France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Medium ruby color and saturation. Delicate, fragrant nose of pine and flowers. Unfortunately, the palate does not live up to the nose-light weight Cabernet France fruit with a simple cherry quality. Dilute and unfocused. Oh well, the name of the domain made it worthwhile to taste this one.
Again, medium ruby but limpid. Licorice and oregano scream Loire origin. Slightly bigger and lusher than the Troglodytes. Black fruit with some graphit and gripping tannins, but this too lacks acidity. Very different style and weight compared to the excellent '05, but not nearly as good.
Darkest, deepest color of the flight. Ripe, some wood, and perhaps some brett as well-this does not immediately call the Loire to mind (despite its name). Bigger and rounder than the 2 preceding wines, woody base, and an initial burst of sweetness, but low acid and rather anonymous. This really reminds me of New World Cabernet Franc, not a compliment in my book.
Lighter and definitely more mature looking with some browning at the rim. Remarkable ripe, berry like fruit with burnt sugar and a trace of VA. Unctuous for the varietal with confit of fruit and scorched earth. Some faint herbal notes. Easygoing, ripe tannins, good length, and tongue coating licorice at the end. This big boy did improve, but overall, it must be one of the ripest and least lively wines I've ever tasted from the region, and it is more notable for its size than anything else.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Pale with tawny edge, by far the most advanced color of all of the wines. High toned dill aromas. Light weight and the leanest and greenest of the bunch-hard to ferret out any remaining fruit here. Not bad is the best I can say, but getting beyond its enjoyable life span. This is the type of red wine that gives the Loire a bad reputation since it never crossed the finish line of achieving adequate ripeness. New World palates will run, screaming, in the opposite direction, but truthfully, no matter what your orientation is, this is a pretty poor effort from a domain with such a cult-like reputation.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Slightly less intensely tinted than the '03 Joguet. Candied, caramelized, red fruit-extremely unusual nose for Cabernet Franc, but attractive. Excellent fruit here with some subtle herbs that emerge. Beautiful texture and to wit, unlike the Joguet, this has some real underlying spine and acidic snap. This wears the extra ripeness of the vintage very well while managing to retain its shape and varietal characteristics. Delicious, long, and my favorite wine by a good margin.
Almost as pale as the '01 Rougeard. More backward aromatics but complex oregano and a surprising roasted note emerge. Typical weight but much more complete and filled out than the '01 Rougeard. Elegant and enough ripeness to keep it from seeming overwhelmingly green. Drink soon.
2007 Château de la Bonneliere Saumur-Champigny Domaine des Hautes Troglodytes
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Medium ruby color and saturation. Delicate, fragrant nose of pine and flowers. Unfortunately, the palate does not live up to the nose-light weight Cabernet France fruit with a simple cherry quality. Dilute and unfocused. Oh well, the name of the domain made it worthwhile to taste this one.
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2007 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Again, medium ruby but limpid. Licorice and oregano scream Loire origin. Slightly bigger and lusher than the Troglodytes. Black fruit with some graphit and gripping tannins, but this too lacks acidity. Very different style and weight compared to the excellent '05, but not nearly as good.
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2006 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Darkest, deepest color of the flight. Ripe, some wood, and perhaps some brett as well-this does not immediately call the Loire to mind (despite its name). Bigger and rounder than the 2 preceding wines, woody base, and an initial burst of sweetness, but low acid and rather anonymous. This really reminds me of New World Cabernet Franc, not a compliment in my book.
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2003 Charles Joguet Chinon Franc de Pied Les Varennes du Grand Clos
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Lighter and definitely more mature looking with some browning at the rim. Remarkable ripe, berry like fruit with burnt sugar and a trace of VA. Unctuous for the varietal with confit of fruit and scorched earth. Some faint herbal notes. Easygoing, ripe tannins, good length, and tongue coating licorice at the end. This big boy did improve, but overall, it must be one of the ripest and least lively wines I've ever tasted from the region, and it is more notable for its size than anything else.
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2001 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Pale with tawny edge, by far the most advanced color of all of the wines. High toned dill aromas. Light weight and the leanest and greenest of the bunch-hard to ferret out any remaining fruit here. Not bad is the best I can say, but getting beyond its enjoyable life span. This is the type of red wine that gives the Loire a bad reputation since it never crossed the finish line of achieving adequate ripeness. New World palates will run, screaming, in the opposite direction, but truthfully, no matter what your orientation is, this is a pretty poor effort from a domain with such a cult-like reputation.
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2003 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Slightly less intensely tinted than the '03 Joguet. Candied, caramelized, red fruit-extremely unusual nose for Cabernet Franc, but attractive. Excellent fruit here with some subtle herbs that emerge. Beautiful texture and to wit, unlike the Joguet, this has some real underlying spine and acidic snap. This wears the extra ripeness of the vintage very well while managing to retain its shape and varietal characteristics. Delicious, long, and my favorite wine by a good margin.
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1999 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chêne Vert
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Almost as pale as the '01 Rougeard. More backward aromatics but complex oregano and a surprising roasted note emerge. Typical weight but much more complete and filled out than the '01 Rougeard. Elegant and enough ripeness to keep it from seeming overwhelmingly green. Drink soon.
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