Vouvray – a tasting of 2011s

Vouvray's Espace du Vin

 The tasting room

Jean-Michel Pieaux, president of the Vouvray producers 

In early April Marie Thomas of the Syndicat des Producteurs de Vouvray kindly arranged a tasting of the 2011 Vouvrays at the appellation's Espace du Vin. The building that houses the Espace previously belonged to M. Musset, who was formerly president of the Vouvray Syndicat des Producteurs.

Before we started the tasting we talked briefly about the 2012 vintage, especially the frost of April 16th/17th when Rochecorbon was more affected than further east in the appellation around Vernou and the valley of the Brenne. Catherine Dhoye-Deruet.

2011 in Vouvray was a rather easier vintage than 2010 when rained arrive at the wrong time in late September/early October provoking rot and forcing the vignerons to pick very quickly.  

In the tasting there were 22 Vouvray secs, eight demi-sec and seven moelleux. The wines were tasted blind.

Coup de Fougue, Florent Cosme in Noizay

2011 sec

Favourites

Coup de Fougue, Florent Cosme  

Florent is the brother of Matthieu (Domaine de Beaumont) and has only recently set up his domaine in Noizay. Vibrantly citric, fresh style with good length.

Cuvée de Silex, Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet

Attractive weight, texture and complexity with a touch of sweetness and then a typical hint of bitterness in the finish that is so characteristic of Chenin Blanc.

Francis Mabille

Lean, austere style with very clean flavours - just a touch of sweetness mid-palate. Will be interesting to see how it ages.

Also showed well:

Domaine de Beaumont, Matthieu Cosme

Jean Michel Gautier

Clos de Nouys

Le Peu Morier, Domaine Vincent Carême

Denis Breussin

Vignoble Brisebarre

Domaine de la Fontainerie, Catherine Droye-Deruet

Le Clos de la Meslerie, Peter Hahn

 Les Jours Heureux, Alain Robert

**

Demi-sec

Favourites

Les Jours Heureux, Alain Robert

Clean, citric aromas, quite complex although will benefit from further time in bottle for all the elements to come together harmoniously.

Cuvée Marcus, Clos de l'Epinay, Luc Dumange

  

Cuvée Marcus, Clos de l'Epinay, Luc Dumange

Good concentration and texture, quite a taut, austere style for a demi-sec  but with good length and should age well.  

Also showed well

Domaine de la Rouletiere, Jean-Marc Gilet

**

Moelleux

Cuvée Lubin Grand Liquoreux, La Croix des Vainqueurs, Laurent Bonneau

Discreet aromas but rich, concentrated fruit on palate, complex flavours – honey and rich dried apricot, barley sugar and baked apple.

Also showed well

Les Perruches, Domaine de la Poultiere

Cuvee Beauclair, Christian Blot

Souvenirs d'Automme, Caves Cathelineau, Jean-Charles and Frédéric Cathelineau

Epeigné-les-Bois: creating a garden

Last year the commune of Epeigné-les-Bois bought a small barn just across from Le Lézard Vert, the village café, restaurant and shop (cream building in left hand corner of photo). The barn's roof, which had fallen in, has now been replaced and now the small patch of ground (see above) had been cleared of its scrubby trees and will be turned into a garden. This morning clearing the space was in full swing.   

Inside the barn (above and below)

Loading up tree roots and other debris into the lorry

Loire this weekend: diary reminders – Vitiloire and Piste du Saumur-Champigny

This Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th the annual Vitiloire has some 130 vignerons in the centre of Tours right by the main railway station. It is a friendly event with lots of opportunities to taste as well as sample a considerable variety of food. Well worth going if you are in the area. 

Vitiloire 2012: food stalls and tables close to La Gare

2012: Jean-Max Manceau: Domaine de Noire (Chinon)

****

vous donnent rendez-vous le

Dimanche 26 mai à Montsoreau

à partir de 10h à pied, à cheval ou à vélo

pour partir avec les vignerons,

« Sur la piste du Saumur-Champigny »

6 étapes à retrouver dans le vignoble, des jeux et des énigmes sur la biodiversité.

Challenges adultes et enfants.

Toutes les équipes seront récompensées de nombreux cadeaux !

Dr José 'special one' Vouillamoz: Unusual varieties – the wines

2011 Grk – Branimir Cebalo, Korcula, Croatia (Grk) (above and below)

Here are photos of the labels of most of the wines presented by Dr José Vouillamoz at Monday's CWW seminar. There were some very attractive wines shown, particularly amongst the whites.  

Whites (includes Grk above)

2010 Kolorko, Pasaeli, Hosköy, Turkey (Kolorko)

2012 Vigna del Lume, Antonio Mazzella, Ischia, Italy (Biancolella)

This rich, full bodied, complex wine was one of my favourites with multiple flavours of citrus fruits, pineapple, passion fruit and apricot.  

Reds

2010 Negre de San Colonia, Vins Toni Gelabert, Mallorca, Spain (Callet)

Powerful butch number with floral black fruits – a bit 2D and needs time in bottle 

Zorik Gharibian maker of 2011 Karasi, Zorah Wines, Rind, Armenia (Areni) 

This was my favourite red with its nicely balanced spicy and peppery fruit. Reminded me of the 2011 Poulsard, Côtes de Jura from Domaine Ganevat we drank on Sunday night. 

Zorik with Angela Reddin (CWW) and Dr José Vouillamoz

The Cecchetto family makers of this Gelsaia

2009 Gelsaia DOCG Piave Malanotte, Az.Agr. Cecchetto, Veneto, Italy (Raboso Piave)

Rich, ripe black fruits, quite tannic with matching acidity – good match I imagine with substantial dishes 

Amphora orange wines 

We finished with two wines that had been fermented and matured in amphora. Both fascinating, although the last wine certainly provoked divided opinions.

2011 Gringet Amphore, Domaine Belluard, Haute-Savoie, France (Gringet)

2011 Kisi, Pheasant's Tears, Georgia (Kisi)

Someone tweeted that this was disgusting but I liked Pheasant's Tail with its strong tannins – unusual for a white – attractive texture and length. José noted herbs and dried figs. He was also impressed by its length. 


The other wines shown were:
2009 Versoain, Castel Katzenzungen, Südtirol, Italy (variety Versoain)
2011 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlosberg Orleans, Georg Breuer, Germany (Orleans Gelb) Fine balance of fruit and high acidity
2011 Lafnetscha, Chanton Kellerei, Visp, Switzerland (Lafnetscha)


See also Tom Lewis' write up here on the wines.