The core of this tasting was a vertical Guiberteau’s Brézé, an excellent oak-aged Chenin Blanc sourced from the hill of Brézé - considered to be probably the best location in all Saumur.
Guiberteau is a domaine that has been producing wine for a century or so, but the production went on a hiatus in the 1970’s when the then-owner Robert Guiberteau retired. Fortunately the vineyards were not sold, but instead leased out and the fruit was sent to the local co-operative.
Things started to change in the 1990’s when the current owner, Romain Guiberteau, began to terminate the lease contracts, reacquiring the ownership of the family vineyards and restarting the winemaking operations at the family winery. 1996 was his first vintage, and with the support of Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard fame, Guiberteau converted his vineyards into organic agriculture in the mid-2000’s.
In a relatively short span of time the wines of Guiberteau - both red and white - have garnered appreciation and fame, and today many people consider Guiberteau to be one of Saumur’s most remarkable wine producers. Naturally plowing through this many Guiberteau wines at one go was an opportunity I was not going to miss out!
A propos, while writing these notes to CT, to my bafflement I noticed so many people say the wines were “too oaky”. I found this very weird, because I’m quite averse to oak flavors and aromatics, but at no point I thought any of the Guiberteau wines were particularly oaky. Sure, you can taste the oak influence if you taste them next to decidedly un-oaky Chenins like Huet. However, to me, these wines are a far cry from “too oaky” whites - I thought that in their youth the wines show some oak influence, and with some age, very little if any. I wonder if people confused the smoky reductive tones with oak? After all, so many vintages showed quite a bit of struck match and gunpowder smoke - qualities many people associate with oak-aged Burgundies and Chardonnays from other places around the world.
Anyways, in addition to these Brézé wines, we had a couple of single-parcel Brézés, some other cultish names from Loire (Vatan, Les Roches, Clos Nouveau, Rougeard) and also some turbot that our host managed to cook while conducting a wine tasting at the same time!
We also opened a few beers after the lineup photo, so they didn’t make it to the picture!
- 2015 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (8.4.2024)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from Clos la Néore, a 1-hectare parcel in the Monts Damnés vineyard. The vines were replanted in the 60's, so the parcel was approximately 50 years old during the harvest of 2015. Fermented spontaneously and aged in ancient oak foudres. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in the spring following the harvest. 14% alcohol.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels rich, ripe and rather evolved with aromas of honeydew melon, some beeswaxy tones, a little bit of nutty almond character, light mineral nuances of wet rocks, a hint of bruised pear and a touch of quince. The wine feels dry, waxy and moderately extracted on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and somewhat evolved flavors of quite pronounced mineral bitterness, some spicy red apple notes, a little bit of nutty almond, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of honeyed richness and a touch of bruised pear. The high acidity lends enough freshness and structure to keep the wine from coming across as heavy despite the ripeness and quite high alcohol. The finish is quite long, mineral and somewhat evolved with layered flavors of stony minerality and bruised pear, some nutty almond tones, a little bit of beeswax, light extracted bitter notes, a hint of honeycomb and a touch of exotic fruit.
A ripe and rich Sancerre that felt surprisingly evolved for its age - the wine didn't come across as tired or flat, but despite the high acidity the wine was a bit lacking in energy and precision. There's no denying that the ripeness is quite elevated here - the high alcohol doesn't lend any obvious heat to the palate, but its presence is nevertheless noticeable and the fruit profile comes across as somewhat sweet and tropical. If anything, this is very far removed from the vegetal, grassy currants-and-gooseberries Sancerres most other producers churn out. While quite substantial and pretty complex, I still didn't really "get" the wine and at the price of 250 to 300€ there is no value to speak of. I can see why some people are thrilled by this wine, but to me, this was another naked emperor. Now all I need to do is wait for an opportunity to taste a pristine bottle from a much cooler vintage to see if that would be better up my alley.
(90 points) - 2020 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful, characterful and slightly smoky with intense aromas of white peach, some floral tones, a little bit of honeyed concentration along with faint vanilla undertones, light green nuances of crushed nettles and aromatic herbs, a woolly hint typical of Chenin and a touch of grilled pineapple. The subtly smoky notes of both reduction and toasted oak lend a slightly Burgundian or Western Australia Chardonnay feel to this otherwise quite classically styled Saumur white. The wine feels firm, crisp and youthful on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of lemony citrus fruit and white peach, some grilled pineapple tones, a little bit of stony minerality and tangy salinity, light smoky notes of reduction, a hint of honeyed sweetness and a touch of toasty wood spice. The bracing acidity lends tremendous sense of energy, structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and lively with an intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, some grilled pineapple tones, a little bit of fresh white peach, light smoky notes of reduction, a tart hint of Granny Smith apple and a touch of salty liquorice powder.
An excellent, crisp and racy Chenin where the brisk, mineral-laden fruit character is nicely supported by subtly smoky reduction and subtly toasty oak nuances that never obfuscate any of the finer nuances, only add to the complexity. The wine is definitely still very young and quite nervous, still coming across as somewhat tightly-knit, but never too primary for enjoyment. The wine is immensely enjoyable already now, but I'm sure this wine will reward greatly those who are willing to wait for another decade - the wine seems to be built for the long haul. A very impressive effort for a young Guiberteau.
(93 points) - 2018 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Youthful greenish-yellow color. The nose feels a bit understated with sweetish, restrained aromas of white peach and some developed creamy tones, a little bit of cantaloupe, light sweeter notes of honeyed concentration, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a touch of wood spice. The wine feels surprisingly crisp and even a bit austere on the palate compared to the 2020 and 2017 vintages with a medium body and somewhat lean and slightly understated flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits and tart Granny Smith apple, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of honeyed richness, light creamy oak nuances and a hint of salinity. The racy acidity lends great sense of structure and electric energy to the wine. The finish is dry, crisp and a bit understated with a long aftertaste of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light creamy oak nuances and a concentrated hint of honeyed richness.
I was expecting a 2018 Chenin to be a rather heavy and tropical due to the heat of the summer season, but this turned out to be a surprisingly racy and acid-driven but also somewhat lean and understated vintage instead. I don't know if we just caught the wine in a slump or what was going on, but this was by far the most reticent vintage in our vertical of 2020-2013 Brézés. I hope the wine picks up some depth and intensity as it ages; despite being a wonderfully crunchy and precise wine, it was still a bit underwhelming for a Guiberteau Brézé. Good, but not great.
(88 points) - 2017 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. The open nose feels rich, ripe and expressive with aromas of lemon marmalade and fresh apricots, some butterscotch, light Golden Delicious apple tones, a little bit of concentrated honeyed character, a primary hint of candied gummi bear character, a mineral touch of wet rocks and a faint buttery touch of diacetyl. The wine feels ripe and quite substantial yet pretty balanced on the palate with a moderately full body and rich flavors of juicy yellow apples, some mineral notes of wet rocks and tangy salinity, light honeyed nuances, a little bit of fresh apricot, a hint of creamy oak and a sweet, buttery touch of diacetyl. The quite high acidity lends good sense of focus and structure to the wine. The finish is ripe yet dry with a long and intense aftertaste of fresh white peach, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of concentrated honeyed character, light creamy oak nuances, a hint of herby spice and a smoky touch of reduction.
A tasty and lively but also quite ripe and broad vintage of Brézé. The overall feel is still very balanced, thanks to its cool mineral overtones and sufficiently high acidity. It is, however, quite obvious that this vintage is not nearly as crisp and racy as the others we had in the tasting. Furthermore, there seemed to be a tiniest bit of diacetyl that felt a little bit out of place; lending a rich and buttery - almost "Cali Chardonnay" kind of nuance to this otherwise wonderfully precise and mineral wine. A very nice wine in its own right, but falls a bit behind the other vintages of Brézé.
(90 points) - 2016 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Medium-deep honey-yellow color with subtle greenish highlights. The nose feels characterful, smoky and quite attractive with aromas of fresh yellow apple and quince, some reductive notes of struck flint and gunpowder smoke, a little bit of ripe pear, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of oak spice, a touch of juicy white peach and a whiff of beeswax. The wine feels brisk, crunchy and mineral on the palate with a light-to-medium body and intense flavors of stony minerality and flint-smoky reduction, some lemony notes of citrus fruits, a little bit of fresh white peach, light sharp Granny Smith apple tones, crunchy hints of white currants and almost unripe pear and a touch of salty liquorice powder. The finish is crisp, dry and acid-driven with a long, intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and stony minerality, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, light smoky notes of struck flint, a little bit of salty liquorice powder, a hint of woody oak spice and a touch of juicy white peach.
An impressive, youthful and structure-driven Chenin that is still quite lean and high-strung and showing very little age - even if the somewhat deep color of the wine might suggest otherwise. However, what age has done to this wine is oak integration; the newer vintages of this same wine we tasted in this Brézé vertical showed a bit more oak influence, whereas most of the oak nuances were pretty much absent here - this was more or less all about cool minerality, reductive overtones and fresh, acid-driven fruit. The wine drinks pretty well right now, but I feel the wine will continue to evolve and improve beneficially for many more years. Smashing stuff, highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2015 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color with a pale greenish hue. The nose feels sweet, quite fruit-forward and only very slightly reductive with attractive aromas of quince and white peach, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of acacia honey, light juicy greengage nuances, a hint of wood spice and a faint smoky touch of reduction. The wine feels ripe and silky yet firm on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of crunchy quince, light sweeter notes of greengage, a hint of spicy wildhoney and a touch of wood. The rather high acidity lends good sense of balance, structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is long and juicy with a rather intense aftertaste of ripe citrus fruits, some greengage, light steely mineral tones, a little bit of wood spice, a hint of smoky reduction and a touch of chalk dust.
A balanced, tasty and sophisticated vintage of Brézé. The warm vintage shows a bit as this was a slightly softer, more fruit-forward and less reductive than most other vintages of Brézé we tasted at the same time. Still a lovely wine in its own right and not truly a ripe Chenin - only in the context of Guiberteau's Brézé. I really don't get how many notes in CT say this was "too oaky" - I'm quite oak-averse, but to me, Brézé doesn't come across as particularly oaky even soon after release, and this wine showed barely any woody nuances. I wonder if people are confusing the smoky notes of reduction with oak? Even then, this was among the least reductive vintages of Brézé, so go figure.
(91 points) - 2014 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Rather pale golden yellow color. The nose feels fresh, very youthful and slightly reductive with aromas of crunchy Golden Delicious apple, some smoky notes of reduction, a little bit of honeydew melon, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of chopped herbs, a touch of fragrant floral character and a whiff of oak spice. The wine feels youthful, airy and balanced on the palate with a rather light body and precise flavors of beeswax and stony minerality, some tart notes of key lime, light saline nuances, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, a hint of tart Granny Smith apple and an incisive touch of steely minerality. The brisk, racy acidity lends great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and racy with brisk, dry aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some stony minerality, a little bit of tart key lime and sharp Granny Smith apple, light herby nuances, a hint of beeswax and a reductive touch of gunpowder smoke.
A wonderful, brisk and racy vintage of Guiberteau Brézé that is more about acidity and minerality than concentration. There's quite a bit of fruit here, but it is definitely from the dry, tart and crunchy end of the spectrum. Compared to the younger vintages of Brézé we tasted, this wine seemed somewhat more youthful in comparison, promising volumes on its aging potential. Despite the youthful overall feel, the oak impact is getting nicely integrated by this point, coming across only as subtle wood influence in the nose, showing no obvious woody nuances on the palate. An excellent effort with quite a bit of upside; this was probably my favorite vintage from the 2020-2013 Brézés that we tasted.
(94 points) - 2014 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc from a south-facing monopole parcel in Brézé, planted between 2004 and 2005. Only less than half of the total production from the vineyard is used in this cuvée. The wine is vinified more or less the same way as the regular Brézé: the grapes are whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 18-24 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Quite pale lemon-yellow color. The nose feels rich and concentrated with intense aromas of ripe Fuji apple, some peachy tones, a little bit of crunchy quince and fresh nectarine, light reductive notes of gunpowder smoke, a hint of creamy oak and a woody touch of savory oak spice. The wine feels lively, youthful and balanced on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense but perhaps not that focused flavors of fresh nectarine, some smoky notes of reduction, a little bit of creamy oak, light tart and crunchy notes of quince and lemony citrus fruit, mineral hints of wet rocks and salinity and a touch of apple peel bitterness. The rather high acidity lends good sense of structure and balance to the wine. The finish is long, dry and quite mineral with flavors of lemony citrus fruit and salinity, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light nectarine nuances, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a mineral touch of wet rocks.
A serious, layered Chenin Blanc with some oak influence. Compared to the regular 2014 Brézé, this Clos des Carmes version feels a bit more substantial and slightly more oaky, but also somewhat softer and more mellow in nature, lacking the piercing acidity and electric energy of the regular Brézé. At the moment I like the lighter, more acid-driven regular Brézé more, but it's entirely possible that as this single-vineyard iteration packs more substance and concentration, it will be a longer-lived wine and might end up being better with enough age. Both are very impressive wines in their own way, but I think this wine would've benefited if it had a tiny bit less oak and more zip.
(92 points) - 2013 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% Chenin Blanc from two parcels in Brézé, planted in 1933 and 1952. Whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 15-18 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 12% alcohol.
Slightly evolved, medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels somewhat concentrated, slightly sweet-toned and a bit evolved with aromas of nectarine-driven ripe yellow fruits, some honeyed tones, a little bit of apple jam, light woody notes of savory spice, light buttery nuances of diacetyl, a hint of pineapple and a touch of peanut bitter. The wine feels lively, somewhat lean and very saline on the palate with a quite light body and crunchy flavors of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of fresh nectarine, light steely mineral nuances, a faint woody hint of savory oak spice and a buttery touch of diacetyl. The brisk, racy acidity lends great sense of freshness and electric energy to the wine. The finish is crisp, dry and lively with a long, incisive aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some sharp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light woody nuances of savory oak spice, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of crunchy quince.
A crisp, stylish and incisive but also a bit lean and linear vintage of Brézé. Stylistically this vintage seems very similar to the 2014 in its very mineral, acid-driven overall feel, but maybe with a tiny bit less substance and concentration. While coming across as a bit delicate when tasted next to the 2014 vintage, this is still not an underwhelming wine by any means. Furthermore, even if the wine is starting to show the first signs of development, this is still a very youthful and vibrant effort that is still years - maybe even decades - away from its peak. Absolutely superb stuff, highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2013 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8.4.2024)
100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc from a south-facing monopole parcel in Brézé, planted between 2004 and 2005. Only less than half of the total production from the vineyard is used in this cuvée. The wine is vinified more or less the same way as the regular Brézé: the grapes are whole bunch pressed, fermented spontaneously, no MLF, aged in new and once or twice used demi-muids and other barrels for 18-24 months. Blended into stainless steel tanks and left to marry for a few months. Bottled lightly filtered. 13% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved, medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels ripe, expressive and slightly sweet-toned with aromas of peachy stone fruits and somewhat wizened yellow fruits, some honeyed notes, a bit of fragrant floral character, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of beeswax and a touch of creamy oak. The wine feels crisp, firm and lively on the palate with a medium body and intense, concentrated flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some mineral notes of wet rocks and tangy salinity, light tart nuances of key lime, a little bit of beeswax, hints of creamy oak and woody oak spice and a sweeter touch of wizened yellow apple. The bracing acidity lends tremendous sense of focus, energy and incisive structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, dry and lively with a long, intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and steely minerality, some sharp notes of Granny Smith apple, light sweeter nuances of wizened yellow fruits, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of tangy salinity.
A wonderfully intense, concentrated and structured vintage of Clos des Carmes. Unlike in 2014, when I thought the lighter and more mineral Brézé was better than the somewhat bigger and fatter Clos des Carmes bottling, I think in the 2013 vintage this Clos des Carmes is a bigger and more impressive version of the Brézé bottling in the right way: the wine retains the same level of acidity and minerality, the oak impact doesn't feel as pronounced as in the 2014 vintage and the fruit department shows great sense of concentration and power. Although starting to exhibit some developed signs, the overall feel is still very youthful and quite tightly-knit; although the wine is pretty darn impressive right now, I feel this is going to evolve and improve wonderfully for many, many more years. Highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2011 Domaine Les Roches (Alain et Jérome Lenoir) Vin de France - France, Loire Valley, Vin de France (8.4.2024)
100% Cabernet Franc from multiple parcels in Chinon totaling to less than 4 hectares. Almost all the vines are more than 50 yo, the oldest parcels around 100 yo. Fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 3-4 weeks in old tronconic oak vats. Aged for 3-6 years in ancient (around 50 yo) foudres. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small dose of SO2. 12,5% alcohol.
Translucent, slightly evolved blackish-red color. The nose feels dry and rustic with aromas of crunchy dark berries, some leathery funk, a little bit of raspberry juice, light lifted notes of sweet VA, a hint of barnyard and a touch of ripe red cherry. The wine feels dry, silky and slightly funky on the palate with a medium body and characterful, crunchy flavors of red currants and tart lingonberries, some spicy phenolic tones, a little bit of raspberry juice, light lifted notes of sweet VA, bretty hints of barnyard and leather and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity as the light tannins feel very supple and gentle. The finish is fresh and crunchy with a long, funky and gently grippy aftertaste of redcurrants and tart cranberries, some sharp appley tones, a little bit of lifted VA, light bretty notes of leather and barnyard, a hint of fresh cherry and a touch of developed meaty character.
A nice, fresh and crunchy Chinon (although the wine is labeled as "Vin de France" - don't know why) with some nice funky undertones that just add to the complexity without obfuscating any fruit. Nothing exceptional, just a solid Cab Franc made in a very traditional, crunchy and acid-driven Loire style. This vintage was outshined by the excellent 2009 vintage tasted at the same time.
(90 points) - 2009 Domaine Les Roches (Alain et Jérome Lenoir) Vin de France - France, Loire Valley, Vin de France (8.4.2024)
100% Cabernet Franc from multiple parcels in Chinon totaling to less than 4 hectares. Almost all the vines are more than 50 yo, the oldest parcels around 100 yo. Fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 3-4 weeks in old tronconic oak vats. Aged for 3-6 years in ancient (around 50 yo) foudres. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small dose of SO2. 12,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent and quite deep blackish-red color. Layered, characterful nose with aromas of fresh bilberries and ripe black cherries, some funky notes of leather and horse stables, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of exotic spices, a touch of roasted bell pepper and a whiff of licorice root. The wine feels silky, complex and somewhat wild on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of tart cranberries and crunchy blackcurrants, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of balsamic VA, light vegetal notes of bell pepper, bretty hints of saddle leather and smoky phenolics and a touch of nail polish. The wine is quite stern and somewhat tightly-knit with its high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, long and quite grippy with a somewhat funky aftertaste of crunchy redcurrants and blackcurrants, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light funky notes of leather and barnyard, a hint of ripe black raspberry and a touch of bell pepper.
A quite wild and funky but also still remarkably youthful Chinon (I don't have any idea why this is labeled as Vin de France) with wonderfully crunchy fruit, impressive flavor intensity and great sense of structure. Tasting this next to Clos Nouveau and Clos Rougeard, you could really see that these were cut from the same cloth - stylistically this was maybe a bit closer to Rougeard's style as Clos Nouveau seemed a bit cleaner and more fruit-forward in comparison. Terrific stuff with tons of upside - seeing how surprisingly little this wine has aged in 15 years, I can imagine this will continue to develop and improve wonderfully in a cellar. Highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2017 Domaine du Bel Air (Pierre et Rodolphe Gauthier) Bourgueil Clos Nouveau - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (8.4.2024)
100% organically farmed Cabernet Franc from the historic Clos Nouveau vineyard. Average vine age is around 40 yo. The grapes are destemmed, cold-soaked and then fermented spontaneously. Macerated with the skins for 20-30 days. Aged in new and once and twice used 500-liter demi-muids for 24 months, then blended and left to marry in a stainless steel tank for another 6 months. Bottled unfiltered. 13% alcohol.
Fully opaque blackish-red color with a youthful purplish hue. The nose feels brooding, juicy and slightly wild with sweetish aromas of ripe blackcurrants and dark plummy tones, some herbaceous leafy notes, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light bilberry and blueberry nuances, a hint of black cherry, a rustic touch of animale character and a whiff of toasty oak. The wine feels quite ripe but also enjoyably fresh and airy on the palate with a full body and vibrant flavors of blackcurrants and tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of tobacco, light herbaceous leafy tones, a hint of gravelly mineral nuances and a touch of bilberry. The wine is rather high in acidity with ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, long and quite grippy with a vibrant, ripe aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants and blueberries, some tart lingonberry tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light green leafy nuances, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of toasty oak spice.
A beautiful, nuanced and very harmonious Bourgueil with lots of substance and intensity, yet nothing in excess. Although the wine is a bit on the ripe and fuller-bodied end of the spectrum, it still manages to come across as relatively airy and wonderfully sophisticated, not "big" or "built to be impressive". There's still a little bit of oak influence here, but not nearly as much as I feared - I'm sure the remaining oak aromatics will integrate effortlessly as the wine ages. There was also a tiny streak of rustic funk, but tasting this wine at the same time with three other, much funkier red wines, the overall feel was very clean and even quite polished in comparison. All in all, this is a fantastic effort - but also priced like one. Despite being a very attractive wine in its own right, I'm not sure if I'm going to buy any bottles for myself at the current prices (around 90€).
(94 points) - 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (8.4.2024)
100% biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc from a vineyard averaging 80 yo in age. Fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 4-6 weeks in open-top concrete vats. Aged in predominantly new oak barrels for 18 to 24 months. 12,5% alcohol.
Deep, translucent garnet color with a slightly evolved dried-blood hue. The nose feels evolved, fragrant and very complex with aromas of tobacco and old leather, some dried blackcurrants, a little bit of roasted bell pepper, light gamey tones, hints of ripe redcurrants and cherries, a touch of dried flowers and a ferrous whiff of blood. The wine feels silky, savory and resolved on the palate with a medium body and layered flavors of wizened blackcurrants and ripe figs, some leathery funk and tobacco, a little bit of beef jerky, light herbaceous notes of roasted bell pepper, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of smoke. The resolved medium tannins feel silky and supple, contributing mainly to the texture, not to the structure, making the high acidity take care of the firm overall structure. The finish is long, savory and gently grippy with a complex aftertaste of meaty umami and leathery funk, some smoky tones, a little bit of of tobacco, light sweeter notes of wizened blackcurrants and prunes, hints of game and blood and a fragrant touch of dried flowers.
A beautiful, classically styled and harmonious Loire Cab Franc at full maturity. A very complete wine, coming across as quite similar as an aged Baudry Chinon - maybe a bit less funky with softer, more supple tannins. Otherwise the style is very similar. I guess in its youth there might've been some oak influence, but now, at almost 20 years of age, this is all about vibrant, wonderfully evolved old-vine Cab Franc fruit. Although the wine is quite close to its plateau of maturity, I don't feel the wine is going to fall apart anytime soon. Drink or keep. While this is a superb Cab Franc in its own right, I really don't think the wine makes any sense price-wise - you can get more or less as good stuff for just one tenth of the price if you go with Baudry!
(95 points) - 2021 Gueuzerie Tilquin Oude Mûre Tilquin à l'Ancienne - Belgium, Wallonie, Rebecq (8.4.2024)
Typically made by filling a 2000-liter tank with 1000 kg of blackberries, then topping the tanks with young lambic (typically purchased from Boon, Lindemans or Girardin) until reaching the 1800-liter fill level. After the fruited lambic has been fermented dry, it is blended with 2-yo and 3-yo lambic. The fruit content hovers around 35%. The bottle is labeled with brewing season 2020-2021, but as the back label says "best before 26th January, 2031", this is 2021. 6% alcohol.
Murky, moderately cloudy and rather pale reddish color with no head to speak of. The nose feels dry, pungent and moderately funky with aromas of crowberries and borderline underripe blueberries, some funky outhouse notes, a little bit of bretty leather, light sharp notes of Granny Smith apple, a hint of ammonia and a touch of barnyard. The beer is dry, tangy and moderately funky with a medium body and crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries, some tart red plums, a little bit of sweeter blackberry-driven dark fruit, light sharp notes of Granny Smith apple, a hint of lemony citrus fruit and a funky touch of outhouse or barnyard. A very soft and mellow carbonation with no noticeable hop bitterness. The finish is tart, sharp and acid-driven with a long aftertaste of lemon juice and crowberry, some tart lingonberry, light saline mineral tones, a little bit of sharp Granny Smith apple, a hint of leathery funk and a sweeter touch of blackberry.
A fun and moderately funky blackberry lambic that is more about very sharp and tart fruit flavors than overt funk - something that has been quite noticeably present in some Tilquin bottlings. Maybe a bit more straightforward than complex in character, but thoroughly enjoyable all the same. Most likely the beer will continue to slowly age, evolve and improve for many, many more years, so there is no hurry whatsoever to pop any bottles open. These are built to last. Getting a bit pricey at 14,69€ for a 0,375-liter bottle, however.
(91 points) - 2023 La Brasserie des Voirons / LUG Bière Vivante d'Agrumes - France (8.4.2024)
The base beer is macerated with Andalusian lemons, oranges and clementines in amphorae. After the beer is macerated and fermented dry, it is aged in old oak casks. 6,0% alcohol. Best before 2030.
Hazy lemon-yellow color with a faint greenish hue and a moderately large white head. The nose feels very expressive with aromas of lemon zest and tangerine, some fragrant herbs of Provence, a little bit of sharp wheat beer character, light spicy nuances of coriander seeds and other aromatic spices, a hint of citron, a cool touch of eucalyptus and a whiff of orange juice. The beer feels moderately sour but also somewhat linear and understated on the palate with a light-to-medium body and straightforward flavors of grainy malt and ripe lemony tones, some sharp wheat beer notes, a little bit of fragrant coriander seed and floral character, light zesty notes of grapefruit and orange, a hint of lemon-scented soap and a touch of Provençal herbs. The carbonation feels pretty soft and mellow and there is no hop bitterness whatsoever. The finish is long, quite tart and rather dry with flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruit notes, a little bit of tangy wheat character, light zesty notes of grapefruit, fragrant hints of coriander seeds and perfumed flowers and a touch of grainy malt.
A fun, tasty and refreshing sour ale with a very noticeable citrus fruit character - something that might be expected from a "living citrus fruit beer"! Perhaps a bit straightforward and linear, coming across as just a big hit of citrus fruits without much depth or layers, this is more about refreshment and honest drinkability; the beer is not brewed to be an impressive powerhouse. A delightful brew, recommended.
(89 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
