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Champalou
Catherine Champalou was busy when I arrived at her family home, conducting business on the telephone in a room that looked like a cross between an office and a kitchen. I was, of course, far too polite to listen in, so I can only imagine what the conversation pertained to. Quite possibly she was talking to some level-headed wine merchant eager to get their hands on some of Didier and Catherine Champalou's Vouvray from either the 2002 or 2003 vintage, both successful years for the region.
With
her business done, Catherine escorted me to her tasting area, in a building
across the courtyard from the house. Although of very sympathetic construction
this building looks to be a very recent addition to the Champalou estate, and
inside this suspicion is confirmed. A smart tasting area sits in the corner of
the room, and a new wooden staircase leads down to the barrel cellar. Catherine
is a consummate businesswoman and vigneron, too ready to converse in English but
I insisted we continue in French - probably to my detriment. I had recently made
her acquaintance in London and this was our second meeting, so perhaps by now she was getting
used to my comparatively infantile knowledge of her language. Perhaps she was
also getting used to me mistakenly referring to her husband Didier as Christophe,
an error about which a Freudian analyst would have plenty to say I'm sure!
The aim of my visit which was to see for myself the place where one of Vouvray's leading winemakers casts her spells. Didier and Catherine Champalou are both descended from vignerons, and had both graduated from the agricultural college at Montreuil-Bellay. They obviously had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve, and went on to establish their domaine in Vouvray in 1984. Within a few years, helped by some great vintages at the end of the 1980s, they were producing some of Vouvray's most stunning wines, and today they rank among the top vignerons of the town, together with Huet and Domaine des Aubuisières. Didier's main concern is the vineyards, whereas Catherine looks after fermentation and other activities in the cellar.
The range of wines here includes a non-vintage Vouvray Mousseaux,
sparkling Chenin which rivals the best sparkling Vouvrays for those that enjoy
that sort of thing. The cuvées of Vouvray begin with a standard Vouvray Sec,
but this is eclipsed by the Vouvray Les Fondraux, a wine made from Chenin
grown
on clay-flint soils and aged in old casks. This in turn takes second
place, in my personal opinion, to Vouvray Clos du Portail, made from the
Chenin that grows in the small walled vineyard directly adjacent to the
Champalou home. There are two fabulous cuvées of sweet wine available from
Champalou, starting with the straight Vouvray Moelleuse, a wonderful
example of sweet Chenin made from botrytised grapes, with fresh and vivacious
acidity. The crowning glory is the Vouvray Trie de Vendange, sometimes also referred to as Cuvée
Catherine or Cuvée CC; this is made from carefully selected
botrytised grapes harvested on sequential passes (tries) through the
vineyards, and is available in small quantities, typically in 50cl bottles. The
last two wines can be easily confused, as both have a bold CC on the label; look
for the Trie de Vendange designation to tell them apart.
(19/8/04)
Contact details:
Address: Le Portail, 37210 Vouvray
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 47 52 64 49
Fax: +33 (0) 2 47 52 67 99
Champalou - Tasting Notes
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Champalou Vouvray Les Fondraux 2003: Rounded minerally fruit with a
touch of honey again here, but showing much more structure on a nicely rounded
palate here. Clean, some sweetness, minerally like the nose. A touch more
concentration. Good. 15+/20 (May 2004)
Champalou Vouvray 2002: A very expressive, stylish nose, of minerals
with a touch of honey. Clean mineral and chalk character on the palate. Rounds
out in the mouth, with a honey streak like the nose. Balanced. Good. 15+/20 (May 2004)
Champalou Vouvray Clos du Portail 2002: Wonderful, aromatic, mineral, plump pineapple and dried fruit nose. Classic
Chenin with a stony edge, and suggesting a little more richness on the nose than
previously. Beautiful palate, with fresh yet weighty mineral fruit. This has
real grip and verve, and displays superb balance that causes the wine to simply
glide across the palate. Continues to open out, building weight and flavour,
before a pepper-laden finish. Quite some length too. Fantastic wine, which may
yet develop further. From a
Loire Extravaganza tasting. 17+/20 (July 2005)
Champalou Vouvray Clos du Portail 2002: A special cuvée made from the
vines around the Champalou home, and Catherine informs me sold only from the
domaine (although I have seen it listed by one UK merchant). Potent, mineral,
aromatic nose. Lovely balance and elegance on the palate with fresh flavour,
almost smoky minerals and vibrancy. This is one of the greatest dry Vouvrays I
have tasted from Champalou. 17+/20 (June 2004)
Champalou Vouvray Cuvée Mouelleuse 2002:
Pale hue. Water-light nose, floral and suggestive of delicate sweetness. Sweet,
weighty, balanced palate, showing fresh, floral, slightly minty white fruit.
Full structure, with fine acidity and a little grip. This is pleasant now, but
brimming with potential for the future. My score reflects hope of development
rather than current pleasure - this needs ten years minimum. From a
Loire Extravaganza
tasting. 18+/20 (July 2005)
Champalou Vouvray Cuvée Moelleuse 2002: My second tasting of this
cuvée in just a few weeks. As before, fresh nose. Elegance and freshness on the
palate, balanced sweetness. Finesse rather than power from this vintage.
Excellence indeed. 18+/20 (June 2004)
Champalou Vouvray Cuvée Moelleuse 2002: A restrained nose, with floral
and acacia notes. A fabulous palate; elegant, with wonderful texture and
superbly balanced acidity. Pure, minerally, a lick of fruit and a sweet honeyed
streak. Shows real class. This is brilliant. 18+/20 (May 2004)
Champalou Vouvray Cuvée Moelleuse 1996: A pale hue, as I noted with my
last tasting, over two years ago. The nose offers some fairly classic aromas, of
quince and honey, offset by a firm, mineral, chalky character not noted with my
last bottle. Fine presence on the palate, moderately sweet, demonstrating a
light, ethereal character with some pleasingly fresh acidity. Nicely balanced,
and with a good length. At first it appears as though this wine has changed
little, but with some air it does begin to show a very welcome caramel and
toffee character, and develops a real melting, buttery, creaminess on the
endpalate. It's subtle, though. But with a few more years, and then a few more,
this could be truly great. 17.5+/20 (April 2006)
Champalou Vouvray Cuvée Moelleuse 1996: A moderate, lemon-gold colour
offers no clue to the delights that await. A fresh, vibrant nose gives some
suggestion, with its aromas of honey, quince, herbs and tea. The same on the
palate, which is full of life. Deliciously fresh and exciting, with some
richness, and delightful balance. Fantastic acidity, with a green apple and
quince character, which underpins the developing honeyed mouthfeel. Brilliant.
This was a perfect match for some Stilton from the Cropwell Bishop Creamery.
18+/20 (August 2003)
Label
Champalou Vouvray
Moelleux 1990: A pale hue. Attractive, fresh lemony
acidity on the nose. An abundance of sweet dessert fruit
on the palate, with fantastic acidity. Beautifully fresh
wine, with more good fruit on the finish. From a
1990 vintage ten year on
blind tasting. 18/20 (August 2000)
Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.
Champalou Vouvray Brut NV: Current release. A pale wine, with a lovely green and grassy
nose. Very fresh, delicate green flavours on the palate, with appealing
petillance. Clean, leafy. A good example of this style. 14.5+/20 (May
2004)
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