors reminiscent of plums, cherries and berries, along with a hint of spice.  These can pair nicely with blue cheeses such as Roquefort.  Older Banyuls wines tend to be more tawny in color and have the character which is described by the term "rancio."  You'll sense this character when you find notes reminiscent of toffee, caramel, nuts and molasses.

A neighboring region that's even more obscure is that of MAURY.  

Many French people will tell you Banyuls (or Maury) are the only wines to drink with chocolate.  That's because they are French and probably haven't heard of Port wines.  Okay...that's a cheap short and a smart remark.  
But, Banyuls IS a marvelous wine partnered with chocolate!

CASA BLANCA

This is a very old estate, having been founded in  1870.  It was owned by the Soufflet family from 1883 and sold grapes and bulk wine.

Alain Soufflet started bottling wine in 1989, so it's only recently that the estate has become known for its wines.

Soufflet sold his shares of the winery to Herve Levano and, with partner Laurent Escapa, the duo is making some classic wines and they arrive at sensible prices.

The vines are on terraced hills and this is very labor-intensive.  

Herve Levano in the Casa Blanca cellar.

Currently in stock:  DOMAINE DE LA CASA BLANCA BANYULS  Sold Out

CORNET et CIE  BANYULS

This is a magnificent accompaniment to dark chocolate desserts!

It comes from the Abbe Rous winery in Banyuls-sur-Mer and the place is named after a priest who made and sold Banyuls wines in the late 1800s...that's how the old fellow generated funds to build his church!

The winery today is a grower's cooperative and there are some 750 members with 1150 hectares of vineyards.  

The Cornet et Cie label is used for some nice, fresh, young, vigorous Banyuls wines.  We have the 2018, a wine displaying dark cherry and berry aromas and flavors.  It's fairly sweet and moderately powerful on the palate (less alcohol, perhaps, than most Ports, though). 

Ask any French person what wine to pair with chocolate desserts and they are usually unanimous in responding with the notion that Banyuls is best.

The vineyards are on schist soils overlooking the sea, with the vineyards being a bit more than 30 years of age. 

This is made entirely of Grenache Noir...

If you've not experienced a good bottle of youthful Banyuls, this is well worth tasting.  And pair it with chocolate.

Currently in stock:  2018 CORNET et Cie BANYULS  $18.99 (500ml)

The old tower...

DOMAINE DE LA TOUR VIEILLE

This little enterprise was born in 1982 and it's the work of Christine Campadieu and her husband, Vincent Cantie.  She's from Banyuls and he's from Collioure, a nearby town known for its table wine.

They make a really good, youthful, berryish Banyuls.
It comes in half-bottle format and it's a delight with chocolate, as it should be.  
You'll find notes of ripe plums, black raspberries and an underlying spice note.

Currently in stock:  2024 DOMAINE DE LA TOUR VIEILLE Banyuls $26.99 (375ml)

 

MAS AMIEL (MAURY)

Maury is a rather obscure appellation and you won't find very many wine emporiums in the U.S. to even have a clue as to what it is and where it's from.

Well, Maury is a small appellation, some 20 miles from Perpignan and Grenache is the main grape here (along with Muscat for their white wines).  A handful of wineries are to be found in the region,  "Mas Amiel" being just about the most famous.  

The wine is a cousin to the wines of Banyuls, though I'll bet those in Maury will point out their wine is vastly different.  I suppose I may be blind to those differences.

We have a lovely example of their basic bottling and this is a lovely wine to pair with chocolate desserts.  

 

Currently in Stock:  MAS AMIEL "MAURY" $22.99 (750ml)

 

 

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DOMAINE J.C. RASPAIL --  DOMAINE DE LA MÚRE

The Raspail family purchased the Domaine de la Mûre, a five hectare property.  Today the family has 15 hectares and makes sparkling wines as well as some table wines.

We're especially interested in the somewhat famous bubbly from this estate, a wine known as Clairette de Die.

 

 

Son and Dad, Frederic and J.C.

Frederic Raspail shows off the wine "in progress."

Though the wine takes the name of the Clairette grape, in fact, these must be a minimum of 75% Muscat!

The bottles are "riddled" much like Champagne.

The sediment then gravitates to the crown cap...the necks of the bottles are frozen and then the sediment is disgorged, allowing the wine to be presented "clean."

The resulting wine is very bubbly and nicely fruity and floral.  It's reminiscent of a handful of well-made Asti Spumante, far more interesting than most of those.  The wine is moderately sweet, but elevated acidity contributes a measure of balance to the wine and it's delicious and crisp on the finish.

Currently in stock:  JC RASPAIL CLAIRETTE DE DIE $17.99 (750ml)

 

 

BERNARD RONDEAU

When our friend and wine importer Charles Neal mentioned bringing over a curious wine from the French Alps that was bubbly like an Italian spumante and sweet and pink we figured the poor fellow was "one bottle shy of a full case."

This is a most frivolous bottle of wine...it's made in a region well east of Lyon in the Alps but in a locale that's neither the Jura nor the Savoie.  We trekked there this past winter and found ourselves pretty much in France's version of the "middle of nowhere."   Cell phones don't work there and the few souls who inhabit this landscape must be hermits, for when we asked various folks where the winery of Bernard Rondeau was located, virtually nobody had heard of the fellow!

Rondeau has tanks similar to those we see in Italy's Piemonte at wineries producing Moscato d'Asti.  He employs a similar sort of vinification in producing this simple VDQS (Vin Delimitée Qualité Supérieur) called Bugey Cerdon or Cerdon de Bugey.  The resulting wine is pink in color and it's fruity and sweet.  When we visited Bernard and his lovely wife Marjorie, they brought out a plate of fried bread dusted with powdered sugar.  We've since enjoyed this wine at home with red fruit desserts.

The wine is made from Gamay (90%) and 10% Poulsard.

They're about 40 minutes' drive from Bourg-en-Bresse, a town famed for its chickens.  We drove to a fancy restaurant near there for dinner with the Rondeaus and were pleased to see Poulet de Bresse on the menu.  Unfortunately, it has to be ordered two days before.  Those chickens must be tough to catch!

The wine is beautifully aromatic, redolent of strawberries and raspberries.  It's sweet, yes, but the acidity if rather brisk, giving this a delightfully refreshing balance.

 

Currently in stock:  BERNARD RONDEAU "BUGEY CERDON"  $18.99

Bernard & Marjorie Rondeau with their 5 year old future winemaker son Cyprien and Bernard's sister Clara whom we found doing the vineyard work of pruning the vines...

Emile, Cyprien and Victorine...the next generation of winemakers!
2011

Most of the vineyards are planted on steep slopes...remarkable terrain for growing Gamay to make a fizzy and sweet wine.

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