Clos Rougeard

• 2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (1/9/2012)
  More game but not funk, much like hung and dried meat which is made more apparent by iron notes that give way to the more carbon, flint notes I generally associate with Cab Franc. A nose that definitely evolves and rewards nose in the glass time. The mid-palate reminds of the more “pretty” '04 Poyeux with more white flower and silky, integrated tannins. However, the finish returns with iron, weightiness and persistence. Showing very well and really top notch.
• 2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (1/9/2012)
  A nose of just classy Cab Franc, spice, flint, macerated cranberries and with funk to boot. On the palate the tannins are integrated with acidity to drive through. Secondary notes persist from nose to finish a particular white flower note is quite apparent.
• 2005 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny “Clos” - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (1/9/2012)
  A funkier nose than the single vineyards and more greenness up front. However, the brett seems willing to give way to other notes on the nose which is positive since I am generally sensitive to, in my opinion, its masking capabilities. Palate is nice, not nearly as complex and evolving as the single vineyards. A touch of heat on the finish but still earth driven and lingering
• 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny “Clos” - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (1/9/2012)
  Nearly maritime nose, some spice and liquorice mingle with cranberry notes that sit at the bottom of the nose. Firmest tannins of all the wines and least developed mid-palate but the stuffing is there. This wine was the one that showed its youth the most of the Clos Rougeard line-up
• 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (1/9/2012)
  Brett is apparent on the nose, more than the other single vineyards I tasted (Poyeux and Bourg '04) The floral note I picked up on the '04 Poyeux is at the bottom of the funk but the minerality of this wine is not surfacing on the nose at least not readily, one has to hunt it out. On the palate oh so smooth and very different than the barnyard nose; soft and floral. Clos Rougeard is fun because of the disparate flavors the wine can give out. The finish brings out the spice and greenness of the Cab Franc.

Posted from CellarTracker

Wow. Did you open all these bottles yourself, or attend a tasting?

Thanks for posting the notes.

Looking forward to sampling these.

Thanks so much for the notes. I’ve only tried the '04 Clos so far.

a very dramatic 2nd post Warren!

sad i’m missing tonight’s dinner.

Shouldn’t there be a rule against a New Board Member posting such an orgy of notes from a near-mythic winery that some of us dream about but have never seen! Really, the humanity of it all . . . .

J/k

Welcome, and awesome post!

Robert

Interesting about the 06 Clos. Thought I saw a review saying this will be ‘drinking early.’ In the eye of the beholder, eh?

Warren,

On the 04’s, would you suggest drink or hold at this stage? I’ve got some of both in the cellar that I’ve been gazing at longingly for the past couple of years wondering when they’d be ready…

I think the main question is whether you like your wines youthful or mature since these are approaching that cusp. Also, these all had 4-5 hours slow-ox before tasted.
Clearly the Le Bourg is going to be the longest lived and I would hold but if I had multiple bottles (3+) and hadn’t tried one for some time, now might be a good time to check in. Les Poyeux was pretty tremendous now. With that said it was mostly just secondary notes and further aging may bring out more tertiary notes that are starting to develop in the Le Bourg. I would hold out a couple years on the Les Poyeux but if the itch was too intense I’d go here before Le Bourg. Finally, I would start enjoying the Clos now and over the next couple years mostly as cellar buffers. I tasted the Clos '04 some time back and it was good to go.

One friend of mine is starting to lean towards only buying the Clos as it’s almost always drinking well. I think he was annoyed at a recent still nowhere near ready 1995 Bourg.

Anyone have recent experiences with the 03s? I bought lightly across the lineup, which makes me nervous to time the opening well, warmer vintage and all…

Brilliant wines.

Le Bourg 2003 was surprisingly approachable in September. Haven’t tasted any others in the last few months.

I was thinking of opening an 05 “Clos” this weekend that to your notes. Thanks for posting

Great notes Warren. I have very few of these and have a question since one of the vintages that I have was brought up.

Any recent experience on the 1995 Le Poyeux? Drink or hold?

Had the 1995 Poyeux back in November. It was really boring…

• 1995 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (11/12/2011)
  The Embodiment of Memory (Bob’s House - Alexandria, VA): I wanted to love this wine. I wanted this bottle to validate my recent onslaught of current release Rougeard purchases. Sadly, I was incredibly bored by it. The nose was incredibly muted with soft tones of red florals and some soil. The palate was thin, tired, and flat out boring. This was only my third bottle of Rougeard, so I’m hoping this was stuck in a dumb phase instead of being over-the-hill.

Posted from CellarTracker

BTW, their whites are very interesting, really thick juice and even rarer.

Justin and I found it compelling and quite stylistically dissonant from the 04 Clos. I will begrudgingly post notes sometime this week (can’t quite get to them now); the wines don’t need any hype given their availability

Great notes Warren, sorry I could not make this…Thanks for having alerted me to this tasting, Faryan. Looking forward to your notes.

Though from what I hear they need even more time than the reds.