At my favorite local French restaurant, the chef has a preference and good selection of white wines from the Loire. So to drink with Bresse chicken au Riesling we didn’t pick a Riesling, but the 2010 Domaine aux Moines - Savennières Roche aux Moine. An excellent wine (note below). Right into our first glass, the chef already recommended a second wine we needed to try, from a domaine I had never heard about: 2011 Anjou “Varenne du Poirier” from Domaine Les Grandes Vignes, a wine from biodynamic production with no SO² added. Our table preferred the Savennières overall, but for me it was a close call, I liked that Anjou really well. And it’s not expensive at all (13.50 Euros at a local merchant). Also I noted to myself that I should by more Domaine aux Moines Savennières, the 2010 is an excellent Chenin Blanc in its price class (under 20 Euros in Germany).
2010 Domaine aux Moines Savennières Roche aux Moines- France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières Roche aux Moines (4/14/2014)
Pale brass colour. Needs some time and air to open up. Then honey in the nose, waxy notes, pear and herbs like tarragon and chervil, some whitethorn as well. In the mouth, this is fairly full-bodied, quite massive actually, the high alcohol is well integrated and doesn’t show as high as it is. Pear again. Quite long, really enjoyable. (91 pts.)
2011 Domaine les Grandes Vignes Anjou Blanc “Varenne du Poirier”- France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux (4/14/2014)
Light pale yellow. In the nose quite fresh and floral at first, but showing mild reduction as well. With time, it shows strong notes of bee’s wax and Conférence pear plus some anis-seed. Very expressive. On the palate, it’s fully dry with a fairly linear strcutre, fine to mild acidity, nice length. Excellent, especially considering the price. (90 pts.)
Domaine aux Moines is run by Tessa Laroche and her mother and the style leans towards the more austere, traditional end of the spectrum. I quite like the wines, although I do think they need bottle age to show their best, often ten years or more. They also make Savennières Doux which is mind-blowingly good, and very difficult to track down.
I don’t know the other domaine, will look out for them, thanks for the head’s up. Assume you meant ‘Anjou’ not ‘Anjou-Villages’ - the latter is a red wine appellation."?
Thanks. I thought I had read “Anjou Villages” on the label, but you’re absolutely right. I edited the title.
I don’t have much experience with Domaine aux Moines, this was only my second wine from them. A retailer here has older vintages (1992, 1998, 2004) on sale for really low prices and I think I’ll try out some of them. The chef in the restaurant by the way said that the daughter is now running the domaine pretty much on her own (and said that she’s also easier to deal with).
As to Domaine les Grandes Vignes, I was wondering whether due to the biodynamic, no sulfur, no filtration, no fining kind of work the domaine is maybe inspired by Mark Angeli whose domaine is in the same village (Thouarcé)?
Yes I would say Tessa is in charge, although Mum still very much around.
Don’t know about the Angeli influence as I don’t know the domaine, but the Loire is a real hotbed for organic, biodynamic and natural wine so it is difficult to assume who a grower may have been influenced by. Pascal Lambert in Chinon, for example, was primarily influenced by the wines of Guy Bossard, in Muscadet. These guys are more likely to meet up at tasting salons than in the local boulangerie, so external influences come from across the region (and from further afield as well, of course).