Loire Valley Wines Trade Tasting

One Leidesdorff Building, San Francisco, California
Tasted Monday, September 26, 2011 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 1,345 views

Introduction

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I'm a big fan of wines from the Loire. Great Muscadets, Savennieres, Chinons and Vouvrays are amongst the most minerally and food friendly wines from anywhere. The breadth of wine types is enormous in the Loire--from sparkling wines made from Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and occasionally other grapes; to very dry, oyster-friendly Muscadet; to dry and minerally Savennieres and Sancerre, to off-dry Chenin Blanc, to dry Cabernet Franc (mainly) based reds; to fabulous sweet wines. There are also lots of great values available there. Because of the range of wines available from the Loire, one could easily do an all-Loire themed holiday dinner--complete with sparkling Chenin Blanc, dry whites, savory reds and luscious sweet wines. Hmm, maybe that's what I'll do this year.

At this trade tasting I got to try 77 wines from 45 producers, including many that were new to me. Those responsible for wines I rated 91 points or higher were Domaine des Baumard (always a favorite), Cave de Saumur, Domaine Jean Vincent, Vignobles Laffourcade, Château de Montfort, Patient Cottat, Château de la Ragotière and Vincent Vatan. My favorite wines and best recommendations from this tasting, wines that I rated 91+ points or higher, were:

Dry Whites
2008 Domaine des Baumard Savennières - 92 points
2008 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon - 92+ points
2010 Domaine Jean Vincent Sancerre - 92+ points
2008 Vignobles Laffourcade Savennières - 91+ points
2009 Patient Cottat Sancerre Vieilles Vignes - 91+ points
2009 Vincent Vatan Pouilly-Fumé - 91+ points

Sweets
2004 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume - 92+ points

The best of the sparkling wines at this event for me were:
N.V. Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire Carte Turquoise - 90 points
2009 Gratien & Meyer Saumur Brut Millésimé - 89 points

The best of the Muscadets were:
2010 Château de la Cantrie Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine - 90 points
2009 Château de L'Oiseliniere Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie l'Oiseau d'Or - 90+ points
2009 Château de la Ragotière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine - 91 points

The best of the reds were:
2009 Cave de Saumur Saumur Les Pouches - 90 points
2010 Cave de Saumur Saumur Lieu-Dit Les Epinats - 91 points
2010 Cave des Vins de Sancerre Sancerre Les Chataigniers - 90 points
2008 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Echo - 90 points

For my complete tasting notes, and more details about a few of the standout producers, see below.

Flight 1 - Alpha Loire (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Alphonse Mellot (1 Note)

Flight 3 - Andre Vatan (1 Note)

Flight 4 - Béatrice et Pascal Lambert (1 Note)

Flight 5 - Baumard (4 Notes)

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The greatest producer represented in this tasting, and one of the leading estates of the Loire, is Domaine des Baumard.

  • NV Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire Carte Turquoise 90 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Crémant de Loire

    Very light yellow color; savory, light white pepper nose; tasty, white pepper, savory, very tart apple palate; medium finish (80% Chenin Blanc, 20% Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay)

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  • 2008 Domaine des Baumard Savennières 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

    Light yellow color; intense, intriguing, lightly oily textured, poached pear, white pepper nose; very tasty, savory, white pepper, tart pear, chalk, mineral palate; medium-plus finish

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  • 2008 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

    Light yellow color; nice, lightly savory, tart apple, mineral nose; light oily textured, tart apple, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points

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  • 2004 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru

    Light green-tinged yellow color; lovely, tart pear, light apricot nose; tasty, juicy, tart apricot, tart green fruit, mineral, tart apple palate, lighter bodied than usual though; long finish 92+ points

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Flight 6 - Beauséjour (1 Note)

  • 2009 Domaine Beausejour Chinon 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

    Dark ruby color; intense, tart currant, light smoke nose; tight, tart currant, mineral palate; medium finish

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Flight 7 - Brisebarre (1 Note)

Flight 8 - Cantrie (1 Note)

Flight 9 - Cave de Saumur (4 Notes)

Flight 10 - Cave des Vins de Sancerre (2 Notes)

Flight 11 - Chanson Ludovic (1 Note)

Flight 12 - Cherrier (1 Note)

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Flight 13 - Clos de Nouys (2 Notes)

  • NV Clos de Nouys Vouvray Brut 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Light lemon yellow color with few bubbles; stony, light white pepper nose; tasty, savory, white pepper, tart citrus palate; medium finish (good for food pairings)

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  • 2009 Clos de Nouys Vouvray Demi-Sec 89 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Light yellow color; tart apple, poached pear nose; tasty, tart apple, poached pear, light white pepper palate; medium-plus finish

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Flight 14 - Confrérie des Vignerons Oisly & Thésée (1 Note)

Flight 15 - Cordaillat (1 Note)

  • 2009 Domaine Cordaillat Reuilly 89 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly

    Very light yellow color; focused, intense, tart green fruit, tart citrus nose; tasty, fresh, tart citrus, lime, mineral palate; medium finish

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Flight 16 - Couly-Dutheil (5 Notes)

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Flight 17 - Georges Brunet (1 Note)

Flight 18 - Gratien & Meyer (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Gratien & Meyer Saumur Brut 87 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur

    Light yellow color with few bubbles; tart apple, straw nose; tasty, tart citrus, tart apple, chalk palate; medium finish 87+ points (70% Chenin Blanc, 17% Cabernet Franc, 13% Chardonnay)

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  • 2009 Gratien & Meyer Saumur Brut Rosé Millésimé 89 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur

    Light orange pink color with few bubbles; very light strawberry, chalk nose; nice, tart Cabernet Franc, tart currant, mineral palate with good acidity; medium finish (75% Cabernet Franc, 25% Grolleau)

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Flight 19 - Guy Saget (3 Notes)

Flight 20 - Henri Bourgeois (1 Note)

Flight 21 - Jarnoterie (2 Notes)

Flight 22 - Jean Vincent (1 Note)

  • 2010 Domaine Jean Vincent Sancerre 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

    Very light yellow color; lovely, lifted, tart grapefruit, mineral, lime nose; tasty, tart grapefruit, mineral, lime palate with lift and character; medium-plus finish 92+ points

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Flight 23 - Jean-Paul Picard (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Jean-Paul Picard Sancerre 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

    Pale yellow color; tart grapefruit nose; tangy, tart grapefruit, mineral palate; medium finish

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  • 2009 Jean-Paul Picard Sancerre Rouge 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

    Light-medium red color with pale meniscus; light tart currant, very tart cherry nose; tasty, tart cherry, mineral palate with good acidity; medium finish

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Flight 24 - Laffourcade (3 Notes)

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Flight 25 - Langlois-Château (3 Notes)

Flight 26 - L'Oiseliniere (1 Note)

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Flight 27 - Marc Galbrun (1 Note)

Flight 28 - Montfort (1 Note)

  • 2009 Château de Montfort Vouvray 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Very light yellow color; tart apple, mineral nose; tasty, tart apple, mineral palate, very balanced; medium-plus finish

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Flight 29 - Moutonniere (1 Note)

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Flight 30 - Musset-Roullier (1 Note)

Flight 31 - Patient Cottat (2 Notes)

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Flight 32 - Pichot (1 Note)

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Flight 33 - Pierre Chainier (2 Notes)

Flight 34 - Ragotière (1 Note)

Flight 35 - Remy Pannier (5 Notes)

Flight 36 - Riffault (1 Note)

Flight 37 - Roc de Chateauvieux (1 Note)

Flight 38 - Roche (1 Note)

Flight 39 - Sauvion (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Sauvion et Fils Vouvray 87 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Light yellow color; reticent, light white pepper nose; tasty, light-medium bodied, tart pear, white pepper palate; medium finish 87+ points

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  • 2010 Sauvion Rosé d'Anjou 85 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Rosé d'Anjou

    Light orange pink color; light tart currant nose; tart currant palate; short-medium finish (70% Grolleau, 30% Gamay)

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  • 2009 Sauvion Sancerre 87 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

    Light yellow color; light tart grapefruit nose; savory, tart grapefruit, mineral palate; medium finish

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Flight 40 - Tarcière (1 Note)

Flight 41 - Tremblay (1 Note)

  • 2009 Domaine du Tremblay Quincy 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Quincy

    Light yellow color; tart grapefruit, tart gooseberry nose; tart grapefruit, tart gooseberry palate; medium finish 88+ points

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Flight 42 - Vignerons de la Noëlle (1 Note)

Flight 43 - Vignerons des Coteaux Romanais (1 Note)

Flight 44 - Vincent Delaporte (1 Note)

  • 2010 Domaine Delaporte Sancerre 90 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

    Very light yellow color; focused, tart citrus, grapefruit nose; tight, tart grapefruit, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points

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Flight 45 - Vincent Vatan (1 Note)

  • 2009 Vincent Vatan Pouilly-Fumé 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

    Light yellow color; tart white fruit, white flower nose; tasty, poised, tart citrus, mineral, chalk palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points

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