1997 Loire retrospective- 33 wines spanning many appellations

[Brad_Kane]

Last night, ten friends gathered at the home of Don and Melissa Rice for an epic evening of 1997 Loire wine revelry! The purpose, to check-in to see how 33 wines, representing an array of appellations from across the region, are fairing. It was a hot vintage whose reds and whites showed higher alcohol levels and riper fruit than the previous two excellent vintages, while the late harvest wines were greatly affected by botrytis, and there was a lot of consternation within our local group at the time whether there was enough acidity to fully balance them and if they’d age well. This tasting showed our initial fears were wrong as the wines showed freshness and balance, with most showing plenty of further aging potential.

Of the thirty-three wines, there were only two that were corked, though one of those wasn’t agreed on by everybody and there was one Chinon that just had real problems, but other than that, the wines showed extremely well, with many requiring and possessing the ability for further extended aging.

I won’t post detailed notes, but will be happy to respond to specific questions about the wines, Below is the list of wines we had. Stephen South was able to come up from NC and Mike Evans from GA, so hopefully they’ll add some commentary, plus board regulars Jayson Cohen and Jay Miller also attended.

It was a truly wonderful, informative and rewarding evening!

My favorites from the night, in no order: D’Epire- Savennieres Cuvee Special, Pepiere- Muscadet Cuvee Buster, Francois Cotat- Chavignol Rose, Baudry- Chinon Les Grezeaux, Clos Rougeard- Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeaux, Huet- Vouvray Moelleux 1ere Trie Le Haut-lieu.

Wines By Style and region:

Sparkling:

Huet- Vouvray Petillant

Dry Whites:

Non-Chenin:

Pépière- Muscadet Cuvee Buster

Thomas-Labaille- Chavignol Cuvee Buster the original

Chenin based:

Jasnieres:

Cezin- Jasnieres

Savennieres:

Baumard- Savennières Trie Special
D’Epire- Savennieres Cuvee Special
Ch. Soucherie Tijou- Savennieres Clos des Perrieres

Vouvray:

Pinon- Vouvray Sec

Off Dry Whites:

Touraine Azay-le-Rideau:

Robert Denis- Azay-le-Rideau Demi-Sec

Sweet Whites:

Anjou:

Jo Pithon- Anjou Les Bergeres

Coteaux du Layon:

Baumard- CDL Paon
Baumard- CDL Clos St Catherine
Soucherie CdL VV

Quarts de Chaume:

Pierre Bise- Quarts de Chaume

Vouvray:

Huet- Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux
Pinon- Vouvray Moelleux
Foreau- Vouvray Reserve
Huet- Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu 1ere Trie
Huet- Vouvray Le Mont 1ere Trie
Huet- Vouvray- Clos du Bourg 1ere Trie
Huet- Vouvray Cuvee Constance

Rose:

Francois Cotat

Reds:

Non-Cabernet Franc:

Clos Roche Blanche- Côt

Cabernet Franc:

Bourgeuil:

Chanteleuserie Bourgeuil Beauvais
Breton- Bourgueil Perrières

Chinon:

Baudry- Chinon Les Grézeaux
Baudry- Chinon- Croix Boissee
Olga Raffault Chinon Picasses
Alliet- Chinon Coteau de Noiré

Saumur-Champigny:

Clos Rougeard- Saumur-Champigny “Le Bourg”
Clos Rougeard- Saumur-Champigny “Les Clos”
Clos Rougeard- Saumur-Champigny “Les Poyeux”
Hureau - Saumur-Champigny Lisagath

Some photos from the evening. I forgot to take a pic of the Robert Denis- Azay-le-Rideau.

[Jayson_Cohen]

You mean this wonderful wine:

[Mike_Evans]

@Brad_Kane

there was one Chinon that just had real problems

I think you meant to write “there was one Saumur-Champigny that just had real problems,” as I assume you are referring to the sadly flawed Hureau Lisagathe. Given the number of issues I think we’ve all had with corked wines from this time period, providence was smiling on us with just one or maybe two TCA tainted bottles.

It really was an incredible night. The performance of the sweet wines was not at all surprising, but I remain impressed by how much life remained in almost all of the dry white and red wines (or in the case of the Rougeard Bourg, how much more time it needs to fully deliver its obvious potential). The wines also prove that you don’t have to spend a lot to get age worthy wines.

I’m already looking forward to revisiting the 1997s at 30 years from the vintage.

[Jayson_Cohen]

@Mike_Evans

@Brad_Kane

there was one Chinon that just had real problems

I think you meant to write “there was one Saumur-Champigny that just had real problems,” as I assume you are referring to the sadly flawed Hureau Lisagathe. Given the number of issues I think we’ve all had with corked wines from this time period, providence was smiling on us with just one or maybe two TCA tainted bottles.

It really was an incredible night. The performance of the sweet wines was not at all surprising, but I remain impressed by how much life remained in almost all of the dry white and red wines (or in the case of the Rougeard Bourg, how much more time it needs to fully deliver its obvious potential). The wines also prove that you don’t have to spend a lot to get age worthy wines.

I’m already looking forward to revisiting the 1997s at 30 years from the vintage.

100%. The balance across the board was spot on in ever category.

[Mike_Evans]

I just realized that I only mentioned the life left in the whites and reds. I didn’t intend to exclude the Cotat rose, which shared that same virtue. Still fresh but with layers of complexity from the age, what a wine!

[Chris_Kissack]

An excellent selection of wines Brad, thanks for posting the notes and pictures. I’ve enjoyed returning to the 1997 vintage over the years, plenty of pleasure here.

I found the trio of wines from Savennières interesting - this appellation has changed so much just in the time I have been visiting and covering the Loire and the names and styles seem to me to evoke a different era for the appellation (compared, for example, to Chinon or Vouvray, where the names listed largely remain at the top of the game in those appellations today).

[dbailey]

It’s a great wine but I’d never imagined it could last 25 years!

[Robert.A.Jr]

What’s the story behind this wine? The Chateau is increds, architecturally.

WOW what a line-up of wines. One of my favorite group tastings and parties at my house as a big Loire night, but it spanned multiple vintages across several decades. So cool to do a total horizontal.

[Jay_Miller]

I find my myself in remarkable agreement with Brad on the WsOTN with two exceptions:
The Ch. Soucherie Tijou Clos des Perrieres was the best Savennieres and one of my top wines of the evening. Much better than the D’Epire IMO. Also I’d add the CRB Cot to the top wines but then I always do.

My big shock was that the LHL surpassed (in a big way) the Le Mont that night. First time that’s ever happened to me.

[Nathan_V]

You buried the lede! Jeff Connell!

[Brad_Kane]

@Jay_Miller

The Ch. Soucherie Tijou Clos des Perrieres was the best Savennieres and one of my top wines of the evening. Much better than the D’Epire IMO.

That’s because you like dead things.

The Soucherie’s structure had vitality and freshness that I liked, but the flavors were of not quite sherry, but certainly old and oxidized. The D’Epire still had fresh, yellow fruit and its typical waxiness.

[Jay_Miller]

@Robert.A.Jr

What’s the story behind this wine? The Chateau is increds, architecturally.

Assuming you were talking about the Robert Denis those were wines that for quite a while we thought would continue to “need 5 more years” for the rest of this millennium but have finally started to open up. An 89 last year was great and now this.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

I have a bottle each of the Paon and the Constance in the cellar so would appreciate any specific comments any of you want to make on them. Thanks!

• And what a lineup!

[Julian_Marshall]

What a stunning line-up - I’m exceedingly jealous. What was the Breton Perrières like?

[Mike_Evans]

@Julian_Marshall

What a stunning line-up - I’m exceedingly jealous. What was the Breton Perrières like?

The Perrieres was a little disappointing. Showing a surprising amount of ripe fruit and glossy oak, not bad but not what I want or expect in a Cab Franc from this producer.

[Julian_Marshall]

@Mike_Evans

@Julian_Marshall

What a stunning line-up - I’m exceedingly jealous. What was the Breton Perrières like?

The Perrieres was a little disappointing. Showing a surprising amount of ripe fruit and glossy oak, not bad but not what I want or expect in a Cab Franc from this producer.

Surprising and disappointing indeed! I’ve never had any as old so I don’t know if it was a phase they went through at the time.

[Mike_Evans]

@Julian_Marshall

I’ve never had any as old so I don’t know if it was a phase they went through at the time.

I’ve had a number of Bretons with age but this is the first that has shown anything like this.

[Brad_Kane]

Yeah, considering how great the '95 and '96 Breton Les Perrieres are, all that vanilla oak in the '97 was surprising.

[Jayson_Cohen]

@Dav3_Dyr0ff

I have a bottle each of the Paon and the Constance in the cellar so would appreciate any specific comments any of you want to make on them. Thanks!

• And what a lineup!

Both great.

Paon was even better delineated and fresher the second night open. Very nice apricot-quince Botrytis wine with beautifully integrated acidity. I like it better than the bigger but more monolithic St Catherine side by side. It is a really good match for an ash-coated firm Chèvre.

Constance is all that. I diverge with Jay and Brad on the Huets a bit as all of them (except a corked LHL Moelleux) were excellent, Le Mont 1er Trie ultimately more delineated than a great bottle of LHL 1er Trie and Clos du Bourg very good but clearly not ready yet. I didn’t have a favorite. I liked them all.

[Jayson_Cohen]

@Mike_Evans

@Julian_Marshall

What a stunning line-up - I’m exceedingly jealous. What was the Breton Perrières like?

The Perrieres was a little disappointing. Showing a surprising amount of ripe fruit and glossy oak, not bad but not what I want or expect in a Cab Franc from this producer.

I really am convinced they broke in a freshly toasted barrel with that wine as it really is so different than 1995 and 1996 and has way more unintegrated oak than any mid-90s Breton I can recall.