Two Bruts from the Touraine

There will be no intensely detailed tasting notes here today. Friends and I recently drank these two sparkling Loire Chenin Blancs. We were having a good time, I didn't take detailed notes, and the intricacies are no longer fresh in my mind, just the overall impressions, the broad strokes.

I'm intentionally writing them up in reverse order: oldest to youngest, pricier to less so, opposite to how we experienced them. You'll see why soon enough.

Montlouis-sur-Loire "Almendra" Brut, François Chidaine 1996
$42. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, NY.
It's kind of funny, you know, in that way that makes you say, "What the hell...?" I've visited the Chidaine estate in Montlouis, formerly sold their wines for several years, and have been enjoying drinking them for well over a decade. Yet it was only recently that I learned that François makes a sparkling wine called "Almendra," only in the best vintages or so I'm told, that spends 10+ years on its lees before disgorgement. This was my first time trying it. One of my favorite wine blogging buddies, as it turns out, drank and wrote-up the very same vintage of "Almendra" well nigh on three years ago. Turns out our reactions were very much the same, despite the three year and 3000 mile distance between them.

There was an intense mineral character, along with the mushroomy, toasty character that often accompanies sparkling wines that have seen extended lees-aging. The developed Chenin character of the wine sang loud and clear — wool, quince, dried honey, again, some pretty concentrated mineral character. It's that intense Chinin-ness that made appreciating the wine a complicated venture for me, almost as if the sparkling character was sitting off to one side, the Montlouis/Chenin character to another, not quite harmoniously joined. I enjoyed it in the general sense, but not as much as I normally do Chidaine's non-sparkling examples of Montlouis.

The experience made me think about something I hadn't considered in a while. As much as I enjoy sparkling Vouvray and Montlouis from producers such as François Pinon, Foreau, yes, Chidaine, even Poniatowski back in the day, and, more recently, Jacky Blot, I sometimes wonder whether there's any real benefit to be gained from producing Méthode Traditionelle examples of Loire Chenin, other than to satisfy market demand or to yield a product from slightly under-ripe fruit.

Then I drink this and the question again recedes...

Vouvray Pétillant Brut, Domaine Huet 2005
$26. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA.
Technically speaking, Huet's Vouvray Pétillant is not made according to the Méthode Traditionelle but rather via the Méthode Ancestrale, in which primary fermentation is stopped before completion (usually by dropping the temperature to a point where the yeast go dormant) and the wine is placed in bottle where fermentation will continue to completion, trapping CO2 in solution (bubbles!) along the way. I'm given to understand that Huet's winemaker, Noël Pinguet, adds a dab of yeast at bottling to ensure that the bottle fermentation goes smoothly, and that he finishes the wine with an small addition of one of the estate's off-day wines in place of the typical dosage used in the traditional method. For the 2005 Pétillant, that finish came courtesy of a soupcon of Huet's 2002 Le Mont Première Trie. (Check out The Wine Doctor's exceptional report on Huet for more details on this and the rest of the wines produced at the estate.)

Technical stuff aside, the Vouvray Pétillant Brut from Huet is consistently delicious wine. As much as I do like the others I mentioned above, I'm really not sure that Huet has a true peer in this context. The 2005 is still a baby, showing nowhere near the nuance of the best bottles of the 2002 I've drunk over the last few years but, like I said, it's still a baby. The wine is showing beautiful fruit, balance and structure, and complete integration between the sparkling and serious Vouvray sides of its personality. Given its balance and purity, I expect the wine to develop quite nicely over the next several years and will certainly enjoy exploring its evolution. I'll be sure to tell you if I was wrong....

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Three Fives for a Fifteen

If I'd planned ahead for last night's get-together, a 15th birthday party for the daughter of a good friend (Happy Birthday, Olivia!), I'd have rummaged through the cellar and pulled out a few birth-year Bordeaux or California Cabs. Beef was on the menu for the evening and it would have been a good chance to check in on some old-ish bottles (and to open up some space in my wine cabinet for stuff that's more in line with what I'm buying and drinking these days). The fact that I hadn't planned ahead worked out okay, as I realized that I had a '95 on hand. And through happy coincidence, my bottle found a mate at the party.

Vouvray "Clos de l'Avenir," Philippe Poniatowski 1995
$15 on release. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Still very youthful in appearance, the '95 Clos de l'Avenir (demi-sec in style though not labeled as such) has nonetheless mellowed considerably with age, shedding much of the mineral pungency it had shown in earlier years. Now, it's delivering soft acids and lightly honeyed pear and apple fruit, accompanied, as always with Poniatowski's wines, by an infusion of excavated cave flavors. Perhaps past its best in terms of depth and structure but still showing a freshness that should let it ride out many more years in the cellar. I've seen Poni's wines ride evolutionary roller coasters (as opposed to the standard bell curves and plateaus) before, so who knows what a few more years might bring. For now, it's about simplicity and easy drinking.

Vouvray "Clos du Bourg" Demi-Sec, Huet 1995
$65. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY.
This was a stark contrast to the wine from Poniatowski. Definitely more structured and intense, one could say more seemingly complex, but also in a relatively unapproachable state at the moment. Very funky on the nose — a little metallic botrytis influence, and quite sulfuric — it came across to me as a bit of a contradiction: simultaneously more mature than Poniatowski's "Clos de l'Avenir" yet also quite backward in its flavors and angular in feel. I'd be interested to see where it heads over the years to come; however, based on this bottle, I'm not sure the investment would be worth the required tariff. That said, I'd be very curious to hear of others' experiences with this.

For the beef, we turned not to Bordeaux or California but to Beaujolais. Lest that seem an odd choice to you, let us not forget that the Beaujolais is situated only about 45 kilometers to the ESE of Charolles, the original home of Charolais cattle. A bottle of good Cru Beaujolais is exactly what people in the area would pair with their hangar steak. We opted for a magnum....

Morgon, Georges Descombes 2005 (from magnum)
$40. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
This turned out to be the wine of the night, not only for me but for the whole group of folks around the table, many of whom lean toward bigger, bolder, more New World wines. Descombes' Morgon isn't at all New World in style, mind you. This was just one of those bottles where the pure deliciousness of the wine spoke for itself. The richness and structure of the 2005 vintage was in full evidence, along with plush, dark red fruits and a real crackling sense of energy (bordering on a little spritziness) on the palate. Great with the beef, even if it wasn't Charolais.

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A Few Good Wines

With a birthday and Thanksgiving separated by only a couple of days in the past week, there were no shortage of reasons to open a few good bottles. Today though, just a few quick impressions, as these were enjoyed for the pure sake of pleasure, at the table and without any note taking or overt analysis.


Vouvray "Clos du Bourg" Sec, Huet 2005
A really glorious bottle. Redolent of wet wool and damp clay when first opened then growing ever rounder and more honey and herb laced as the bottle grew emptier. I need to drink Vouvray more often... and I really need to drink Huet more often.

Nuits-St.-Georges "Les Grandes Vignes," Domaine Daniel Rion 2001
When last I tasted this, it provided a much needed breath of fresh air. The better part of two-and-a-half years later, it's continued to develop and continues to surprise, taking on greater weight with its slumber in the cellar. Rich red fruit laced with dark spice notes and beautifully ripe, round tannins. The wines of Domaine Daniel Rion are made in a very reductive style that can render them ungiving when young but, when all things are right, they can develop very nicely given a few years of patience.

Bacharacher Kloster Fürstental Riesling Brut Sekt, Weingut Ratzenberger 2000
This proves to be maturing more rapidly than the 1998, 1999 or 2001 versions of Ratzenberger's Sekt. Perhaps that's not surprising given the wet conditions in the fall of 2000. In any event, this has gone very much toward the truffle and oily end of the mineral spectrum, leaving behind much of the bright citrus and orchard fruits of this wine's youth. Still damn tasty but it's definitely time to drink up now.

Morgon "Côte du Py," Jean Foillard 2008
I thought it was fun. My wife thought it was serious. You know what? We were both right. Foillard's wines combine airy grace and delicacy with a depth that can be explored or simply accepted as fits the moment. The '08 may still be lacking something at its core but I think it's only a matter of time before everything settles into place. Even now it's delicious, with pure small red berry fruit allied to an earthy savor that made it a great match on the Thanksgiving table, especially with the turkey and the sourdough/shiitake/sage stuffing. (PS: Guilhaume published a neat photo essay at The Wine Digger a couple of weeks back on his visit with Foillard.)

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NorCal 2009, Day One: Corkage Free in Los Altos

After a disaster with our airline bookings was narrowly averted on Tuesday (contact me off-line if you want the full scoop), Wednesday’s flight in to SFO was as smooth as smooth can be. One dreary if relatively innocuous Super Shuttle ride later and we were settled into our one-night stand in Palo Alto for the start of a week in Northern California.


A relatively uneventful entry day was capped off in fine style with dinner at Los Altos Grill, where I met up with friends I’d previously known only through the auspices of the blogosphere – Cory “Saignée” Cartwright and his lovely wife Emily Straley. We chose Los Altos not because, as Cory told me, it’s the wealthiest per capita town in America but rather because Los Altos Grill has a fee-free corkage policy, an apparent rarity in the greater SF Bay area.


Cory and Emily brought along a couple of bottles they thought I might not have tried before. Cà de Noci’s 2006 “Querciole” reminded me of spontaneously fermented beer crossed with a little cider-y, Chenin-y character. I know little about it other than that it’s a frizzante (pet-nat?) wine made from what are essentially table grapes native to Reggio-Emilia, so feel free to fill me in on the details. Dard & Ribo’s 2007 Crozes-Hermitage Rouge was fresh, light and simple – totally uncomplicated. Not so much a vin de terroir as a vin de soif, if you ask me, but it was pretty damn tasty. Meanwhile, I’d hauled along a bottle of Philippe Poniatowski’s 1989 Vouvray “Aigle Blanc Vin de Tris.” I knew Cory had tried some of the Prince’s Vouvrays but was pretty sure he hadn’t had any ‘89s, a vintage which I think rarely made it past the East Coast and which I prefer to 1990 at this estate. Though it’s a moelleux style, it’s going through a pretty dry stage right now and showing the best of the characteristically lime-cave minerality of PP’s Vouvrays.

That’s it for now, as we're off to Big Sur. Thanks for the great evening, E&C.

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One Word, Two Words, Three Words, True Words

Enjoyed a great meal with friends and family at Marigold Kitchen last weekend. As I opted not to take detailed wine notes, I thought this would be as good a time as any to respond in kind to some of my peers' demonstrations of anti-verbosity. So here you have it, the first (and very possibly last) installment of rapid fire reviews at MFWT. One word, two words, three words -- on three wines. Hopefully, my friends and gracious readers, you will forgive me the luxury of photos.


Vouvray “Cuvée Tradition,” François Pinon 2006
Apple.
Ambient cave.
Definitely not corked.


Savennières-Coulée de Serrant “Clos de la Coulée de Serrant,” Nicolas Joly 2004
Massive.
Jerez honey.
Definitely not oxidized.


Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore, M. Marengo 2003
Extracted.
Hollow leg.
Definitely not elegant.

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Xmas Eve Loire-apalooza

The big holiday feast this year was on Christmas Eve, thanks to the hospitality of our dear friends Bill and Kelly. Is there a better way to come together with loved ones than by sharing in some great food and wine?

Montlouis-sur-Loire Brut, François Chidaine NV. $23. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed some pretty distinct bottle variation with Chidaine’s Montlouis Brut. I’m not sure what to chalk it up to, though my gut is that it’s mainly a function of disgorgement date vs. consumption date. As the bottle is not marked, at least not obviously, with any lot or disgorgement information, I can base this only on my non-scientific observations of cork behavior. I tend to have preferred the bottles with some spring left in their stoppers – suggesting a younger wine with less time on the cork. Whatever the case may be, this was a particularly good bottle. Signature Chenin aromas of clover honey and green fig were in force, accentuated by scents of freshly toasted white bread. Bone dry but with an enchantingly soft, lingering mouthfeel.

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Domaine des Trois Toits (Hubert Rousseau) 2007. $16. 12% alcohol. Nomacorc. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchants, New York, NY.
This was my first encounter with the Muscadet of Hubert Rousseau, a relatively new addition to importer Neal Rosenthal’s portfolio. The Domaine des Trois Toits (“house of the three roofs”) is located in La Nicollière, just south of the city of Nantes. This is flinty yet fleshy, yeast enriched Muscadet that finishes with a mouthwatering twist of bitter lemon oil. Young and tasty, with exceptional length. It not only paired beautifully with oysters but also revealed an extra layer of salinity and savor when matched with a simple appetizer of oil-poached Spanish tuna belly.

Sancerre “Clos la Néore,” Edmond Vatan 2007. $55. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Wine Cellars Ltd., Briarcliff Manor, NY.
The answer to Saturday's bonus point question. Pungently mineral and painfully young Sancerre, brimming with lime pith and chalky aromas. Maybe the most complete bottle of Vatan’s “Clos la Néore” I’ve yet to drink, displaying really fine flavor and structural delineation with less funk and greater purity than in the past few vintages. I’d love to revisit it in five and ten years (and two, seven, three, eight…). Wines that provide this clear an expression of place, of terroir, are all too few and far between.


A little East Coast/West Coast Oyster Mash-Up. Which wine worked best…? Sometimes there’s merit to a cliché. All of the first four wines worked in their own way but the Muscadet stole the day. A phenomenal pairing.

Champagne Brut “Réserve,” Bérèche et Fils NV. $45. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
We now interrupt this broadcast for a brief Champagne interlude. I’ve really been digging the Champagnes of Bérèche et Fils of late. The 10-hectare estate is based near Ludes, on the Montagne de Reims. Young Raphael Bérèche, who worked his first harvest at his family’s estate in 2000 and took responsibility for winemaking in 2004, appears to have great things in store. He’s converting the property to biodynamic farming and fermenting his wines on their native yeasts, with all cuvées seeing at least partial oak elevation. The Brut Réserve is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier (I don’t know the percentages), which includes about 25% reserve wine. It opens with a lush frontal assault, contrasted in fine balance by an incredibly dry attack on the finish. Rich notes of brioche and fresh hazelnuts dominate the nose, while notes of ripe melon and citrus confit emerge from the wine’s sweet, generous mid-palate.

Savennières, Domaine des Baumard 1996. $25. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Ex-Cellars, Solvang, CA.
A bit of a shock after a flight of young wines and not a little weird. Funk covered rocks come to mind – what “eau de toad” might taste like if someone were to bottle such a thing. All of that said, this is still enticing wine, sour and rich at once. Savennières may just be capable of producing the broadest aromatic range in the wine world, or at least the most unusual range. In this bottle I found baked gooseberries, almond paste and lavender, along with something – that sour/rich component – that I can only describe as caramelized yuzu. This is starting to show some oxidative development but still suggests further potential to come. I’m dying to put together a horizontal tasting of ’96 Loire Chenins….

Time to dig into Bill’s delicious pulled smoked pork shoulder also meant it was time to switch into red gear.

Vin de Table Mousseux “Le Vinsans Ricard,” Domaine Ricard NV. $22. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Though perhaps not as exuberant as when I last wrote this up (tasted with the same group of friends and family, by the way), this is still damn tasty stuff. Varietal Gamay – at least in this rendition of Vincent Ricard's “Le Vinsans Ricard” – made in the méthode l'ancienne. Juicy, crackling and refreshing, loaded with lively cranberry and raspberry fruit; it seemed tailor made to our pulled pork and slaw sandwiches.


Côtes du Forez “La Volcanique,” Verdier-Logel (Odile Verdier & Jacky Logel) 2007. $13. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Wine Traditions, Falls Church, VA.
More Loire Gamay and another very cool wine, even if a little less friendly to the sweetness of the pork than Ricard’s bubbly. This is explosively mineral, black fruited Gamay – crunchy, rustic, viscerally fresh and laced with the scent of black pepper. Produced, as the name of this cuvée suggests, on volcanic soils in the Côtes du Forez, an area in the foothills of the Massif Central in the far reaches of the Upper Loire, where Verdier-Logel is considered the leading estate.

For the cheese course, a return to white was in order. And I’m in full agreement with The VLM as to the suitability of Loire Chenin, and Vouvray in particular, in such a situation.
Vouvray “Clos du Bourg” Sec, Domaine Huet 2005. $40. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, NY, NY.
By far the tightest wine of the night. This showed earthy mineral character in spades, with a muted core of beeswax and pear-driven fruit. Already subtly delicious, but barely hinting at what’s to come. If you’re holding any, stash it away for a rainy day a few (or many) years down the road.

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Food, Wine and Friends at the Thanksgiving Table

In spite of my sentimental ruminations of yesterday, Thanksgiving is more to me than a time for melancholy reflection. It’s also a holiday that holds an important place in my heart for bringing together friends or family to share in the pleasures of good wine, good food and good company. This year’s feast was shared with dear friends and paired with delicious food and a little more than our fair share of good wine.

We wasted no time in getting to the highlights of the day, sitting outdoors on a bright, chilly November afternoon, shucking oysters, sautéeing mussels and warming our hands by the fire. Both wines we kicked-off with worked wonders with the shellfish.


Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie “Le L d’Or de Pierre Luneau, Cuvée Médaillée,” Domaine de la Grange (Pierre Luneau-Papin) 1995. $25. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
How’s that for an overwrought wine name? No matter, this was fantastically fresh. Drinking it gave me the sense of cool rain water leaching through the limestone and schist soils in Le Landreau. Marrowy and broad, intensely mineral, slightly saline and hinting at its age only via its dark aromatic profile, it was naturally stellar with the oysters.


Vouvray “Clos Baudoin,” SARL Vallée de Nouy (Poniatowski/Chidaine) 2004. Around $20 on release. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
I also really dug the 2004 Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” of François Chidaine, produced during the period when he was farming and making the wines at Prince Philippe Poniatowski’s estate. (The “Clos Baudoin” now belongs to Chidaine). Fully sec in style and medium golden in color, its richer flavors were not as automatic a pairing with the oysters, but the match created some finishing flavor combinations that were really magnifying and haunting. And its pear nectar and sunshine-laced fruit worked handsomely with sweet, juicy mussels picked straight from the fire.


Palette, Château Simone 2006. $70. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, New York, NY.
As hard as the first two wines were to follow, the most exciting white of the night was the 2006 Palette from Château Simone. It was my first experience with wine of any color from this tiny AOC located just southeast of Aix-en-Provence. I’d never thought Provençal white wine could be this good – sweetly herbal, dry but generous in its texture and braced by clean, refreshing acidity and apple tinged fruit. Poured alongside a Vietnamese preparation of pan seared scallops and a slaw of napa cabbage and mirin-spiked shiitakes, the wine did far more than stand its own. Its price, though, forces the wine even further into the realm of curiosity than does its obscure AOC.

Alsace Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling “La Dame (Partager Avec Toi),” Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss 2004. $20. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, Saint Helena, CA.
This was the only dim bulb in a lineup of otherwise luminescent whites. The wine was perfectly sound and palatable but more or less bereft of any liveliness or depth, not living up to its Grand Cru status or to my hopes based on a positive write-up of the Domaine in Monty Waldin’s Biodynamic Wines (Classic Wine Library). I suppose there’s a reason why it was on closeout for $20….


Meursault “Clos des Mouches,” Domaine Henri Germain 2002. $46. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Not to be confused with Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” the Clos des Mouches in Meursault is a monopole vineyard owned, farmed and planted to Pinot Noir by Domaine Henri Germain. This took the honors for red of the night, at least in my book. Its nose of macerated cherries and white truffles was followed up by silky, lithe red fruit, with flavors of buttery lucques olives, vanilla-laced cherries and sweet English thyme all dancing across the palate. Firm of texture and fresh in acidity but delicate, delicate, delicate, through and through. Really lovely red Burg.

At this point, my note taking and wine geekery took a back seat to the spirit and timing of the meal. The size of our party didn’t merit a whole turkey, besides which I don’t think anyone wanted to spend the afternoon at the oven door. Instead, our hosts prepared duck two ways, with braised duck leg served atop walnut oil-dressed mashed potatoes and seared duck breast set alongside my wife’s dish of curried lentils and sweet potatoes. After thoroughly enjoying Germain’s Meursault Rouge with all of this, we popped and tasted a couple of other reds of potential interest. Thierry and Pascale Matrot’s 2006 Blagny “La Pièce sous le Bois” is already drinking nicely, with dark, crunchy fruit and good structure, but will definitely benefit from further slumber in the cellar. After the two Burgundies, Smith Haut Lafiitte’s 1998 Pessac-Léognan seemed dull in comparison.


When it comes to pairing wines with traditional Thanksgiving desserts – pies of pumpkin, apple, pecan and mince meat – it’s the stickies of Southwest France that often come first to mind. I don’t think the delicious 2004 Jurançon from Camin Larredya made it past the cheese course, though. Our dessert compartments weren’t cooperating that night. A brisk walk and, for me at least, a wee nap were in order before pie could even be considered.

When it comes to traditional Thanksgiving meals, this evening’s menu may have been something of a departure. But it was a welcome one, offering more than plenty for which to give thanks.

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Pif Night Wines

As promised, here are a few thoughts on the wines we opened at "Pif night" on a recent trip to Ansill. The great thing about BYOs (or BYO nights at normally non-BYO restaurants) is the opportunity they afford to open and enjoy several wines at dinner without running up an astronomical tab. Given the $15 corkage policy on regular evenings at Ansill, I'd be inclined to carry my own juice on any night of the week, not just Tuesday or Sunday.


Vouvray “Cuvée de Silex,” Domaine des Aubuisières (Bernard Fouquet) 2007
$16. 13% alcohol. Stelvin. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA.
Where has this been all my life? Really delicious young Vouvray, just about all you could ask for from a wine at this price point. In terms of both aroma and palate, it displayed a classic up-front profile of d’Anjou pear, honeysuckle, honey-laced apples and a touch of succulent stoniness. Its sec-tendre style (just slightly off-dry), along with visceral, shimmering acidity, makes this an ideal aperitif and a solid choice for shellfish dishes (think scallops) or a cheese course. It should also be quite suitable for mid-term aging.

By odd coincidence, given that I had carried this from home and bemoaned the absence of anything interesting on the wine list at Ansill, it turned out that one of my coworkers was sitting in another restaurant about eight blocks to the north, at the very same time, and ordered this exact wine from the restaurant’s list. If their wine list is any indication of what they’re up to, I’ll need to give Fork a revisit sometime soon. It’s a spot I frequented when they first opened but have neglected for many a year now.


Bourgogne Rouge “Cuvée Prestige,” Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot 2005
$32. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Elite Wines, Washington, DC.
I’m not sure how to explain the fact that, to the eye, this looked transparent and pale in the bottle but inexplicably dark in the glass. My other sensory abilities, though, told me that this was probably a little heat whacked. Soft, even a little spongy in texture, with sweet red fruit and an almost Port-like nose. The alcohol stood to one side, the wine to the other, with a gap in between. Hardly the epitome of Burgundian grace. When all was said and done, it was short and simple. Almost certainly a compromised bottle.

Marsannay “Langeroies,” Domaine René Bouvier 2005
$38. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Elite Wines, Lorton, VA.
Sniff. Ahh, that’s more like it. There were some definite modern evocations at play but plenty of interest as well. Oak was evident but well knit, allowing the bright, gamy and wild red-fruited character of the wine to leap up and strut its stuff. Cherry stones, blackberries and thyme all came to mind. Excellent balance and quite food friendly, there was a very attractive sappiness – a sense of green energy – at the wine’s core. Definitely worth seeking out, this is offering plenty of drinking pleasure already but should only get more interesting in a few years. A pretty solid value given the economics of the vintage.

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Vouvray Pétillant Brut, Domaine Huet 2002

I could just post a picture, point you to Brooklynguy’s recent write-up of Huet’s Vouvray Pétillant and leave it at that. But that wouldn’t be very bloggerly of me now, would it?

I received this bottle as a gift from a friend several months ago and it’s been biding its time in my wine fridge, waiting for the right occasion, ever since. Saturday night turned out to be one of those evenings where, with not much else in the works, opening the bottle was the occasion in and of itself.

That Huet’s Vouvray Pétillant Brut is produced from the estate’s youngest vines (only three to ten years old) does not come as a surprise in the broad context of a sparkling wine’s place in a Vouvray grower’s overall portfolio. It does come as a surprise, however, in the context of tasting the wine. This is much more than simple sparkling Vouvray. The wine has both finesse and concentration in spades. As Peter Liem points out, it’s an absolutely top-notch alternative to Champagne. And I’ll second Brooklynguy’s opinion that it gets the better of many entry-level Champagnes when it comes to complexity, balance and even its expression of autolytic flavors, which are no doubt helped along by four years of sur lie aging. What I loved about the wine is how it does all of that while still maintaining a clear expression of its place, of its very Vouvray-ness.

The wine’s mousse is sparse, to be expected of the lower pressure of the Pétillant style, yet I found its bead to be finer than in most Vouvray Pétillant. Poured in a white wine glass, the bubbles dissipate and the wine quickly becomes still to the eye. Aromas are of blanched nuts, lightly baked apples, cinnamon, mace and brioche. Behind that come some of the hallmarks of Vouvray: a telltale note of beeswax followed by the springtime scent of yellow daffodils and ripe pear fruit. A honeyed note emerges on the palate, yet the flavor and structure are completely dry. Limestone and clay minerality are submerged in the lingering finish, all wrapped up in a blanket of toasty goodness. There’s nerve enough to make this a fantastic food wine – I enjoyed it in particular with a simple dish of scrambled eggs and sautéed asparagus – yet it’s ample and forward enough to function as an aperitif. In other words, I’d be more than happy to drink it just about anytime. $34. 12% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY.

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A First Look at Some 2005 Red Burgundies

Our casual little tasting was meant to take a first look at a few red Burgundies, most of which were previously unknown to me, from the much hyped 2005 vintage. However, it’s always nice to start things off with a wake-up wine, something bright and refreshing to call the old taste buds into action.


Vouvray Brut, Domaine François Pinon NV
Given that there was no Crémant de Bourgogne around to fit the evening’s theme, what better starting point than a sparkling Vouvray? Pinon is an excellent producer whose wines I get to drink far less often than I’d like. While his best wines can approach the profound end of the Vouvray experience spectrum, this bubbly, like his basic vin tendre “Cuvée Tradition, slot into the category of simply delightful. Pale, golden color and a medium bead lead into a dry but generously round palate attack. Baked golden delicious apples, cinnamon and honeysuckle aromas are followed by intensified flavors of apple and peach butters. $21. 12% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY.

Moulin-à-Vent “Clos de Rochegrès,” Château des Jacques / Louis Jadot 2005
Extending Burgundy to include the Beaujolais, we kicked into red gear with what turned out to be the biggest, brawniest wine of the lineup. I have a strong tendency – one I think I share with many of my fellow old world-centric bloggers – to write-off the wines from major négociants like Maison Jadot. At their base levels, I think the wines justify that treatment; however, there’s the occasional exception as evidenced by this seriously structured, single vineyard Moulin-à-Vent. Dark red robe, with a deep nose hinting at pine forest, raspberry confit and a subtle barrel influence. Closed and brooding. Dark loamy fruit with black pepper and clove are finished up with substantial grip. This needs time. Definitely a candidate for cellaring. $30ish (prices vary widely). 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Kobrand.

Savigny-les-Beaune “Vieilles Vignes,” Domaine Philippe Girard 2005
Sweet-tart cherry fruit hit right up front and quickly trailed off into a sour, green olive twinge. With air, this developed a rubbery, stinkfoot meets bologna aroma, which matched right up to the taste of hot dog water that dominated its mid-palate and finish. Sound like reduction? It wasn’t; it’s just not well made wine. Don’t bother. $30. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Cellar Door Selections, Columbia, MD.

Chorey-les-Beaune “Château de Chorey,” Domaine du Château Chorey 2005
This was more like it. Rose petals and wild cherry aromas wafted from the glass. Medium color and medium bodied, with lean, taut texture. Red apple skins and tangy, prickly fruit on the palate. Good wine and a solid value for village level Burgundy, particularly given 2005 pricing trends. Benoit Germain converted his estate to organic farming practices in 2001. $28. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Simon ‘n’ Cellars, Charlottesville, VA.

Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Hudelot-Baillet 2005
The sexiest wine of the night. Surprisingly pale for Chambolle, again surprising given the vintage characteristics. The color was deceptive though, in stark contrast to the wine’s much richer aromas of creamy, cherry vanilla. Richness and structure followed on the palate, with well-rounded grip. A gravelly, cherry pit character kicked in on the persistent finish, along with a well-integrated wood influence. Already awfully tasty, this should provide rewarding results given a few years in the cellar. $50. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Cellar Door Selections, Columbia, MD.


Monthelie, Thierry & Pascale Matrot 2005
As tasty as the Chambolle was, the wine I’d most like to drink on a regular basis (if only I could afford to) was this, the Monthelie from Thierry and Pascale Matrot. Monthelie, one of the lesser-known communes of the Côte de Beaune, is one of the villages with which I’d really like to get better acquainted. The wines I’ve enjoyed thus far, including this one, have shared a jagged edge of wild fruit and minerality running right through the middle of the wine that I find extremely compelling. Tasted in its second day open, this was showing just great, with a core of dark wild cherry fruit and light twigginess. Right on for a crispy skinned roast chicken stuffed with fresh herbs. $35. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

Intro only...

Recent Tastes: Loire Chenin and Bourgogne Rouge

Vouvray "La Cuvée des Fondreaux," Champalou 2005
Toeing the line between sec-tendre and demi-sec, I would enjoy drinking this casually and regularly, particularly if it were $15 rather than $19-20. However, I can easily see, through this wine and others like it, why so many people seem perplexed by Vouvray, as its charms can be overshadowed by the perception and popular misconception of sweetness. Clover honey and pear nectar dominate, followed by relatively low acidity and soft, round texture. Reasonable length is delivered, helped along by the unctuous nature of the wine’s residual sugar, but this lacks the minerality and layered depth of more interesting Vouvray.
$19. 13% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA.

Savennières "Clos des Perrieres," Château Soucherie (Pierre-Yves Tijou) 2000
Immediately oxidative notes give way to beeswax intensity as this opens in the glass. Pear and quince follow, along with aromas of preserved lemons and verbena. It’s intensely stony in the mouth, a sensation that is magnified by the wine’s tooth-aching acidity. Hints of madeirization persist but more aromas – clover blossoms and crystallized ginger – continue to emerge. Texturally, it’s generous up front, firm and steely on the finish. If you’re holding several bottles of this vintage, it might be worth keeping a couple to track development; otherwise, drink up.
$25. 13% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Rosenthal, New York, NY.

Bourgogne "Pinot Noir," Domaine Heresztyn 2005
Lovely, fresh red fruits and tangy acidity. A slightly stewed nose also shows hints of sweet red cherries and vanilla, yet there’s no suggestion of heat damage or of woodiness. This is a pretty solid value in the increasingly untouchable world of Burgundy.
$20. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA.

Maranges Premier Cru "Clos de la Fussière," Xavier Monnot 2005
Translucent yet a good deal darker in the glass than Heresztyn’s Bourgogne, this is showing firm, slightly astringent tannins… at least at first. It actually fluctuates, over the course of an hour, between generous and sinewy textures. Portobello mushrooms, espresso, black cherry skins, cinnamon bark and brambly herbaceous qualities all show up as the wine opens. This is interesting now and should develop well over the next few years. Another pretty good buy, from an importer whose wines I’ve tended to overlook for the past several years.
$25. 13.5% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Robert Kacher, Washington, DC.

Intro only...

François Chidaine: Vigneron à Montlouis et Vouvray, Part Two

Capping off a day that started with a visit with Philippe Poniatowski at the Clos Baudoin, proceeded to the Montlouis estate of François Chidaine and continued with a stop at the Chidaine family’s wine shop, my group of weary travelers and I came full circle. With François and his cousin Nicolas Martin, we headed back across the river, back to Poniatowski’s property, to taste Chidaine's 2003 Vouvrays from barrel.

The Clos Baudoin vineyard.

François had been hired by Poniatowski, as of the 2002 vintage, under a five year contract to handle both the farming and wine making practices at the estate. It had turned out to be a great decision as, after only two vintages, Chidaine, with the help of Nicolas, was already clearly bringing the wines to a new level of style, cleanliness, vibrancy and expression.

During those five years, François and Poniatowski would take a 50/50 share of the wines, each with the right to market them under their own respective marques but according to Chidaine’s newly implemented array of cuvée names. Chidaine’s contract included an option to buy the estate at the end of his five-year term. However, there was nothing to preclude Poniatowski, who was clearly in some measure of economic distress after weathering a difficult stretch of poor management in his vineyards and cellar, from entertaining other buyers in the interim. Chidaine’s no-nonsense stoicism and ambition combined with the Prince’s pride and urgency had made for an awkward marriage of businesses and personalities.

During our morning visit, Poniatowski had taken us for a walk through the Clos Baudoin vineyard and a tour of his bottle caves before settling down to the tasting table in the parlor of his old estate home. We’d passed the “winery” part of the cave with barely a glance. Little discussion of winemaking practices occurred. And our tentative questions about his partnership with Chidaine were essentially shrugged off or circumvented.

Later that day, Chidaine too was reticent to discuss any aspect of his relationship with Poniatowski (who did not join us for the tasting). Otherwise though, it would turn out to be a very different experience from our morning visit in the same space. François made it clear that his reasons for interloping in Vouvray – he is the first native Montlouis producer to also make estate bottled wines on the other side of the river – were motivated not solely by commercial desires but also by his farming and wine making passions. He does believe that the Clos Baudoin is indeed a very special terroir. He also confirmed our impressions that the Clos had been allowed to fall into a rather sad state after several years of less than fastidious farming. Already in the process of converting the vineyards to biodynamic principles, he felt strongly that the soil and vines would slowly but surely begin to return to their full potential.

A detail of a 1946 map of the Vouvray vineyards, courtesy of Don Rice, from: LARMAT, Louis, "Atlas de la France vinicole. Les vins des coteaux de la Loire. Touraine et centre [Tome 5]." Paris: Louis Larmat, 1946, 450x325, 38pp.

With François, we skipped the estate’s bottle caves and headed straight into the barrel room where we proceeded, much as we had at his estate in Montlouis, with a discussion of the notoriously hot and dry growing conditions during 2003. Chidaine’s second vintage in Vouvray had been challenging. Yields at the estate were approximately 30% lower than normal, averaging 23 hectoliters per hectare as compared to 30 in 2002. On the upside though, yields were not nearly as drastically reduced as in Montlouis, where early-season frost had been a problem. As at his own Domaine in Montlouis, François elected to vinify every plot separately, so as to assess each lot’s special characteristics before blending into the final cuvée, a particularly prudent practice in a difficult year.

Barrel tasting:

As we’d experienced earlier, tasting from barrel with François is a practice in precision, bordering on the clinical. My notes are regrettably sparse as a result.

• 2003 Haut Lieu
  Harvested at 13.8% potential alcohol and still fermenting, this barrel was destined to become part of “Les Argiles.”
  
  
• 2003 Chatrie and Cabane
  Chatrie and Cabane are both lieu-dits located on the plateau above the Clos Baudoin. Also destined for “Les Argiles,” these plots would often have been added to the “Clos de l’Avenir” cuvée in the Poniatowski years. Lively, redolent of peach nectar.
  
  
• 2003 Chatrie (Lot 2)
  Drier, more mineral and higher acid than the Chatrie/Cabane blended barrel. Also destined for “Les Argiles” and likely to be finished with four to five grams of residual sugar.
  
  
• 2003 Plante Clos Baudoin
  From two-thirds old vines (45 years) and one-third young vines (20 years), François’ estimation is that this is destined to be a good but not great wine, most likely to be almost completely dry when finished.
  
  
• 2003 Clos Baudoin Vieilles Vignes
  From old vines only, this was still fermenting but already finer and more concentrated than the mixed-age barrel.
  
  
• 2003 Pichot
  This was targeted for “Le Bouchet.” This normally demi-sec cuvée would most likely be fully moelleux in 2003 as evidenced by this plot, harvested at 16.5% potential and finished to 40-45 grams RS.
  
  
• 2003 Le Bouchet
  From 70-80 year old vines in the lieu-dit of Le Bouchet itself, located across the road and down the hill from the estate. Richer and more complex than the Pichot, this showed fresh herbs, flowers and intense physiological concentration.
  
  
• 2003 L’Homme and Chatrie Vieilles Vignes
  Also for “Le Bouchet.” Muscular and surprisingly well balanced.
  
  
• 2003 Tri du 13 Octobre
  A late harvest for the hot season of 2003, this barrel would become part of the year’s Vouvray Moelleux. Low acid and intensely concentrated.

Postscript:

In 2007, his five-year contract finished and several business hurdles overcome, François finalized the purchase of Poniatowski’s property. Chidaine’s 2005 Vouvrays, now on the market, show intense concentration and potential longevity. As in Montlouis, his wines must already be considered among the top tier.

Related posts:

• The Last Vouvrays of Philippe Poniatowski
  
• François Chidaine: Vigneron à Montlouis et Vouvray, Part One
  
• La Cave Insolite

Intro only...

François Chidaine: Vigneron à Montlouis et Vouvray, Part One

Monday, February 23, 2004. After an unusual morning spent in the caves and tasting rooms of Philippe Poniatowski in Vouvray, followed by a modest lunch at a bistro on the edge of town, it was off to the other side of the river. Our afternoon appointment was at the Montlouis domaine of François Chidaine, a serious, stoic and talented wine grower – and the ascending star of both Montlouis-sur-Loire and Vouvray.

From the driveway where we initially met Chidaine, on a tiny road leading up and away from the river, his winery looked like little more than a garage excavated into the hillside. Before venturing in, we took to the cars for a drive up the hill to the plateau above.

François Chidaine’s property consists of approximately 20 hectares of vines, spread along a two kilometer periphery around the village of Montlouis, all set on the hillside and plateau which dominate the valley. He farms his land with a close eye to nature. At the time of our visit, all but two hectares of his vines were being farmed biodynamically. Chidaine, however, insists on making no mention of organics or biodynamics on his bottles. In fact, he’s loath to talk much about biodynamie at all. He farms naturally because he feels it results in a purer expression of the vine and of his terroir. Attracting the organically inclined shopper is not a concern. Customers and importers line up, via a waiting list, to buy his wines, about 50% of which are broadly exported with the other 50% going to the French market.

Given that it was snowing intermittently during our visit and that there was a surprising amount of standing water in the vineyards, François opted not to take us through each and every one of his eight distinct plots. Instead, most of our outdoor time was spent in Le Clos Volgets, an essentially flat climat of argilo-silex soil situated atop the plateau. His vines are trained in the double Guyot method and kept low to the ground to capture reflective heat from the soil below. During the winter months, he keeps a soil cover of vegetation between the rows to protect against run-off, a natural tendency of the erosive soils in Montlouis and one of the primary farming differences relative to neighboring Vouvray. Two weeks after our visit, the soils would be turned to allow the earth to breathe in anticipation of the onset of spring. The fruit from the 45 year-old vines in Volgets goes mostly to his demi-sec, multi-vineyard cuvée Les Tuffeaux.

On the way back to our vehicles, François pointed out both Clos Habert and Clos de Breuil, from which he produces vineyard-designated bottlings, respectively demi-sec and sec in style. Taking a circuitous route across the plateau en route to the winery, he also indicated a new vineyard of four hectares that he had recently purchased and replanted. Atypically rich in clay and dense of soil, this hard-to-farm site was Les Bournais, the source of the eponymous wine first produced by Chidaine from the fruit grown in 2004.

Back at the winery, where we were joined by François’ cousin Nicolas, we found the scene behind the aforementioned garage doors perfectly befitting of Chidaine’s personality – plain stone walls, no nonsense, nothing extra, just barrels and the most basic tools of the trade. All wines are vinified in cask, primarily of 600 liters, with 10% of production fermented and aged in 300 liter barrels. Reflective of his approach to his terroir, fruit from every distinct parcel is vinified separately; blends are assembled in preparation for bottling. Fermentations are very slow, running completely under the steam of natural yeasts. Filtration is used minimally yet rigorously, only between barrel and bottle and only when necessary.

As the barrel segment of our tasting would consist solely of wines from 2003, François prepped us with a bit of info on the local effects of the notoriously hot, dry vintage. Due to the difficult growing conditions, production for the year was only about 40% of the estate’s normal average yields of 35 hl/ha. Harvest, which normally begins in mid-October and continues into November, began in late September and was completed on October 14. The combination of low acidity and high ripeness led to wines that are very concentrated but lacking in maturity of structure. At this point, his plan was to finish all of the wines in the 12 to 12.5% alcohol range, so even the usually dry wines would have some pretty measurable residual sugar. The ripeness levels of the vintage allowed for the production of Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) for the first time since 1997 and 1999. His advice for the vintage: drink the 2003s while the 2002s rest in your cellar.

Tasting wines from barrel like this – still fermenting and unassembled – is always an exercise more technical than satisfying. Nonetheless, it can be enlightening as to a producer’s thought processes, vinification techniques and overall approach. It’s also a wonder, down the road, to see how the parts become a more complete whole. The precision of Chidaine’s technique and presentation was matched, more entertainingly, by Nicolas’ spitting abilities. I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone produce a thinner, more precise stream, always on target even when he was standing five feet away from the small spittoon we all shared.

Tasting from barrel:

• 2003 Clos du Breuil
  The Clos du Breuil – the name refers to the underground water supply beneath the vineyard – is one of the plots from which Chidaine makes a vineyard specific cru each year. From fruit with 14.2% potential alcohol, this would not finish fermentation for another month. Typical of a wine at this stage, aromas were of yeast, bananas and tropical fruit. Low acid, particularly for this normally pretty brisk cuvée. 4 grams residual sugar.
  
  
• 2003 Clos Habert
  Another of the single vineyard designates, Clos Habert is a plot of 60 year-old vines which gave fruit with 15.5% potential alcohol in 2003. Yields from the three hectare vineyard were only 24 hectoliters (8 hl/ha). The vineyard saw an early bud set, followed by frost then long, dry heat. Rich, sweet, opulent fruit. 30 grams residual sugar, 3 grams acidity.
  
  
• 2003 Clos Volgets
  From the 45 year-old vines in the vineyard we’d visited a short while earlier. It’s fair to say that this hovered stylistically between the Breuil and Habert, with brighter acidity but less RS than in the Habert.
  
  
• 2003 Les Epirées
  Unlinke in Habert, there was no early season frost damage in Epirées, with yields therefore coming in somewhat closer to normal at 24 hl/ha. The fruit from this site normally goes into the cuvées Les Choisilles and Les Tuffeaux. However, as this year’s wine – currently stopped yet not complete in its fermentation – would finish at around 100 grams residual sugar, it was destined for Chidaine’s Montlouis Moelleux.
  
  
• 2003 Le Lys
  This is Chidaine’s special SGN cuvée, produced only in exceptional (or unusual) years. He usually seeks potential alcohol in the 18-20% range for this wine; the 2003 reached 22% and will finish at around 150 grams of residual sugar, the product of 100% botrytis affected fruit. Rich, tropical fruit with intense concentration and length.

The view from outside Chidaine's barrel storage garage, looking down the road toward the Loire (February 2004).
Tasting from bottle:

• 2001 Montlouis “Les Choisilles”
  2001 was an average vintage with normal yields, giving a wine of slightly lower acidity than in 2002. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of acidity or of balance. Very dry and mineral, with good clarity of fruit and a long finish.
  
  
• 2002 Vouvray “Les Argiles”
  As I’d mentioned in my earlier post about our morning visit with Prince Poniatowski, Chidaine had been farming the land and making the wines at Poniatowski’s estate in Vouvray since 2002. This was his first vintage, therefore, of “Les Argiles,” a cuvée produced primarily from vineyards across the road from Poniatowski’s winery that formerly had gone to Poniatowski’s Vouvray “Clos de l’Avenir.” This showed riper fruit yet was more closed than the 2001 “Les Choisilles,” prompting François to mention that he feels Vouvray gives more masculine wines relative to the more feminine traits of Montlouis.
  
  
• 2002 Montlouis “Les Choisilles”
  Floral, very mineral and extremely tight, with mouth-watering acidity.
  
  
• 2002 Vouvray “Clos Baudoin”
  This needed some oxygen to open up and show its stuff. Chidaine, in fact, recommended decanting the wine and felt that it would develop very nicely in bottle. In spite of finding Poniatowski’s vineyards in a near state of disaster when he arrived in 2002, the breed of the wine showed, with sweet earth and firm, tight structure.
  
  
• 2002 Montlouis “Clos Habert”
  To give a comparative sense of the differences between 2002 and 2003, François told us that the 2002 Habert, usually Chidaine’s richest normal cuvée, was 4 grams drier than the 2003 “Les Tuffeaux,” which is normally the less rich wine. Solid structure and fine acid balance.
  
  
• 2003 Montlouis “Les Tuffeaux”
  Though this actually had higher acidity than the Clos Habert, it felt fatter on the palate due to less integrated sugars. Though less complex than the Habert, it was very ripe and pleasing with pronounced flavors of Asian pear.
  
  
• 1998 Montlouis “Les Tuffeaux”
  François’ first vintage at the head of his estate was 1989. He pronounced the wine of ten years later, the 1998 Tuffeaux, to be classic in his style and to be just opening up. Regrettably, both bottles he opened were corked, the first profoundly.
  
  
• 1997 Montlouis “Les Tuffeaux”
  Rich color. Heady aromas of marmalade and honeycomb, along with some botrytis notes. Spicy on the palate, with fairly low acidity.
  
  
• 2000 Montlouis “Clos Habert”
  Unusual shellfish-like aromas. 2000 was a hard vintage, with lots of rain just before harvest. A faint hint of rot on the palate.
  
  
• 2002 Vouvray “Le Bouchet”
  From a plot with NW exposure, located across the hilltop from the Clos Baudoin. Forward, floral and ever so slightly honeyed, with a hint of wood making itself known.
  
  
• 2002 Vouvray “Moelleux”
  This is the only cuvée produced in 100% new barrel. 50 grams residual sugar. Both the wood and the sugar were showing through; closed and slightly disjointed. Much richer than I remembered from previous bottles tasted in the US.
  
  
• 2002 Montlouis “Moelleux”
  This showed much more exotic fruit than did the Vouvray, with Asian pear, mango, bananas and citrus confit all leaping from the glass. 60 grams residual sugar.
  
  
• 1996 Montlouis “Moelleux”
  Like in 2002, this had great richness along with fine acid balance. This is wine to hold. Tea leaves, savory herbs and lanolin. This is a great expression of Montlouis terroir, with intense silex minerality, even a hint of petrol. Chidaine feels 1996 may have been an even better vintage than 1989.
  
  
• 1990 Montlouis “Sélection de Grains Nobles”
  A low acid year, with good yields and high physiological maturity. Again, seashells on the nose. Still very young, somewhat closed and surprisingly delicate given its richness (100 grams residual sugar).

Tasting complete, it was time to move on. The cousins Chidaine had further plans for us though. Part two of this posting will take us into Montlouis proper for a visit at the Chidaine’s wine shop then back across the river to Vouvray to taste the ‘03s from barrel at the Clos Baudoin. Stay tuned.

Related posts:

• The Last Vouvrays of Philippe Poniatowski
  
• La Cave Insolite

Intro only...

The Last Vouvrays of Philippe Poniatowski

Approaching the Vouvray estate of Prince Philippe Poniatowski by car – as our entourage did in February 2004 – it would be easy to pass it by unnoticed. Set in a quiet, semi-residential and semi-industrial street not far from the sleepy center of town, nothing about its initial appearance screams of wine greatness. Even passing by the crowning glory of the estate, the single vineyard Clos Baudoin, one could be forgiven for not noticing anything particularly special.

The Clos Baudoin vineyard and its original walls date back to 1707.
But standing in the caves of the winery, excavated into the hillside directly below the Clos and behind the estate house, the heart of one of the hidden jewels of Vouvray is fully exposed. The cave’s ceiling, high overhead, lies below 15 meters of the rock, clay and limestone which make up the soil base of the Clos Baudoin. The vines have dug so deep in search of nourishment that the tips of their probing roots can be seen dangling in mid-air. The caves serve not only as the final hunting ground for the vines above but also as the winery and bottle storage facilities for the estate. If ever a case could be made for extending the definition of “terroir” to include a winery, here’s the evidence. Every bottle stored in these caves bears a trace, on the air-end of the cork, of the cellar shmuts that coats the dark, moist walls. And every wine from 2001 back bears an aromatic suggestion that is hauntingly evocative of this subterranean home.

The estate house: cellars lurk through the door to the left, the Clos Baudoin lies above.

Philippe is the third – and would be the last – generation of the Poniatowski clan, descendents of the last Polish royal family, to run the estate. The original six acres of the property were acquired by Philippe’s grandfather in 1918. The story of that acquisition has been recounted many times yet always bears repetition. Having discovered the wines of the Clos Baudoin at his favorite lunch spot, Au Petit Riche in Paris, Philippe’s grandfather, a successful industrialist, decided to buy the property when he learned it was in danger of being uprooted, somewhat ironically, to make way for industrial expansion. As is typical in the small-farm wine business, the Poniatowski family fortune has been shrinking ever since. Philippe assumed ownership of the entire property in 1970, buying out his brothers’ shares to become the sole proprietor.

Since taking the helm, Philippe produced two flagship wines each year. The cuvée called “Aigle Blanc,” named for the white eagle which is part of the Polish royal family’s insignia, represents a blend of fruit from multiple vineyard sites, including Poniatowski’s portions of Le Mont and Le Haut Lieu. The flagship of the estate was always the “Clos Baudoin,” a single vineyard, monopole bottling from arguably one of the best sites in Vouvray. In the best vintages for sweet wines, it was not unusual for multiple cuvées or selections of each to find their way to market with slightly different labels and at different times and price points. He first began exporting wines to the US in 1982. Later, Poniatowski purchased two adjacent vineyards in 1988, christening the wine produced from them “Clos de l’Avenir” (vineyard of the future) when the wall separating the two plots collapsed, creating a larger “new” site, shortly after his assumption of ownership. Finally, limited quantities were produced of another single vineyard bottling from the one-acre “Clos des Patys,” sold exclusively to Restaurant Jean Bardet in Tours.

Prince Philippe, a true gentleman estate owner, was never a farmer or a winemaker. Instead, he chose to hire oenologists and viticulturalists while running the business aspects of the property himself. Through the 1996 vintage, M. Poniatowski had managed his hiring decisions well, bringing in talented staff who turned out some of the most memorable wines ever to have passed my lips: a searingly bone dry, mineral laden 1984 “Aigle Blanc;” delicate, nuanced demi-sec cuvées such as the 1996 “Aigle Blanc” and the stonier 1995 “Clos de l’Avenir;” and stunning, potentially ageless, constantly evolving moelleux wines from the great back-to-back years of 1989 and 1990, whether the single vineyard “Clos Baudoin” cuvée or the theoretically less illustrious “Aigle Blanc” bottlings.

A new estate manager brought in as of the 1997 season, though, turned out to be a bad hire. The wines produced between 1997 and 2001 would turn out to be inconsistent in quality, not living up to the potential of the property. Realizing his errors and with an eye to selling the estate, Monsieur Poniatowski hired the young, talented François Chidaine – vigneron at his own estate on “the other side of the river” in Montlouis – to take over all wine making and farming responsibilities. Chidaine would be charged with the challenge of bringing the vineyards and, of course, the wines back to their potential.

Testament to the special qualities of the Clos Baudoin's situation, flowers bloom in early February.

Complicating matters, it turned out that while farming and wine making had slacked during the late 1990s, the Prince had also not been keeping up with his sales and marketing duties. His efforts to sell the estate were being stymied by the inclusion in the overall package of a huge library of back-vintage wines. Our tasting with Philippe would turn out to be almost as depressing as it was educational, as he introduced each wine not with information about the vintage or stylistic characteristics but rather with the number of bottles remaining in his caves. He clearly approached our time at the tasting table, much more so than during our more typical visits, as a nitty-gritty opportunity to sell us on some of those wines.

Essentially retired, and at least in his eighties, the Prince, though still stoically attached to the property and its wines, was clearly looking for a viable exit strategy.

Tasting Desperation:

• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 1995 (Lot 1)
  6900 bottles still available in Poniatowski’s cellars. 9 grams residual sugar; 6 grams acidity. Aromas of honey and spring flowers followed by very mineral, flinty palate. A tad oxidative.
  
  
• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 1995 (Lot 2)
  3200 bottles. Less rich than Lot 1, with a more limestone driven nose. Much fresher fruit and livelier on the palate.
  
  
• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 1995 (Lot 5)
  6000 bottles. Quite similar to Lot 1 but slightly earthier. The driest of the three.
  
  
• Vouvray “Clos des Patys” 1995 (Lot 1)
  3000 bottles; could be commercialized as “Aigle Blanc.” Ripe, fresh and elegant fruit. Creamy texture and tooth tingling acidity. The best of the ‘95s.
  
  
• Vouvray “Clos de l’Avenir” 1998 (Lot 1)
  The 1998 shows woodiness more than any other Poniatowski wine I’ve ever tasted. Funky, with heady citrus oil tones on the palate.
  
  
• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 2001 (Lot 1)
  4000 bottles. Soft, very forward fruit, with lemon oil and acacia blossoms on the finish. Very friendly; would make a good aperitif.
  
  
• Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” 2001 (Lot 1)
  5000 bottles. Dry. Round texture with loads of acidity. More mineral and less fruit driven than the 2001 Aigle Blanc. Short finish. Sadly, not up to the standards of the vineyard.
  
  
• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 1997 (Lot 1)
  48 grams residual sugar. Rich, low-acid and pretty tasty, with a hint of mintiness on the finish.
  
  
• Vouvray “Aigle Blanc” 1997 (Lot 2)
  8000 bottles. 42 grams residual sugar. More intensely aromatic than Lot 1, with earthy tones and oily fruit though not as mineral as Poniatowski’s wines can be. The better by a hair of the two 1997 lots.

Tasting History:

• Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” 1989
  68 grams residual sugar; 6 grams acidity. An effusive nose of honey and wildflowers, with the presence of pure, clean botrytis (which affected 30-50% of the fruit). Intense citrus oil, fat texture, great length.
  
  
• Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” 1990
  79 grams residual sugar; 5.5 grams acidity. Sweet nose of mango and peach nectar. Opulent but not as nervy as the 1989.
  
  A broader view of the Clos Baudoin (February 2004).
  
• Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” 1964
  This bottle pre-dated Philippe’s stewardship of the family estate. A rich golden hue, still bright and glowing, showed in the glass. Mushrooms and leaves on the nose followed by astounding freshness on the palate. Great acidity. Complex and even a bit closed, with rich apple fruit lingering on the finish.
  
  
• Vouvray “Clos Baudoin” 1945
  When we saw Philippe reach for the 1945 bin in the cellar, we tried not to let our excitement show. When we realized he’d selected a Sec cuvée, we also did our best to mask our disappointment. 1945 was a great vintage for dry Vouvray but also produced some top sweet wines, which would be much more likely to have successfully weathered the last sixty years. Amber, almost Cognac-like appearance in the glass. Madeirized, with apple cider vinegar and nougat tones on the nose. Showing more like an Amontillado Sherry on the palate. Not even a suggestion of fruit remained, yet the wine was still interesting from an academic perspective.

Tasting completed and goodbyes said, I couldn’t help feeling that a wonderful history and the potential for continuing greatness, accompanied by a contrasting sense of despair and decay, had seemed to imbue nearly every aspect of our appointment. That bottle of 1945 Clos Baudoin, still clinging to a thread of its former glory although almost entirely faded, was strangely symbolic of the aura of our visit on that cold February morning.

Postscript:

The Prince finally reached an agreement of sale for the property in 2007, handing over ownership to François Chidaine. The wines have already undergone a facelift and made a drastic turnaround since Chidaine’s first year as winemaker in 2002. It will be interesting to track the future of the wines and the estate under his stewardship. In the meanwhile, another look, presumably the last, can now be had at some of the greater of those wines we’d seen aging in the Prince’s cellars. Bottlings of Aigle Blanc and Clos Baudoin from both 1989 and 1990 have recently reappeared on the US market, giving us all one more chance to taste a little of the past.

Related posts:

• François Chidaine: Vigneron à Montlouis et Vouvray, Part One
  
• La Cave Insolite

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