Mike Evans
Mike Evans
OLDER LOIRES - (9/30/2012)
Every few years, I subject one of my tasting groups to a tasting of older Loire wines. Most of them drink few wines from the region, but generally present at least the illusion of enthusiasm for tasting some different wines than those they are accustomed to. Between a couple of corked bottles and a few others that didn't show as well as I'd hoped, it wasn't perfect, but it still worked out pretty well.
2000 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
Light gold color and the honey and preserved lemon additions to the expected saline and mineral elements show right away that it isn't a baby any more. There is still enough fruit to balance the acidity, but it doesn't pop with the vibrancy of a recent bottle of the '97. A good, but not great example of an aged Muscadet, this bottle suggests that it might be time to start drinking these up.
1999 Thomas-Labaille Sancerre Chavignol Cuvee Buster Les Monts Damnés - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
A ray of sunshine on a dreary, rainy night, there is some gold color, but it still looks shiny and inviting. I can't help but smile as I pick up ripe Crenshaw-y melon, drizzled with just a hint of pale honey, a pleasant minerality and a little tartness keep the fruit from getting out of hand, and a kiss of honey lingers on the finish. It hasn't grown old, it just picked up some new ways to have fun, and I suspect it still has at least a few more delightful years left in it.
1997 Pierre-Bise Anjou Haute de la Garde - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou
A happy, slobbering golden retreiver of a Chenin, there is nothing subtle or elegant about this wine. It seems off-dry, and I don't remember it showing this much apparent residual sugar. It starts out a little cloying and tiresome, until some soursop flavors come out with air to create a pleasant contrast to the honeyed lanoline and hints of chalk that first dominated it. I wouldn't want to drink this frequently, but it isn't a bad change of pace.
1996 Domaine du Closel-Chateau des Vaults Savennières Cuvée Spéciale Clos du Papillon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
A little oxidized, but not excessively so, it is decent but not inspiring, in part from a little peppermint on the nose and pleasant acidity and minerality. Still, it hasn't aged gracefully, and fails to fulfill the promise of its youth. I don't think Kane was still at Garnet when I bought this, but I'm sure it's his fault that I did.
1996 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Fairly dark color, which as in this case, often means nothing with non-dry Chenin. It is sort of like a glass of rich, caramelized apples, but has enough acidity and minerality to keep it balanced, and still has plenty of life left in it.
1996 Denis Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau
Completely different from the Foreau in almost every way, starting with the pale gold color (though still showing more signs of age than the '89 sec tasted recently). Where the Foreau is rich and spicy, this is graceful and elegant, like honeysuckle nectar balanced by a spritz of fresh lemon. Most of the group preferred the more obvious charms of the Foreau, but I find the delicacy of the Denis far more seductive.
I had about 1/5th of the bottle left, and after almost 3 weeks in the fridge, it was still delicious. The wines may not last forever, but I can't foresee them going over the hill during my lifetime.
2000 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Cot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Corked, which seems to be disturbingly common with these wines. (NR/flawed)
1997 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Sénéchal - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Ripe blackberry fruit sits on a pleasing earthy/leathery foundation that keeps it from getting out of hand, while a touch of green pepper adds more complexity without being unpleasant. It is drinking well now, but I'm in no great hurry to finish my remaining bottles.
1996 Chateau de Targe Saumur-Champigny cuvée Ferry - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Not overtly bad, but totally uninspiring, it is marked by oak and a bit overripe. But its greatest flaw is the complete lack of tannic or acidic structure, creating a dilute middle since the fruit has nothing to support it.
1996 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Corked. (NR/flawed)
1996 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Black fruit accents tobacco, leather, and freshly turned black loam, it doesn't seem to have changed much in the last several years, but is lacking a little zing, making it merely enjoyable instead of exciting. I'm not sure whether it has passed its peak or if this was just an awkward bottle, but a recent '89 gives me hope that it is the latter.
1997 Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire Les Rayelles - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire
Dark color, but not at all fading, it punches you in the face with intense, sweet salted caramel, which is just kept in check by a solid core of acidity and a bit of dried tangerine peel that comes out with air. I think it was a little darker and not quite as nuanced as a recent Rouannieres, but was still very enjoyable.
1996 Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux
A little caramelly with a hint of apricot, it isn't quite as sweet as the Pierre-Bise, but it lacks the acidity and complexity it needs to keep it from crossing the line from rich into cloying. It isn't a bad wine, it's just kind of boring. I think it will hold at this uninspiring plateau for a good while yet, but doubt it will get more interesting.
Every few years, I subject one of my tasting groups to a tasting of older Loire wines. Most of them drink few wines from the region, but generally present at least the illusion of enthusiasm for tasting some different wines than those they are accustomed to. Between a couple of corked bottles and a few others that didn't show as well as I'd hoped, it wasn't perfect, but it still worked out pretty well.
2000 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
Light gold color and the honey and preserved lemon additions to the expected saline and mineral elements show right away that it isn't a baby any more. There is still enough fruit to balance the acidity, but it doesn't pop with the vibrancy of a recent bottle of the '97. A good, but not great example of an aged Muscadet, this bottle suggests that it might be time to start drinking these up.
1999 Thomas-Labaille Sancerre Chavignol Cuvee Buster Les Monts Damnés - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
A ray of sunshine on a dreary, rainy night, there is some gold color, but it still looks shiny and inviting. I can't help but smile as I pick up ripe Crenshaw-y melon, drizzled with just a hint of pale honey, a pleasant minerality and a little tartness keep the fruit from getting out of hand, and a kiss of honey lingers on the finish. It hasn't grown old, it just picked up some new ways to have fun, and I suspect it still has at least a few more delightful years left in it.
1997 Pierre-Bise Anjou Haute de la Garde - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou
A happy, slobbering golden retreiver of a Chenin, there is nothing subtle or elegant about this wine. It seems off-dry, and I don't remember it showing this much apparent residual sugar. It starts out a little cloying and tiresome, until some soursop flavors come out with air to create a pleasant contrast to the honeyed lanoline and hints of chalk that first dominated it. I wouldn't want to drink this frequently, but it isn't a bad change of pace.
1996 Domaine du Closel-Chateau des Vaults Savennières Cuvée Spéciale Clos du Papillon - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières
A little oxidized, but not excessively so, it is decent but not inspiring, in part from a little peppermint on the nose and pleasant acidity and minerality. Still, it hasn't aged gracefully, and fails to fulfill the promise of its youth. I don't think Kane was still at Garnet when I bought this, but I'm sure it's his fault that I did.
1996 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Fairly dark color, which as in this case, often means nothing with non-dry Chenin. It is sort of like a glass of rich, caramelized apples, but has enough acidity and minerality to keep it balanced, and still has plenty of life left in it.
1996 Denis Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau
Completely different from the Foreau in almost every way, starting with the pale gold color (though still showing more signs of age than the '89 sec tasted recently). Where the Foreau is rich and spicy, this is graceful and elegant, like honeysuckle nectar balanced by a spritz of fresh lemon. Most of the group preferred the more obvious charms of the Foreau, but I find the delicacy of the Denis far more seductive.
I had about 1/5th of the bottle left, and after almost 3 weeks in the fridge, it was still delicious. The wines may not last forever, but I can't foresee them going over the hill during my lifetime.
2000 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Cot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Corked, which seems to be disturbingly common with these wines. (NR/flawed)
1997 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Sénéchal - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Ripe blackberry fruit sits on a pleasing earthy/leathery foundation that keeps it from getting out of hand, while a touch of green pepper adds more complexity without being unpleasant. It is drinking well now, but I'm in no great hurry to finish my remaining bottles.
1996 Chateau de Targe Saumur-Champigny cuvée Ferry - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Not overtly bad, but totally uninspiring, it is marked by oak and a bit overripe. But its greatest flaw is the complete lack of tannic or acidic structure, creating a dilute middle since the fruit has nothing to support it.
1996 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Corked. (NR/flawed)
1996 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Black fruit accents tobacco, leather, and freshly turned black loam, it doesn't seem to have changed much in the last several years, but is lacking a little zing, making it merely enjoyable instead of exciting. I'm not sure whether it has passed its peak or if this was just an awkward bottle, but a recent '89 gives me hope that it is the latter.
1997 Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire Les Rayelles - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire
Dark color, but not at all fading, it punches you in the face with intense, sweet salted caramel, which is just kept in check by a solid core of acidity and a bit of dried tangerine peel that comes out with air. I think it was a little darker and not quite as nuanced as a recent Rouannieres, but was still very enjoyable.
1996 Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux
A little caramelly with a hint of apricot, it isn't quite as sweet as the Pierre-Bise, but it lacks the acidity and complexity it needs to keep it from crossing the line from rich into cloying. It isn't a bad wine, it's just kind of boring. I think it will hold at this uninspiring plateau for a good while yet, but doubt it will get more interesting.