We had a really excellent tasting of Loire wines at our blind tasting lunch this month, an area we seem to neglect.
2006 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon – mid yellow with a slightly reductive lemon based nose, good balance.
1993 Domaine du Closel-Château des Vaults Savennières Clos du Papillon – I put this up as a sacrificial wine – one that I didn’t have great (grape?) expectations for but that might be interesting. It had been sound in 2017 when I lasted opened one. Darker colour, with a slightly oxidative nose of orange rind with hints of almonds, dry, smooth and balanced. A big but pleasant surprise. I leave these for around seven years until they come into focus but had never expected this sort of longevity. My last bottle.
2018 Domaine de la Chaise Touraine-Chenonceaux – this white was a pale colour with obvious sauv blanc nose, good acidity and clean finish.
2010 Domaine François Cotat Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu – some colour, a clean citrus nose and a lovely smooth acidic hit in the lengthy finish.
2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont – I have a fondness for this reliable producer. Medium straw colour and a nose of wet stone and peaches and a long finish.
2021 Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rosé – from the aged to the youthful, this crisp wine was very light pink, had an interesting cheesy nose and a clean dry finish.
1995 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon – these wines last decades! Golden yellow colour and an interesting nose of honeyed fruit with some added spice, more nutmeg than cinnamon. Excellent length, medium sweetness and a long off dry finish. Very good.
2010 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux – good colour, a slightly funky nose of berry and spice, excellent minerality and a good finish with clean acidity
2018 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Bizay Les Chapaudaises – fairly ripe, funky nose of berry and some cassis, clean acidity and medium length smooth finish.
2014 Charles Joguet Chinon Les Petites Roches – quite dark with a nose that featured oak, some mint and faint floral notes, on palate it was tasty with some decent fruit notes (cherry?) and a long smooth finish.
2006 Château du Hureau Saumur-Champigny Lisagathe – dark wine with a slightly lifted warm nose with faint anise notes, medium body and adequate length. Decent.
2009 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru – my finisher, in 500 ml. size. Light amber colour and a killer nose of rich dried apricot and hints f caramel and pineapple. Nice long savoury finish.
Next month – a St. Julien tasting