Mike Evans
Mike Evans
A small group of local Loire fans gathered last night for one of the most enjoyable tastings I've attended in a very long time. I had not met two of the attendees before, but by the end of the evening, they all seemed like old friends. The opportunity to dig into my Loire collection for an appreciative audience was an especially rare thrill.
1997 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
I sometimes feel like an evangelist of the Cult of the Aged Muscadet, but bottles like this make the conversion process almost trivially simple. Maturity has changed the pale straw color of its youth into light gold, but it remains playfully young on the nose, showing classic saline minerality that screams of the sea. It shows more of its age once I take a sip. The core of wet gravel remains, but now a layer of preserved lemon, accented by hints of honey, joins the game and reflects its graceful evolution. It is showing well now, but I'm in no hurry to drink my remaining bottles.
Another example that Muscadet from great producers doesn't just last, it ages. Not bad for a bottle that still carried its $9.99 sticker, but a little bittersweet when I think about other whites in my cellar of equivalent age that cost many times more and have long since given up the ghost.
1989 Denis Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau
Twenty-three years ago, M. Denis created a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce, that may be as immortal as his reputation should be. The contradictions begin as I pour the first glass. Almost totally colorless, without even a hint of yellow or gold, the appearance gives no hint that this bottle has exceeded the legal drinking age in all 50 states.
The aromas are as fresh as the color, starting with an intoxicating perfume of spring flowers and just-sliced fennel. The delicate floral notes soon intensify into pure, rich honeysuckle, more evocative than any madeleine. More air brings further transformation, as the flowers inevitably fade toward the background, while a wet stonyness that reminds me of the granite banks of a mountain stream, and more familiar Chenin notes of lanolin step forward.
The first sips are shocking, as the ethereal aromas didn't prepare me for the rich texture and earthy flavors. In time, my brain somehow learns to accept the contradiction, probably distracted by the complexity and soothed by the purity and length.
I brought this to the tasting at the request of another attendee,a local merchant who has blessed Atlanta and cursed my wallet with a shop full of LDM treasures, who had heard tales of this wine. It can be hard to meet our heroes, but in this case, the reality may have surpassed the myth. I just wish I had more of it, so I could follow its evolution through my lifetime and leave enough for the next generation to do the same for theirs.
1996 Huët Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Gold tints the straw color, it smells like apple pie with just a hint of spice and honey, followed by strong chalk and other minerals as it warms up and breathes a little. The rich fruit wraps around a refreshing acidic core with terrific complexity, agility, and length. Very good, but with room to improve as the fruit, acid and minerals should integrate more with time.
1996 Nicolas Joly Savennières Becherelle - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, as it was leaner and finer than I expected. It first showed a hint of fresh fish and saline, which isn't remotely unpleasant, then chalk emerges and honey fleshes it out. Very well balanced, mineral and crisp, it should evolve gracefully for years to come.
2007 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant
I've had a number of Coulee de Serrants, but none younger than the 1997 before this one. I was completely unprepared for what appeared. Dark gold color, bordering on orange, I never expected the darkest white to be the youngest. The nose suggested a sweet wine, with honey, burnt sugar and some oxidation. The flavors are more of apple cider without the sweetness or sufficient acidity, with the 15+% alcohol expressed as richness but without too much heat.
A complete freak show of a Savennieres, the vinous equivalent of a monkey riding a unicycle juggling echidnas, I'm not sure I enjoyed it, but it was certainly an experience. Will it age? Who knows, but I suspect it will only become more deranged.
1998 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Cot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Glowing deep purple color, like the result of a clandestine tryst between a sapphire and an amethyst, perfectly ripe plums explode from the glass, with hints of dried wild herbs adding nuance. A little burnt sugar comes in on the palate, perhaps the only sign of its age. After a while, the dried herbs return to life as flowers, and it seems even fresher. The purity of the 1994 version changed the way I look at wine. This bottle takes me back to that moment of revelation, and I sit and quietly admire the expression of pure, fresh fruit that has changed very little after 14 years, and shows no sign of fading.
1997 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny "Clos" - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Wow. Just . . . wow. The previous wine was a monument to pure fruit, this was an even more impressive monument to wine's ability to express fruit with flavors and aromas having nothing to do with fruit. The first sign that we were sharing something special was the wave of silence that followed the bottle around the table, in a couple of cases cutting speakers off mid-sentence.
Waves of leather and herbs soar from the glass, and it takes me a few minutes before I can tear myself away and take a sip. It is totally seamless and constantly changing, flashing different expressions of non-fruit elements like an annoyed octopus. A touch of bell pepper, as it does in New Orleans trinity, brings complexity without overwhelming the other elements, then olives and smoke pop in.
I find myself swirling constantly, frequently lifting the glass to inhale another breath of this intoxicating perfume. Words just can't do justice to the experience this wine provided.
After a long stretch of silence punctuated by exclamations of the next glorious non-fruit flavor or aroma to appear, we raised our glasses to toast the memory of Joe Dressner, who was responsible for so many of the wines we enjoyed, and especially for this almost perfect experience.
2002 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord) Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
White melon and flowers are quickly joined by mineral notes, suggesting a light elegant wine. The first sip shows that I misunderstood the suggestion, as it was much richer than I expected, but still nimble as the acidity balances out the richness and off-dry sweetness. Very enjoyable, and a nice lead in to the dessert wines.
1971 Huët Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
I'm always excited when I see 1971 Huëts, and at first sniff this was no exception, as roasted apricot and spice beguile the nose, but it lacked sweetness and complexity. With more air, it started to fill in and round out and got much more interesting. The acidity never let it express more than off-dry sweetness, but kept it fresh and framed the fruit well. A good, but not great, bottle that suffers more from excessive expectations than any fault of its own.
1997 Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon-Beaulieu Les Rouannieres - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon-Beaulieu
A wonderful dessert all by itself, with intensely sweet candied kumquats and hints of caramel dominating, but enough acid to keep it from being cloying. The burnished gold color concerned me at first, before I remembered that color is often a poor indicator of maturity with a wine this sweet.
1996 Chateau Bellerive Quarts de Chaume - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume
Very nice, but it suffered from appearing after the much sweeter Pierre-Bise as it showed much less sugar than I expected. I enjoyed the elegance, and would like to try it again under different circumstances.
1997 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
I sometimes feel like an evangelist of the Cult of the Aged Muscadet, but bottles like this make the conversion process almost trivially simple. Maturity has changed the pale straw color of its youth into light gold, but it remains playfully young on the nose, showing classic saline minerality that screams of the sea. It shows more of its age once I take a sip. The core of wet gravel remains, but now a layer of preserved lemon, accented by hints of honey, joins the game and reflects its graceful evolution. It is showing well now, but I'm in no hurry to drink my remaining bottles.
Another example that Muscadet from great producers doesn't just last, it ages. Not bad for a bottle that still carried its $9.99 sticker, but a little bittersweet when I think about other whites in my cellar of equivalent age that cost many times more and have long since given up the ghost.
1989 Denis Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau
Twenty-three years ago, M. Denis created a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce, that may be as immortal as his reputation should be. The contradictions begin as I pour the first glass. Almost totally colorless, without even a hint of yellow or gold, the appearance gives no hint that this bottle has exceeded the legal drinking age in all 50 states.
The aromas are as fresh as the color, starting with an intoxicating perfume of spring flowers and just-sliced fennel. The delicate floral notes soon intensify into pure, rich honeysuckle, more evocative than any madeleine. More air brings further transformation, as the flowers inevitably fade toward the background, while a wet stonyness that reminds me of the granite banks of a mountain stream, and more familiar Chenin notes of lanolin step forward.
The first sips are shocking, as the ethereal aromas didn't prepare me for the rich texture and earthy flavors. In time, my brain somehow learns to accept the contradiction, probably distracted by the complexity and soothed by the purity and length.
I brought this to the tasting at the request of another attendee,a local merchant who has blessed Atlanta and cursed my wallet with a shop full of LDM treasures, who had heard tales of this wine. It can be hard to meet our heroes, but in this case, the reality may have surpassed the myth. I just wish I had more of it, so I could follow its evolution through my lifetime and leave enough for the next generation to do the same for theirs.
1996 Huët Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Gold tints the straw color, it smells like apple pie with just a hint of spice and honey, followed by strong chalk and other minerals as it warms up and breathes a little. The rich fruit wraps around a refreshing acidic core with terrific complexity, agility, and length. Very good, but with room to improve as the fruit, acid and minerals should integrate more with time.
1996 Nicolas Joly Savennières Becherelle - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, as it was leaner and finer than I expected. It first showed a hint of fresh fish and saline, which isn't remotely unpleasant, then chalk emerges and honey fleshes it out. Very well balanced, mineral and crisp, it should evolve gracefully for years to come.
2007 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant
I've had a number of Coulee de Serrants, but none younger than the 1997 before this one. I was completely unprepared for what appeared. Dark gold color, bordering on orange, I never expected the darkest white to be the youngest. The nose suggested a sweet wine, with honey, burnt sugar and some oxidation. The flavors are more of apple cider without the sweetness or sufficient acidity, with the 15+% alcohol expressed as richness but without too much heat.
A complete freak show of a Savennieres, the vinous equivalent of a monkey riding a unicycle juggling echidnas, I'm not sure I enjoyed it, but it was certainly an experience. Will it age? Who knows, but I suspect it will only become more deranged.
1998 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Cot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Glowing deep purple color, like the result of a clandestine tryst between a sapphire and an amethyst, perfectly ripe plums explode from the glass, with hints of dried wild herbs adding nuance. A little burnt sugar comes in on the palate, perhaps the only sign of its age. After a while, the dried herbs return to life as flowers, and it seems even fresher. The purity of the 1994 version changed the way I look at wine. This bottle takes me back to that moment of revelation, and I sit and quietly admire the expression of pure, fresh fruit that has changed very little after 14 years, and shows no sign of fading.
1997 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny "Clos" - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Wow. Just . . . wow. The previous wine was a monument to pure fruit, this was an even more impressive monument to wine's ability to express fruit with flavors and aromas having nothing to do with fruit. The first sign that we were sharing something special was the wave of silence that followed the bottle around the table, in a couple of cases cutting speakers off mid-sentence.
Waves of leather and herbs soar from the glass, and it takes me a few minutes before I can tear myself away and take a sip. It is totally seamless and constantly changing, flashing different expressions of non-fruit elements like an annoyed octopus. A touch of bell pepper, as it does in New Orleans trinity, brings complexity without overwhelming the other elements, then olives and smoke pop in.
I find myself swirling constantly, frequently lifting the glass to inhale another breath of this intoxicating perfume. Words just can't do justice to the experience this wine provided.
After a long stretch of silence punctuated by exclamations of the next glorious non-fruit flavor or aroma to appear, we raised our glasses to toast the memory of Joe Dressner, who was responsible for so many of the wines we enjoyed, and especially for this almost perfect experience.
2002 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord) Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
White melon and flowers are quickly joined by mineral notes, suggesting a light elegant wine. The first sip shows that I misunderstood the suggestion, as it was much richer than I expected, but still nimble as the acidity balances out the richness and off-dry sweetness. Very enjoyable, and a nice lead in to the dessert wines.
1971 Huët Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
I'm always excited when I see 1971 Huëts, and at first sniff this was no exception, as roasted apricot and spice beguile the nose, but it lacked sweetness and complexity. With more air, it started to fill in and round out and got much more interesting. The acidity never let it express more than off-dry sweetness, but kept it fresh and framed the fruit well. A good, but not great, bottle that suffers more from excessive expectations than any fault of its own.
1997 Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon-Beaulieu Les Rouannieres - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon-Beaulieu
A wonderful dessert all by itself, with intensely sweet candied kumquats and hints of caramel dominating, but enough acid to keep it from being cloying. The burnished gold color concerned me at first, before I remembered that color is often a poor indicator of maturity with a wine this sweet.
1996 Chateau Bellerive Quarts de Chaume - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume
Very nice, but it suffered from appearing after the much sweeter Pierre-Bise as it showed much less sugar than I expected. I enjoyed the elegance, and would like to try it again under different circumstances.
