You’ve got to really dig Cabernet Franc to pursue off Loire vintages. Turns out I am a junky.
2007 Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Coudraye- France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (1/6/2010)
Can’t get much better from a shaky Loire vintage. Air it out for a bit; upon opening, this wine is one pure note of kalamata olive. It’s so distinctly kalamata that it can be a bit shrill in the nose, but observe the changes over time… First the kalamata is wrapped in raspberry, and then truffle stops by, with even a splash of oaky vanilla. The finish has that briny olive character, but it’s cut by a crunch of crushed stones and sour cherry. Nice. (88 pts.)
Based on my limited sample, 2007 seems the definition of an uneven vintage. I’ve had two that were OK wines, but didn’t deliver enough for the price (Baudry Granges, Breton Galichets), one that was good and tobaccotastic (Dom de la Butte Pied de la Butte) and one that was great showing both pure fruit and terroir (Baudry Grezeaux). That two Baudry wines differing in price by $5 are a great and a mediocre value sum it up for me.
They’re all a leaner, acidic style, though it seems the higher end cuvees will have more depth. I’ll probably check out some more of the upper level Baudry wines.
Thanks for the note Evan. I loved the 05 of this bottling. I wasn’t aware 07 was supposed to be shakey in the Loire. Is this just reds or for whites also?
This wine is a nice test for those who say they dig acid in red wines. I tend to think it’s rather fashionable to say you like acid, but another thing entirely to actually like acid.
Cris - I should have specified: The Chinon and Bourgueil I’ve had have been an utter roller coaster from '07. I’m yet to really dig into Chenin Blanc, and I confess I’m rarely fired up about Sauv Blanc - even from its ancestral home. (Pur Sang has been an exception).
Gotcha. Saumur tends to be my favorite overall for reds. Chenin is usually a real mixed bag for me also. Love good Sancerre but not often for the price. Muscadet on the other hand… The 07’s I had from there I’ve really enjoyed which is why I asked.
2007 is a weak and uneven vintage for the major red appellations of the Loire - Chinon, Bourgueil/SNdB and the Saumur appellations. Many of the wines tasted there about a year ago showed under-ripe vegetal fruit and lacked freshness and vigour. I am sure they will find favour in some quarters which is cool, but they are too lean and green for my palate.
I don’t have such a good handle on the Anjou dry whites but certainly further upriver around Vouvray the wines were very good in terms of sec, but it wasn’t an easy or warm vintage, and there were not a great number of demi-sec or moelleux wines. Huet made just one moelleux, IIRC, which is OK, but the dry wines were good. They have been eclipsed by the 2008s though.
2007 is a good vintage for the Anjou sweet styles though, Pierre-Bise made some really nice wines for instance. Not the greatest vintage, but certainly a very good one, albeit with a small harvest (rather analogous to 2007 Sauternes in that respect, I suppose).
Chris, the notes on your website are great! Just wanted to say thanks. They’ve been of great value as I’ve hunted for interesting Loire reds, especially because of your emphasis on outlining the soil composition and exposure of different vineyards.
It seems some say 2007 is a transparent vintage. I suppose that’s true of the very best wines–I definitely agree on Baudry’s Grezeaux. The others I’ve tasted are well-made, but it seems the raw materials are just not so great.
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The 07’s I had from there I’ve really enjoyed which is why I asked.