My feelings precisely!
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+1. That said I’m happy that the whites are widely available in restaurants in Helsinki as they are reliable and mostly well priced.
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A couple of good Pinot Noirs from 2015:
2015 Ampelidae Pinot Noir P.N. 1328
Enticing aromas of peonies, blueberries, plums and violets, then a mouthful of mainly plums and blackberries, with dark raspberries and some strawberries coming later. Very beguiling, elegant, even ethereal, full of charm but very persistent and despite the warmth of the vintage, it succeeds in remaining fresh. Lovely stuff.
Ampelidae was briefly quite well noted but faded from view some time ago. Although I believe the wines were all organic, they were (and probably still are) produced on a large scale. PN 1328 is the name of the plot and was always one of their better wines. They also acquired the Druet vineyards but never produced anything remotely as good as he had done. This cost me a mere 13€ and I think more recent vintages are about the same price, but I don’t know if they are as good.
2015 Domaine Henry Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues Les Cris
Floral notes of peonies, also rosehip, plums and blackcurrants, then a very winsome blend of plums and blackcurrants on the palate, with the latter increasingly prominent over the course of the evening. Dark raspberries dominate the middle section and the finish is persistent but fresh. Very successful. Great value at 18€.
From a much more renowned producer, this was very impressive, but…
I don’t drink much Pinot Noir so it was fascinating to taste these two together. I was confidently expecting the Pellé to put the Ampelidae in its place…but it didn’t. I slightly preferred the blackcurrant profile to the blackberry one of the Ampelidae, but I can’t say the Pellé was actually better. So one of those occasions when comparing wines is very useful, and when it is important to ignore the label. I’d give them both a solid 92 pts.
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Not surprised that it’s drinking well, as a 1998 Côt a couple of weeks ago was still showing young. A 2008 Gamay tasted with it was showing more VA than I’d like. The Gamay was under a synthetic cork and I’m not sure how that affected its longevity.
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Another good Eclipse:
2009 Frederic Mabileau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Eclipse
Very intense notes of black cherries, plums and blackberries on the nose, with some herbs and savoury notes in the background, then a winsome, but restrained mouthful of the same fruits, morphing midpalate into subtle blueberries and cooler blackcurrant, before a rising crescendo of a finale. Lovely stuff, ripe but not overripe, moreish but not remotely syrupy. I’m hoping (and reasonably confident) that good 2018s will turn out like this. Not quite at the level of the 08 and the 14 (that’s probably personal preference for less ripe vintages) but not far away 93 pts
As usual, excellent value - 25 euros a few years ago. I know I’m repeating myself, but this is a wine to look out for at auction.
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This is surprising to me- of course I do not dispute both of your experiences here (and I’ve never had the reds). But their Clos d’Entre Les Murs Saumur Blanc I thought was world class. On par with Rougeard and Collier.
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Thanks - that’s praise indeed and good to know! I shall look out for some.
Ok I’m not saying it’s ready, but this 2016 Raffault Chinon Les Picasses that I just popped on a whim is wonderful. A very focused wine. Smoky nose with rich soil tones, menthol, and red berries. Cranberries for sure. Firm structure, crisp acids like 2014 but a much more full-bodied mouth presence. Savory and briny as well. Really excellent, 93 pts.
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Thanks for the update. Good to hear - what I was hoping. I’m sitting on some of these, will keep sitting for a while.
1990 Les Picasses was delightful this weekend. Brought by a friend to a dinner last night to taste next to the ‘08. Rather stern initially, with green bell pepper and gravelly soil dominating, but added cherries after some air. I was lucky enough to snag what was left at the end of the night, and it was still going strong on day 2. Really supple and smooth, with the remaining tannins just tickling your tongue through the finish.
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Nice, Joel! I still have a couple of 1990 Picasses in the cellar. Last tried one 5 years ago. Took an hour to open. Found it wonderfully complex and yes, with plenty of tannins still. Should probably open another soon.
Yeah I really like the 16. I drank through my stash before leaving France and now can’t reload in Quebec. I promised myself I wouldn’t order more wine to cellar in France but…
Zut alors! For some reason I didn’t buy any!
Oh, now that really is below the belt! This is the wine that got me into Loire reds in the first place, a rather long time ago. Gosh I wish I still had some! Thanks for the memory!
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Me, too. And the 89. The 1990 was delicious on release! It’s been over five years since I’ve had either of them, but boy have they had wonderfully long delicious lives.
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Last had that wine about 10 years ago at Au Bleu Provence in Naples. TN above sounds exactly how I remember it then!
A 2006 Cot was corked last night 
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2016 Domaine du Grollay Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Brambly nose, quite soft and mature, so notes of confected fruit but also fresher red cherries and redcurrants. Much the same in the mouth, winsome notes of blackberry and raspberry, blended with cranberry and plum. Needed drinking, but still very pleasurable - all for 3 euros! 88 pts
2019 Yannick Amirault Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Les Malgagnes
Very intense nose of ripe blueberries, blackcurrants and dark cherries, then a swirling mouthful of all three, very ripe, but very pure, with a crescendo finish. Despite the 14% ABV, there’s no lack of balance - there’s enough acidity to cope, there are chalky tannins, and overall a feeling of charm and elegance that bodes well for the future. 92 pts
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I expected to really like this but I don’t.
My second bottle after a year or two, with a similar overall impression. Dark like a night in the catacombs. Heady nose: bramble, elderberry, freshly tilled soil. A hint of brett. But hardly anything is happening on the palate, mute and not revealing much, also not on the third evening. Bad timing, a lacking bottle?
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Very sorry to read this - not least because I have a bottle myself! I’ve only tried the 05 and the 17, both of which I loved. Sounds like I need to wait a bit longer for the 2010.
I was luckier last night:
2004 Sebastien David Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vin d’une Oreille
I bought this last year hoping for the best, since I had really enjoyed a 2014, but knowing I was taking a risk, since 2004 is not the best vintage and I didn’t know if this wine would age this long. Drawing the cork hardly dispelled my doubts, as it was small and came out too easily - but I needn’t have worried:
Very fresh aromas of spring flowers, redcurrants and red cherries, with some strawberry and herbs. On the palate, the redcurrants hit first, then the red cherries, but the dominant fruit sensation is that of wild strawberries. Still delightfully fresh and vibrant, smooth and elegant - just very enjoyable, if not quite as good as I remember the 2014. 92 pts
I met Sébastien David at the Salon des Vins de Loire in 2014. He was very amusing, obviously a bit of an iconoclaste - he looked like he should have been playing bass in Primal Scream. All of his wines were impressive. I remember him explaining that they were natural because the soil had a naturally high level of sulphur. I knew zilch about natural wines at the time - I don’t think the movement had made many waves, but perhaps I was just ignorant. Anyway, this wine proves that they can certainly age like any other wine.
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