Terroir-istes International - France, Loire Whites

A cursory Look at Loire White wines from across the regions with styles from bone dry to sweet. All served Blind

• 2014 Marc Brédif Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie 88 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie

  (Tasted Blind): A light lemon colour with aromas of lemon rind, lime blossom, and subtle herbal notes. Delicate yet intense with apple-edged crispy malic acidity. Some creaminess from the evidence of fresh lees suggests Muscadet, whilst the wine is linear with a mineral stream and slightly steely frame. I loved its vibrancy, and it closed with a touch of sea salt. Great for seafood!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-yellow/straw colour, the nose offers honey, almond paste, frangipane and spring flowers. The entry feels off-dry with a pronounced edgy acidity that balances nicely. Flavours of white lilies, flowers, wet stones and warmed oranges suggest an older Sauvignon Blanc, especially given its edgier texture. More pronounced on the mid-palate, it seems to embody Sancerre's fresh, crisp style, although the note of RS is slightly detracting. It finishes with some terpenes and a sweaty note.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Catherine et Pierre Breton Vouvray La Dilettante 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  (Tasted Blind): A mid to deep yellow-gold colour with intriguing aromas of wet soil, rooibos honey, almond paste, citrus and golden apple. A slightly evolved character mingles with a botrytis (noble late) character, opening further to reveal white button mushrooms, honeycomb, and wet concrete.
  This wine is richer and broader on the palate, with a touch of residual sweetness. It has a fatter, denser, and thicker texture yet is complemented by a strident, green apple-malic acidity that crescendos out of the glass towards the finish. Flavours fill the mid-palate with wet dog, peanut brittle, barley sugar, bruised apple and creme fraiche.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 de Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé Baron de L 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  (Tasted Blind) : A mid-lemon to light yellow colour with notable aromas of boxwood, gooseberry, and a herbal lift - very classic SBlanc.
  The wine shows well-balanced crisp to tart acidity with plenty of fruit flavours. Edgy, flinty texture with expressive notes of freshly cut Galia melon, English gooseberry and grapefruit. A fairly down-the-line traditional Sancerre.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 de Ladoucette Sancerre Comte Lafond 88 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-lemon colour towards a light gold-green edge. The nose exhibits minerals, flint, washed stones, a hint of gooseberry, and boxwood. Certainly tighter and more mineral-edged on entry and a little shy, the wine has a cutting, shrill bracing acidity with a very linear, focussed shape. Plenty of green herb notes and mineral gun smoke, lemon peel, and nettle are present. However, it lacks flesh and feels unforgiving and rather anorexic in stature. Also, it closes with a slightly evolved component of smoke, ash and asparagus. 2014 was considered a lesser vintage compared to the 2015.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Domaine Châtelain Pouilly-Fumé 86 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  (Tasted Blind): Light gold with a greenish edge showing some development on the nose with creme fraiche, honey, rooibos, and tarragon.
  The palate is richer and fatter, clearly ripe but starting to lose fruit, showing smoke and some asparagus tones and thus taking away some of its shine.
  22 ha in Pouilly-Fume; 25 yr old vines planted in chalky clay, silex and Kimmeridgian marls. St/Steel ferment at 16-18°C. TA 3.9 g/l, pH 3.30, RS 0.49 g/l.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 de Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé Baron de L 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

  (Tasted Blind): Tertiary elements with deep, riper fruits but also showing asparagus. The palate is rich with excellent concentration (older vines?), real purpose, and is relatively complex. Round with impressive length and depth of flavour, this is a smart wine that is starting to lose its fruit and needs drinking. Closes with sweaty notes, asparagus, cat's pee and empty apple bin where rot lurks.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Nicolas Joly Savennières Roche aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières Roche aux Moines

  (Tasted Blind): A light gold colour with intriguing aromas of smoke, savoury and struck-match, accompanying bruised apple and floral elements.
  The entry shows more bruised fruit, suggesting premature development or oxidative handling. However, there is a notable presence of fresher fruit alongside raspberry, brioche, wet wool and rooibos honey.
  With some depth and concentration, there is a fluidity to the mid-palate and a finish that lingers. I did feel as it opened further, it was a little flat, it lacked acidity, and the initial bruised apple dulled it, yet it was still enjoyable. Hard to score: 87-90

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant 92 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant

  (Tasted Blind): A light gold colour with intriguing notes of mint, white flowers, pressed flowers, dried white lilies, and hints of parkin cake. There is a hint of ginger ale.
  A bracing acidity and spritz on entry counteracted by a palate-coating rooibos honey texture and enhanced by fresh apple, wet wool, wet dog, quince jelly, pineapple beer and thyme. Lovely depth and concentration with complex notes that lead to a soft and fluid m,id-palate and a persistent finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Nicolas Joly Savennières Les Clos Sacrés (Les Vieux Clos) 85 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-lemon colour with light gold rim. The aroma brings to mind scrumpy cider, bruised apples, with hints of floral notes and white mint chocolate in the background.
  The entry shows a distinct acidity that is lean and intense, leaving a searing impression. It exhibits flavours of parkin, mineral, wood smoke, earth, pear, Canteloup melon and baked apple with some lactone notes, reminiscent of creme fraiche (MLF perhaps?) Whilst it presents a complex profile with a strong apple-like malic character, typical of the Savennieres style, it lacks a little life and a slightly burning sensation on the back palate. Possibly a poor bottle?

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 89 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

  (Tasted Blind): A deep golden colour showing notes of almond paste, marzipan, creme brulee, dried pineapple, spice, candied lemon and dried flowers.
  Densely concentrated on entry with vibrant acidity and noticeable RS (60-80g/L?) that flows nicely across the palate. Clear with some age, the wine shows flavours of dried flowers, burnt sugar, creme caramel, demerara rum, wet wool and spice—a good wine without reaching the heights.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1987 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

  (Tasted Blind): Deep gold, the nose is intriguing with almond paste, fungi, button mushroom, marmite and twiglets. Complex.
  The entry is a rich, fluid, sweet mouthfeel with a sticky sensation on the back palate.
  There is some crisp acidity, but the wine is heavy and slightly clumsy. Notes of brown sugar and fungi mix with a savoury marmite to some roasted nuts, but the RS is higher more towards Bonnezeaux than Coteau du Layon. However, it revealed more layers and concentration in glass, improving its score.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue