I’ve really enjoyed it in Chinon and Beaujolais. Have not tried any Bordeaux, have you Howard?
Have had several burgs but only one Bordeaux - had the second wine of Brane Cantenac Thursday night. Nice freshness that I really responded to, but without enough fruit to be from a really good vintage. Not sure whether this a reflection on the vintage or the fact that this was a second wine.
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I used to taste with Mai and Kenji on an annual basis at the Salon-Saint-Jean in Angers, which features a lot of natural, biodynamic, low-intervention growers.
I liked Mai and Kenji very much, they were always charming and friendly, and initially the wines were OK, simple vin de soif style on the whole, but I started to notice too many faults to continue tasting with them.
I remember the last time we tasted together maybe 10+ years ago I tasted their old-vines Chenin and it was plainly faulty (mouse taint). But Kenji looked at me and said something along the lines of “it has some peculiarities, but we are gradually getting used to these peculiarities in our wines.”
I never tasted with them again (and in truth I haven’t seen them in years).
Haven‘t had anything from the estate yet so I opened one on arrival. Possibly my best Saumur to date (OK, I haven’t touched my Rougeards yet).
Immensely enjoyable from the go, and only improving from there. Dark fruit, red peppers, roasted chilies. Fine florals on the nose, dry herbs, spice. Smooth and oozing class. An engaging interplay between lively acidity and fine tannins. A mineral, slightly salty finish.
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I find nothing about Collier Saumur-Champigny on Cellar Tracker. Why is that?
Ouch. That’s 50% more than I can source it for in the UK.
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I also don‘t see any information about the Saumur Rouge Champigny, possibly a new bottling? Interestingly, it is a bit pricier than La Ripaille, a lieu dit in Breze. Maybe a declassified Charpentrie?
I bet it’s the same wine as the “Saumur Rouge” in my screenshot, above. And the CT entries for the “Saumur rouge” end with the 2016 vintage. Entries for “Saumur Champigny” start in CT with the 2018 vintage, and there are entries for that one for 2018, 2019, and also your 2020. Did you just add it to the database?
No, it wasn‘t me. We need an insider to clarify this. But at the end it doesn’t really matter, just a fine wine, even if the tannins still have some serious work to do. And so is their Saumur Blanc 2020.
From what I understand, the Saumur-Champigny cuvée (so neither La Ripalle no La Charpentrie) was started with the 2018 vintage.
I imported Mabileau years ago. Really solid wines for the money. Frédéric was a super nice guy. Happy to hear the family is carrying on.
Expensive, hard to source, thin selection in the U.S., per wine-searcher. Aargh.
I’ve not ever seen a red Collier on a shelf. Granted, I’ve only seen the whites a small handful of times.
Collier wines are no easier to find in France and have become very expensive. I’ve toyed with the idea of trying one of the reds and probably will in the name of science, but they’re double the price of my usual top-end Loire reds. Here are a few brief impressions of those I have tried recently:
Clos de L’Echelier - Domaine des Roches Neuves - Saumur-Champigny 2016
For me, the least impressive of the top RN cuvées, and this didn’t change my mind. Strong and impressive aromas of dark raspberry, plus a little leather, then a trademark crisp mouthful of the same - but that’s it. No depth, no complexity. This was well-received by critics so rather disappointing. Hopefully time will improve it. No score for now.
Terres Chaudes - Domaine des Roches Neuves - Saumur-Champigny 2015
This has improved and could get better still in the future. Notes of blackcurrant and sour cherry on the nose, with spring flowers to pretty it up a bit, then quite an arresting blend of dark and red fruit, much less sappy than before, becoming more classical and less Roches-Neuves in style. The finish is improving too, mellowing and lengthening. It’ll be fun to compare this with the more expensive R-N cuvées from 2015, because this is certainly the best Terres-Chaudes I’ve had so far. Very enjoyable now, but I would give it a bit longer. 92 pts
Philippe Alliet - Coteau de Noiré - Chinon 2008
Odd but very tasty. Notes of redcurrant and cranberry, with red cherry midpalate, so not what I would expect from a Chinon, very dry and crisp, because it’s a 2008, but I enjoyed the lip-smacking, mouth-puckering fruit. I don’t think it will improve, but no hurry to finish up yet. 91 pts
Domaine de Bel-Air - Les Marsaules - Bourgueil 2009
This has come on well since my last bottle in 2019. Aromas of fresh blackcurrant and spring flowers, with a touch of leather and spice. On the palate, the typically broad, fruity, blackcurrant taste that this estate’s wines go in for, with a pleasantly chalky finish that is more Chinon than Bourgueil. I don’t think it’ll get much better, but no hurry either. It’s good stuff, just lacking the complexity of other wines from other estates. Good value at the time. 91 pts
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But not anymore?? The last prices I’ve seen have still been sub-30€.
Better to focus on the white for L’Échelier!
Thanks for the TNs Julian.
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I paid 17 euros at auction, and around 20€ for 2014 to 17, which puts it at the same sort of price as Terres Chaudes for example. For me that’s fine - but the prices I see now are hovering around 30€, which puts it in a different price range, with different competition - Baudry LCB for example. Each to their own concerning Bel Air - I like the wines but I’m still waiting for my Road to Damascus moment!
Cheers Phil - I’ve never tried the white - my only experience with RN whites has been Clos du Romans 14 and 17, neither of which I really liked, but I would like to try more of his whites.
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Fair enough. I guess finding a wine of that quality for 30€ considering what’s going on in some other parts just makes it look like a bargain for me still buy surely there are even better values out there as far as Loire CF goes. I haven’t seen LCB lately for 30€, I hope that’s just poor luck.
It’s all down to personal taste, of course - I was a bit disappointed that the 09 hadn’t gone to the next level, and I don’t find the same level of complexity as in other wines, but that’s just me. The Clos de L’Echelier was a lot more disappointing, bearing in mind its normal price, well over 30 euros.