Epic Loire night: 89 Raffault, 90 Baumard, 96 Huet, 09 Rougeard, Baudry, Bernaudeau, Roches Neuves FdP, and others

WINE TALK
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Had a terrific night of exploring the Loire (and one Mondavi interloper) with some great Berzerkers @Alan_Rath @Yao_C @Larry_Stein @AndyK @George_Chadwick at the reliably excellent Mathilde Bistro in SF. As always, thanks @Yule_Kim for organizing!!

It left no question that Chenin Blanc is absolutely one of the great white grapes of the world. Also, my first time trying both Rougeard and Bernaudeau! What a treat.

BERSERKER OFFLINE - Mathilde Bistro - SF (10/7/2023)

Whites

  • 2017 Marie Thibault-Cabrit La Roue Qui Tourne Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau
    Profusely fizzy pet-nat that starts a bit mysterious and closed, but starts to reveal more once the bubbles calm down. High acid, with nice honeyed citrus, savory and chalky minerals, and while the mid-palate is a bit shy, it shows a long, pleasing golden raisin finish. Needs more time, I think. (90 points)
  • 2014 Robert Mondavi Winery FumĂ© Blanc To-Kalon I Block - USA, California, Napa Valley
    A bit closed and oaky - should have revisited later in the night but didn't get a chance. A ton of stuffing underneath, wonderfully rich citrus and tropical fruit (kiwi? mango?), a bit of pastry cream, and juicy acid. Needs time for the oak to integrate. 91 for enjoyment now, probably add 2-3 in time. (91 points)
  • 1990 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Trie SpĂ©ciale - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
    3cm fill, cork came out in 1 piece with the Durand. Super stinky on opening, which blows off quickly. Focused honey and wool nose, under tones of flowers and mushrooms. More white mushroom in the mouth, which progresses to white-truffle over 3 hours - a very enjoyable marriage to the classic honeyed citrus Chenin palate core. Still remarkably fresh, with great acid, light wool and smoke, a savory potassium salt quality, and a funky cheesy note - the table calls it the “sheep cheese” wine for the rest of the night. 15% alcohol on the bottle. Hard to detect any heat - maybe just a smidge on the end of the long savory finish. (95 points)
  • 1996 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Very Huet in the nose - delicate but focused, honey lanolin and sweet flowers. First taste is a bit attenuated and a touch shrill, clearly Chenin flavors, with a bit of mineral bath salt bitterness. The palate fleshes out with some air, becoming more textural and with the acid playing more harmoniously. I like it more and more as it comes into balance over the evening. Probably would have enjoyed it more without being sandwiched between truly stunning wines, the Baumard and the Bernadeau. (92 points)
  • 2009 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc BrĂ©zĂ© - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
    Closed or off? Others say slightly oxidized; I don't find it especially so, but it comes across as a bit flat and missing depth and fruit. A core of acid and minerals. I still enjoy it but imagine that it's not a representative bottle.
  • 2018 I. et S. Bernaudeau Les OnglĂ©s - France, Vin de France
    Wow, an exotic chenin blanc that is 180 degrees from the Baumard! An incredible nose of passion fruit, white flowers, and honey - focused and incisive. It immediately evokes two distinct sense-memories. The first is opening a ripe pomelo, which first hits with a profuse cloud of citrus oil, followed by the bitter pith and delicate mild citrus flavor. The second is the grapefruit creme brulee at Friday Saturday Sunday in Philly, still perhaps one of the top 3 desserts I've ever eaten, with its more assertive grapefruit bitterness, a hint of tarragon and hay, perfectly interwoven with a rich creaminess. Beyond this, there's a mix of racy acid, salty minerals, and delicate flowers, leading to a long finish. Very elegant, but has plenty of heft and I suspect will get even better with time.

    A real treat to try, a completely new dimension to chenin for me & something I'd like to find more of... Thanks Andy. (95 points)

Reds

  • 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Textbook aged Chinon. Complex, especially on the nose, with old library leather & books, humidor, earth and macerated cherries, with a bit of green pepper thrown in. Lots of concentration and depth on the palate, and although it's clearly excellent and even beautiful in a way, it doesn't really move me for some reason. Interesting to compare my reaction to the 02 Breton Perrières, which objectively is the lesser wine, but has a je ne sais quoi that stirs me deep down. Others liked this way more, putting it up near the Rougeard for red WOTN. Perhaps it's just the Raffault style. I'm very sorry Olga, it's not you, it's me! (91 points)
  • 2002 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    I really love Breton Perrières. This 02 feels at peak, showing classic cab franc notes of bell pepper (red and green), tobacco, but it has not lost any of its juicy red fruit. The palate is a bit tart and thin, leading to a rather short finish, especially when compared with the other wines, but it has such beautiful floral aromatics on the inner mouth, I sort of fall in love with this wine. (92 points)
  • 2009 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
    My first Rougeard. Oh so classy, with plush dark fruit, wood smoke, black pepper, ripe red pepper, so long and deep. Just keeps getting better and better over 3 hours, revealing a spiced prune in Armagnac component in the best possible way. Effortlessly elegant with cashmere tannins which makes you want to roll this on your tongue all night. It is clearly not showing all its cards yet, but it is so pleasing to drink already. Mouton of the Loire, maybe. (96 points)
  • 2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix BoissĂ©e - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Terrific Baudry, still very young. Very classy and a bit more feral and burly than the Rougeard Bourg. Shows nuanced layers of dark cherries, crushed dark flowers, pipe tobacco, and a bit of green olive. Wonderfully fresh, with juicy acid and a streak of stony minerals. Tannins just a shade on the rustic side, and still needs 5-10 years to peak. 93+ (93 points)
  • 2017 Domaine du Bel Air (Pierre et Rodolphe Gauthier) Bourgueil Clos Nouveau - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    Young and bold, leaning modern and fleshy, but with more rustic tannins than the Roches Neuves. Medium bodied but with an explosion of dark fruit, pipe tobacco and tar. A touch less balanced than the Roches Neuves, with spiky acid and tannins that jut out a bit. Palate fatigue at set in by the time I got around to trying this, and I'm guessing I'd score higher stand-alone. 91++ with time. (91 points)
  • 2019 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Franc de Pied - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
    Wonderful young Roches Neuves! This is perhaps more "modern" than some of the other wines on the table, showing a bit more fruit-forward and polished than the other wines, or that could just be a combo of its rambunctious youthfulness and warm vintage. Lovely aromatics - intense flowers, cherries, plums, and a swipe of dried green herbs. Fleshy mouthfeel with juicy and pure red and black plums, cherry skin, and a distinctive and prominent stoniness - is this the own-rooted vines speaking? Fine, chalky tannins. All propelled forward by mouthwatering acidity like sucking on plum pits. Delightful and will probably be a knockout in 5-10 years! 92++ (92 points)

Moelleux

  • 1996 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Top of cork is moldy and grungy, but the rest of the cork is in excellent shape. Can tell it's going to be good from the first sniff - laser sharp chenin nose, full of fresh honey, white flowers, and wax. A tremendous palate, lightly sweet with honey, golden raisins, jasmine up front, fanning out into sour orange confit, apricot and salty minerals. Clean wax, still drinks very young, like a 10yo wine. Plenty of phenolic grip and just so much stuffing. George says, "classy and classic, but not yet sexy." I'm inclined to agree. Probably even better in another 10 years. (96 points)
  • 2008 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Young and bright, but something seemed off. Some thought it had a lot of VA. I got maybe just a tiny bit, but that wasn't the problem for me; there was a bit of mouse or bacterial funk on the finish. Some of the stink was evident on the nose after a while as well. A shame, because there was clearly a ton of stuffing otherwise. (NR/flawed)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Nice write up.

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I’m jealous - what a wonderful lineup - excellent notes!

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Thanks for the notes! Yeah, a really fun night.

I brought the rest of the '08 Huet home. I set it on the counter overnight. I just tasted it and I don’t detect any flaws. Perhaps, it needed all that time to shed whatever nasties were there? :person_shrugging:

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It’s quite possible! It was the last wine to get opened and had the least chance to breathe.

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IMG_12374032Ă—1578 1.04 MB

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Awesome notes!

And you known what Vince… I don’t really get the Raffault wines either. Your not alone :smile:

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Excellent notes! Thanks - I’ve been exploring more of Loire, too.

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Sounds epic. Lovely group of wines.

I’ll put in a note on the positive for Raffault’s reds … while I buy Baudry and Germain regularly as well as Joguet, and have had some Breton wines, I find the Raffault’s Picasses wines to be restrained and balanced in an extremely elegant style.

I would describe them as subtle relative to some of the others above … maybe even disciplined. Everything is in the right place. For me, these are to a certain extent the definition of chinon from which I measure others.

I also think the Picasses bottlings are more consistent than Breton and Germain offerings. The latter does from time to time however produce some exceptional wines as well that are far more complex and terroir driven (albeit typically at significantly higher cost).

I mentioned in another recent thread … the current vintages of Baudry have been unbelievable. Adjusted for price I’m not sure I can think of a better producer anywhere.

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Agree 100% on the comments about Raffault and Baudry.

On Raffault, hard to imagine a more archetype Chinon. It is the benchmark Chinon from which everything else is measured to me. The 1989 and 1990 vintages set the standard, and they still drink beautifully. More nuanced and balanced, as you note, compared to the more modern producers (not meant pejoratively) like Germaine. I think the 2014 Raffault hits those heights in 15-20 years. I bought 2 cases of this 2014.

On Baudry, I have said the same thing before, this is probably the best producer on the planet when you factor in the full range of reds and whites, price, and quality. And the top cuvées are best of class. I still have some Franc de Pieds left!

Now that said, I also believe Rougeard hits at another level. The Rougeard wines are generally stunning. It’s like another level of complexity, fabric and richness to the wines. I am not sure where the estate heads post-sale, but the terroir is incredible. I had a 2005 Les Poyeaux last year that was a stunner, but in truth, so many outstanding recent vintages, like 2014, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2002. Rougeard even made some excellent wines in 2003 and 2011! I have a decent amount of Rougeard, but if there is any part of my cellar where I wish I had even greater depth, it is Rougeard and Allemand Cornas.

My little buddy @Marc_Frontario and I have done a handful of similar, Loire-focused tastings. They always shine. We did one with 5 decades of Loire wines, including some 1970s Raffault, 1980s Lenoir, 1990s Joguet and then 2000s Rougeard. And whet the whistle with a 2010 Vatan. That was an epic night. We even ended with a 1965 Mouton that could have fooled us in that line-up.

Psyched about the note above on the 2009 Rougeard Le Bourg. Been wondering when to pop it. But then again, I need to show more patience with these wines.

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I thought the '89 Raffault and the '09 Clos Rougeard Bourg were my co-reds of the nights. It was an interesting contrast – the '89 Raffault had fully resolved tannins, great length and concentration, and elegance. Textbook, archetypal Chinon is a good way to describe it. And I have such fond memories of the '85 Raffault Picasses – one of the wines that turned me onto Loire Cab Francs. A trip down memory lane.

In contrast, the Clos Rougeard had an incredibly silky texture and elegance paired with power and density (and an lifted jolt of refreshing energy on the finish). Arguably the Clos Rougeard was more complex, but the Raffault was in such a pretty place on its aging curve.

'09 Baudry Croix Boissee was also a standout mainly because I brought it (jk). I don’t want to say rustic, but “feral” is perhaps a good way to describe the texture and rough edges that made the wine so compelling to me – it definitely kept up with the Clos Rougeard and I do think it will probably just get better with age. Nothing modern about this wine at all. And the '02 Breton was a real treat – light, delicate, but the spiky acidity made it really appealing, especially as a food wine drunk with good bistro fare.

It was very interesting to contrast these wines with the Germain and the Gauthier wines – Germain, I felt, had more polish than the Rougeard – perhaps even “slickness” is a better way to describe it. While the Clos Nouveau was just so big and tannic – should be interesting in 10+ years if not longer, but hard to get a fair read of it today.

My favorite dry whites were the '18 Bernaudeau Les Ongles (what a kaleidoscope of citrus, minerals, and salinity on the palate) and the '96 Huet Le Mont Sec – spry, energetic, and drinking surprisingly young.

Tbh, the Baumard was a little too big for me and the funk was a little too much. Great wine, but not really my cuppa. I also thought the Clos Rougeard Breze had an off-putting oxidized note on my first pour, but it did clear up with some more air. However, something still seemed off with it.

'96 Huet CdB Premiere Trie was firing on all cylinders and was in a really lovely place. I agree, though, that the '08 Huet Le Mont Premiere Trie seemed a little off – I’m assuming VA, but hard to tell.

(And the sparkler was a great, refreshing aperitif while the Mondavi was surprisingly interesting despite being very rich and very Sauvignon Blanc).

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I’m always a bit behind in transcribing my notes, but here they are. What a great night! Thanks for organizing, Yule!

LOIRE TASTING - Mathilda Bistro, San Francisco (10/7/2023)

  • 2018 I. et S. Bernaudeau Les OnglĂ©s - France, Vin de France
    Absolutely wonderful nose with nice complexity and richness, showing notes of lemon, peach, flowers, and some tropical fruit. Good acidity on the palate and overall really well balanced and put together. Flavors of ripe fruit, peach, lemon, lemon zest, and minerals. Long finish. An outstanding Chening Blanc. This has really evolved beautifully since tasting it first a couple of years ago. (95 points)
  • 2009 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc BrĂ©zĂ© - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
    Quite advanced on nose and palate with bruised apples, citrus, hay, and honey notes. Not undrinkable but clearly not as complex and interesting as it should be. Bummer, yet another premoxed Breze. (NR/flawed)
  • 1996 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Very pretty nose with citrus notes, minerals, hay, orange zest, tart white peach, and honey. Good acidity on the palate with quite fresh fruit, lemon, citrus zest, and chalk. Nice finish. This has aged beautifully and while fully mature it still possesses good freshness and lift. I really enjoyed the palate in particular. (94 points)
  • 1990 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Trie SpĂ©ciale - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
    Quite nice nose with complex and mature flavors of lemon, cheese, spices, lactic notes, and citrus zest. Nice acidity with a good amount of weight and richness (15% abv!), notes of peach, honey, citrus, and minerals on the palate. Nice finish. Interesting wine! (93 points)
  • 2014 Robert Mondavi Winery FumĂ© Blanc To-Kalon I Block - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose with notes of chalk, lemon, peach, orange, and bright minerals. It feels just a tad riper than a well made Sancerre. Nice acidity on the palate with lemon notes, citrus zest, minerals, and bright fruit on the palate. Nice finish. A very good wine! Feels a bit like a hypothetical mix of Austrian SB and Sancerre... (93 points)
  • 2009 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
    Gorgeous nose with complex flavors of mushrooms, dark fruit, underwood, black cherries, and nice depth. Good acidity and very pretty on the palate with leather notes, red fruit, cherries, plums, and blackberries. Long finish. There is just a hint of bell pepper that might suggest Cabernet Franc but overall this feels quite "Burgundian". Fantastic wine with lots of complexity and depth! (96 points)
  • 2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix BoissĂ©e - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Pretty, classic Chinon nose notes of red bell pepper, black pepper, dark fruit, cherries, and leather. Good acidity with slightly richer notes on the palate of cherries, cassis, forest floor, and pepper. The tannins are quite integrated at this point but still provide good structure. Nice finish. I really enjoyed this and the wine probably drinks close to peak right now. (93 points)
  • 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Perfectly mature, fully integrated wine with a lovely nose of dark fruit, leather, underwood, and tobacco. Good acidity on the palate with tarter fruit, cherries, forest notes, and a suggestion of sweeter fruit. Nice and lingering finish. Really lovely, perfectly aged wine. It's not the most complex wine but very satisfying and enjoyable. (93 points)
  • 2002 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    Quite tart and a bit rustic on the nose with red fruit, cherries, candied fruit, and pepper notes. High acidity on the palate with more tart red and dark fruit, berries, and forest flavors. Good finish. A good wine, but it didn't quite have the complexity or depth of the other wines at the table. May have shown better on its own. (91 points)
  • 2017 Domaine du Bel Air (Pierre et Rodolphe Gauthier) Bourgueil Clos Nouveau - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    Pretty and expressive nose with lots of fruit and pepper. Good acidity with quite a bit of structural tannins on the palate with dark cherry notes and tart berries. Nice and lingering finish. This is very promising and showing nice complexity, but it's so young right now, especially compared to other wines on the table. I feel like it's not showing everything and would hold for at least 5 more years. 93++ (93 points)
  • 2019 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Franc de Pied - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
    Very floral and bright on the nose with red cherries and pepper. Nice acidity with a lot of fruit, spicy notes, and violets on the palate. Good finish. Very young and difficult to compare to the other wines on the table. 92+ (92 points)
  • 2008 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Felt like an off bottle. Some VA and cheesy notes and not particularly appealing. (NR/flawed)
  • 1996 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
    Lovely, complex nose with notes of citrus, apricot, and minerals. Good acidity and surprisingly not that sweet on the palate with more flavors of peach and apricot. Long finish. Great, classy wine with depth and complexity. A joy to sip. (95 points)
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Great notes Andy. Looks like we were aligned on most things - I liked the Baumard a bit better, you liked the Raffault and Bel Air a bit better, but overall pretty much in the same range!! How did your panoramic photo of the bottles turn out? I was impressed at how steady your hands were at that point in the evening.

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Turned out well, optical image stabilization does its magic :wink:

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89 picasses blew me away whereas the 90 is just good not great (imo). Like Alfert, I loaded up on 2014 which I think is the best young picasses I’ve ever had. I otherwise am not cellaring any other picasses besides a couple bottles of 2010.

It does remind me that Ive been meaning to try the 2014 singuliere…