5/28/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

First bottle of a case. Quite a stern wine at the moment, though the tannins are certainly softening. A remarkable value (£11 in 2010), and I think it would benefit from a while longer in the cellar. I don't drink much Loire cabernet sauvignon because the cabernet franc is so wonderful! But based on this showing I'm encouraged to continue to hold my other Anjou cabernet sauvignons (mainly Domaine de la Bergerie's Evanescence) a while yet. A serious wine of good quality.

5/23/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

This bottle was sound though the cork was in poor condition. As one comes to expect, really not much sweetness left after 34 years but great acidity which made it an excellent pairing with Montgomery's cheddar. Love these old moelleux wines.

5/15/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

This is wonderful wine. Powerful, heady aromatics rich with botrytis. Great balance, bitter oranges on the palate, long. Amazing.

5/14/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Still not loving this. Not much to add to my note of May 2018. Still holding up well but for me rather lacks charm at the back end.

5/14/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Light, fresh, stylish wine very much in its drinking window. I have always preferred the Valtellina Superiore to the Sfursat. Well made, and better on day 2.

4/5/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

drinking very nicely, and I should have bought more. Stone fruits on the nose. Dry with tongue-teasing acidity, but plenty of flavour. A refreshing glass on a hot spring day. €21 in 2018.

4/3/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

This was cloudy, especially towards the end of the 375ml bottle, and clearly flawed. Reasonably drinkable at first but we didn't finish it.

4/1/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Decent everyday Anjou, this one not for keeping I'd say. Light and fruit forward, some tannins in evidence but certainly not to the extent of requiring more time in the cellar. I think I'd like this more on a sunny summer lunchtime than an early spring evening. 13.5%

3/31/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Still at peak and delicious.

3/30/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Corked - no pleasure in this.

3/26/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Quite perfumed on the nose. Attractive balance of richness and acidity. Honeyed but dry, a palate-friendly style that particularly appeals to me. I don't think this will improve from here.

3/23/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

I'm not entirely sure what is wrong with this, but I think it is more than just a matter of taste. The tannins are bitter and very much in evidence, and the aftertaste is a little unpleasant. It's not over the hill, but unlike my last bottle which was stern but enjoyable this one is not tasting like a wine simply needing a few years to come round. Not rated.

3/16/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Light, soft, well made. Goes down very well. Good with lunch. Always pleased to find a decent wine that comes in at 12 percent. No rush.

2/25/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

My goodness there's a lot of flavour here. Rich and ripe but with those Chenin characteristics that so appeal to me. Long and with a lovely tongue-tingling aftertaste. Hoping this is not my last bottle...

2/24/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Sound cork, good colour. Appealing aromas of black fruits. On the palate, light-bodied, resolved, very moreish.

In a good place at the moment. Equally enjoyable on day 2. Unlikely to improve but no rush.

1/19/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Good colour, maturing at the rim. Plenty on the nose.

On the palate this is lovely. Silky on the tongue, light but rounded and quite long, tannins resolved, classic cabernet franc but I think it might well appeal to claret lovers too. Something to try out on friends.

This is fully mature and at its peak but with a good few years ahead of it at this level. I know the Bretons’ Bourgueils are more highly regarded, especially the Perrieres, and that may well be a correct assessment. But comparing a 2009 Beaumont with say a 2006 Perrieres (a lesser year), it’s hard not to feel that there is more pleasure to be had from the Beaumont, particularly at lunchtime.

While I’ve bottles of the 2009 Beaumont in my cellar I’ll continue to hold off on my more recent vintages of the Perrieres.

1/3/2020 - BeadyJay wrote:

Excellent and still improving - rounded and full but still with a lovely cut of acidity. Quite long. This really hits the mark for me.

12/31/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Much to be enjoyed here. This has benefited from being stored offsite and out of reach since purchase. The tannins are finally beginning to soften significantly, and for my palate it's now at the beginning of its drinking window, though it's still on the firm side and I think it will improve further if I can hold onto it a bit longer. For a humble Anjou-Villages Brissac it has proved to be a great buy. Definitely rounding out. 100% Cabernet Franc which elevates the nose.

12/29/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

After a disappointing Mi-Pente 2008 which hadn’t really come together (rare in my experience of Jacky Blot’s wines), this, a slightly lighter cuvee from a lighter year, was a real pleasure.
Surprisingly dark for the vintage. Delightful, heady aromatics. Lovely acidity. Tannins softened but still bringing good structure.
No rush at all, but I’m not sure that it will improve from here. So hard to resist so why wait?

12/29/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Not much on the nose. On the palate, this delivers firm acidity but rather less of the richness and roundness that one sees in better years. There’s a lovely nuttiness though that helps balance out the acidity. A different experience from the usual one, but this wine undoubtedly gives pleasure, if slightly at the austere end of the spectrum. No rush here.

11/26/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Light, tastes a little dilute. Some tannins still present. Many Loire cabernet franc wines coming in at 12.5% have a lot more body and presence than this. But it's not the lack of body that bothers me so much as the lack of interest. Perfectly drinkable but unexciting.

11/24/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

I have a fondness for these lighter wines from the Anjou-Saumur region. They are good young, but age surprisingly well. You're not going to get the fullness of a top Chinon at the peak of its drinking window, but that doesn't mean they don't have a place in the cellar. This is a good example. Unoaked, decent acidity, some firmness still. I don't see this declining any time soon.

11/24/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Similar to previous bottle on 8/18/2018, although I'm noticing the acidity rather more. It's not a major detraction, though I would hope it would round out a bit over the next year or so. Still a remarkable value.

11/12/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Jerome Billard’s unoaked cuvee from 2015 provides brilliant current drinking. Rich, full, honeyed but dry, plenty of refreshing acidity.
Extraordinary value once again from the Loire. Sadly, apart from the entry-level red these wines now seem to be hard to source in the UK.

11/1/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Drunk over two days. Mature but not over the hill. Correct but rather lacking in fruit, and so still rather severe despite being an unoaked wine. Not a lot of aromatic character, and while there is sufficient body there is not a lot of charm here. Could perhaps have used more acidity to give it lift and more tartness.
I’ve held off drinking these in the hope that they would give more pleasure with added maturity but, although I see the bottle is finished, I still find it difficult to love this wine.

10/28/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

First of 6. Good garnet colour, quite aromatic on the nose. There’s a nice acidity, engaging the salivary glands, and lifting the gentle tannins. The structure is well balanced by red fruits. Plenty of enjoyment here. Drinking well but no hurry.

10/16/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

all elegance, this wine. Drunk alongside the Taluau 2009 L'Insoumise, which on its own was very good but by comparison lacked a little finesse. Not a huge wine, one might even say understated, but classy and stylish. Unlike the Taluau there was none left for the next day. Should have bought more. At peak.

10/18/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Inevitably not as good as the 2006 Villeneuve Le Grand Clos we drank alongside it, but very decent nonetheless. Classic cab franc nose. The tannins are still quite present, and this is quite an oaky cuvee. For now there is plenty of fruit to carry the tannins and oak, and it was still drinking fine after two days under vacuvin, but I don't think I'd be holding this much longer.

10/18/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Still a pale hue. Hard to characterise the fruit element, pear seems closest but not quite right. Rich and full but fresh, a touch of oak. Quite big, quite long, plenty of acidity.
Very enjoyable.

9/28/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

I think I under-rated this last time around - it's really rather lovely. Less impact in my book than Huet's demi-secs, but it slips down a real treat. No rush to drink up, and I'm sorry not to have more than a few bottles left.

9/27/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Gravel over clay, matured for 12 months in old oak barrels. This has thrown a modest amount of fine sediment. Dark colour, still quite dense. Expressive cabernet franc nose. Drinking very well – lovely in fact. Rounded, balanced, quite structured with the tannins still in evidence though not obtrusive. Comes in at 13.5% abv and is certainly a serious wine with significant presence. For me this is likely to improve further.

9/9/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Light, clear, maturing colour. Initially, a rather subdued CF nose, with evidence of oak but not intrusively so. Over quite a short time, the aromatics develop and fill out to deliver a heady scented hit.
Lightish on the palate too, despite the oak. There is a touch of bitterness which may come from the oak and which I'd prefer to be more integrated, but that may well come with patience.
Surprised to see this comes in at 13.5% - I'd have thought it was 13% at most.
Drinking well, may yet improve a little and certainly no rush.

9/8/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

I can’t remember ever being disappointed by a wine from Chidaine. Despite the many concerns expressed about this vintage at Chidaine, today’s bottle was perfectly sound, with no sign of premature oxidation. I’ve been drinking some of these from the cellar in the light of the concerns of others and, while this is certainly ready to drink, from my experience so far I’ve not sensed any urgency.
A pale colour, lighter and less viscous than some of Chidaine wines, but flavoursome, and with plenty of minerality. Quite long.
I’m not getting much residual sugar despite this generally being more of a demi-sec cuvee (12 g/l in 2014). The 2009 Tuffeaux, for example, comes across as much sweeter and richer (Les Tuffeaux has 17 g/l in 2009, 14 in 2014).
This is very good wine, good body, rounded and with the classic chenin bitterness on the back of the tongue.

9/8/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Probably unfair to open this straight after drinking Francois Chidaine’s Le Bouchet 2014. Perfectly respectable chenin blanc, but in comparison to the Chidaine it comes across as dry, high in acidity, a little thin. Not finding it difficult to pass on a second glass.

9/2/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Much more so than the 2007, drunk in late July, this is a wine transformed by food. A rich nose, and a dark, brooding colour still, I was initially concerned that the high alcohol (14.5%) would make for an unbalanced wine, but over five hours it opened out and my fears were allayed. In keeping with the vintage this is a full, weighty wine, surprisingly so for what might be regarded as a lesser cuvee and for a wine vinified in stainless steel.

A wine of considerable substance, I think it is likely to improve further and is likely to hold for 10-20 years or so yet. At present it lacks the charm of the 2007 but arguably makes up for that in power, presence and potential.

9/1/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

I like this a lot.

Probably not optimally stored. The top of the cork was wet and discoloured but happily this has not affected the wine which is sound.

Lively, vibrant invigorating nose. Spicy, powerful on the palate – a big, energetic, exciting wine.

Still plenty of acidity there to balance the residual sugar. May well improve from here.

9/1/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Colour has darkened, some richness on the nose, full but not especially sweet, with a touch of bitterness on the palate.

This is still in good shape within the diminished expectations of the vintage so far as dessert wines are concerned. Not going to improve and may have been better a few years ago.

8/30/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Nigel Wilkinson for running wine dinners at RSJ restaurant in London (sadly now closed) over many years, and also to Jim Budd who introduced many of the dinners. RSJ specialised in Loire wines and Nigel would invite producers to present their wines and also raid his own cellar to provide mature bottles, both white and red, for the dinners.

My own wines are now coming into full maturity and though they were modestly priced when I bought them they are now hard to find in the marketplace, since remaining bottles tend to be owned by geeks like me.

For my taste, this is at its peak, though I’m sure it will hold for many years, and it is lovely. I find the wines from these lesser years very beguiling. It’s a myth that you should stick to good years only, although in lesser years I think you do well to stick to the better producers.

A mature cab franc nose, with everything in order, On the palate it’s smooth, rounded and soft, very light reflecting the year, but with plenty going on in the mouth. Tannins are fully resolved and, with the lightness of the vintage, this is a gentle wine for which the word ethereal begins to feel appropriate. OK, it’s not Clos Rougeard, but it still gives a huge amount of pleasure. Perhaps because of the high acidity levels, these wines seem to keep well in my sub-optimal conditions. If you can, it’s worth laying some down for 15 years or so. 2014-18 were all good vintages for Loire cabernet franc, so there is young wine out there to be picked up.

8/10/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Drunk over four hours. 2006 was of course a difficult vintage across the Loire valley, but this wine is in a good place. Inviting, savoury nose. Despite this being the Bretons’ top wine, it has a somewhat lighter style this year, with the alcohol coming in at only 12 percent. Dark fruits and decent acidity. The tannins have softened but remain in evidence. Although lacking the concentration and intensity of the best Loire cabernet franc vintages, it was a lovely, gentle, satisfying wine which will I think still develop further and continue to improve a bit from here.

7/26/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Lovely. Lighter (being a lesser year), but still very distinctive, cab franc wine with lots of life left. I've not generally been a great fan of Couly-Dutheil wines, but this relatively modest bottling gives much pleasure. As ever with these wines there is great reward for patience.

7/26/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Clearly demi sec at 17 g/l. Really very good drinking, no rush.

5/1/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Not very much development since my note of two years ago. As before, much pleasure from the heady cab franc nose on opening. While the tannins are still very present, there is a richer feel to the palate now. Still early days, and better on day 3. Peak is at least 5 years away. Glad to have a good stock of these.

3/7/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Ready to go. Powerful but enticing aromas hinting at richness on the palate, which does not disappoint. I often regret not buying more, since one could have a yearning for a glass of this most days without any sense of fatigue. For the price, a stand-out wine.

3/4/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Drinking very well now, but no rush. It’s a balanced wine despite the very evident acidity which really engages the salivary glands. It has a certain fullness - not too sharp or dry, with plenty of fruit and no oak. A wine with presence despite being relatively light bodied and coming in at only 12.5 percent.

Still as good a day and a half later.

2/5/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Good value red dessert wine. Very enjoyable and still drinking very well. Feels like there is little point in drinking inferior ports when an option like this is available.

2/5/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

A lot of flavour here. Initial impressions are of minerality and acidity. While not rich or full as such it is a very mouth-filling experience. Very long, with a residual bitterness on the back of the tongue that is typical of good chenin. Very good.

1/29/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

Still in a very good place. Good depth and reasonably rich on the palate. For me, it outshone Chateau La Vieille Cure 2005 and Chateau Beaumont 2009.

1/21/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

We drank four wines from across the region over two nights: Clos de L’Echo 2005, Yannick Amirault’s Les Quartiers 2005 and Les Malgagnes 2008 and Clos Rougeard’s Le Clos 2006. They were decanted 3 hours ahead. On the first night, we ranked them in that order, with Clos Rougeard’s ethereal and gentle elegance trumping the greater weight of the other wines. There was debate as to whether it was a case of just the Clos de L’Echo falling short or more a case of two wines winning out and the other two lagging slightly. On the second night, while still drinking well it seemed that the Clos Rougeard had faded slightly despite its having been kept away from air (2006 is certainly a light year for this cuvee), whereas both of Amirault’s wines had blossomed. I still found that the Clos de L’Echo, while perfectly sound, was outgunned in this exalted company. While Clos Rougeard has moved out of my price range, I’m glad to have a good few bottles in my cellar from these and later years of Yannick Amirault’s terrific and affordable wines. Both the 2005s were still showing a fair amount of tannin and were perhaps still not quite ready. While the other two wines were absolutely good for drinking now, I would probably drink the Clos Rougeard in the next year or two while I think the Malgagnes will remain on its plateau for many years.

1/21/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

We drank four wines from across the region over two nights: Clos de L’Echo 2005, Yannick Amirault’s Les Quartiers 2005 and Les Malgagnes 2008 and Clos Rougeard’s Le Clos 2006. They were decanted 3 hours ahead. On the first night, we ranked them in that order, with Clos Rougeard’s ethereal and gentle elegance trumping the greater weight of the other wines. There was debate as to whether it was a case of just the Clos de L’Echo falling short or more a case of two wines winning out and the other two lagging slightly. On the second night, while still drinking well it seemed that the Clos Rougeard had faded slightly despite its having been kept away from air (2006 is certainly a light year for this cuvee), whereas both of Amirault’s wines had blossomed. I still found that the Clos de L’Echo, while perfectly sound, was outgunned in this exalted company. While Clos Rougeard has moved out of my price range, I’m glad to have a good few bottles in my cellar from these and later years of Yannick Amirault’s terrific and affordable wines. Both the 2005s were still showing a fair amount of tannin and were perhaps still not quite ready. While the other two wines were absolutely good for drinking now, I would probably drink the Clos Rougeard in the next year or two while I think the Malgagnes will remain on its plateau for many years.

1/21/2019 - BeadyJay wrote:

We drank four wines from across the region over two nights: Clos de L’Echo 2005, Yannick Amirault’s Les Quartiers 2005 and Les Malgagnes 2008 and Clos Rougeard’s Le Clos 2006. They were decanted 3 hours ahead. On the first night, we ranked them in that order, with Clos Rougeard’s ethereal and gentle elegance trumping the greater weight of the other wines. There was debate as to whether it was a case of just the Clos de L’Echo falling short or more a case of two wines winning out and the other two lagging slightly. On the second night, while still drinking well it seemed that the Clos Rougeard had faded slightly despite its having been kept away from air (2006 is certainly a light year for this cuvee), whereas both of Amirault’s wines had blossomed. I still found that the Clos de L’Echo, while perfectly sound, was outgunned in this exalted company. While Clos Rougeard has moved out of my price range, I’m glad to have a good few bottles in my cellar from these and later years of Yannick Amirault’s terrific and affordable wines. Both the 2005s were still showing a fair amount of tannin and were perhaps still not quite ready. While the other two wines were absolutely good for drinking now, I would probably drink the Clos Rougeard in the next year or two while I think the Malgagnes will remain on its plateau for many years.