Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Last year, before Cory & Guillaume started importing and Ten Bells made it a staple (Levi calls it a no brainer), we knocked on the Lenoirs’ door thanks to a PM from Cory and a plug from my Loire bible, the LeRouge & LeBlanc guide, who calls them ultra-traditional (yay!). We picked up three bottles of 2001 and 2002 for 4 or 5 each, and felt like we were pillaging the countryside. The 2001 was drunk last year, and was terrific. Last night we drank one of the 2002s, again terrific. No brainer indeed. Tons of classic cab franc leather with beautiful red fruit. Mouth showed hints of smoked meat, green twigs and tapenade. Acidity, weight, tannins and alcohol, all perfectly matched, coalesced into distilled pleasure. Just terrific at any price, and a lesson in honest economics. But let's keep it to ourselves. We don't want this to go the way of Overnoy.