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Vincent Ogereau

No account of the Coteaux du Layon, nor indeed of Anjou as a whole, would be complete without some mention of Vincent Ogereau. A graduate of the Lycée d'Agriculture in Beaufort, in Bordeaux, Ogereau is an intellectual vigneron, never afraid to experiment and innovate. His abilities do not end with the vine though. When he is not tending to his vineyards, or overseeing operations or a tasting in his cellars, he may be found demonstrating his talents as a talented tuba player; having graduated from the Angers Conservatoire, today he plays in the Saint-Lambert village band.

Vincent is a fourth generation vigneron, and he has charge over a family domaine which has grown from 12 to 24 hectares over the years. From his vineyards, which are predominantly schistous but also with some areas of gravel, he fashions a high quality array of wines, dry white and red, and of course a small portfolio of exciting sweet wines which can rival most others from the Coteaux du Layon. Quality, of course, begins in the vineyard, and Ogereau begins with a strict green harvest in summer, and come September he begins a sequence of manual harvesting by successive tries, even for the dry wines, followed by a rigorous sorting before fermentation.

The range opens with a straight Anjou Blanc and also a Cuvée Prestige of the same appellation, both 100% Chenin Blanc. The former sees a temperature-controlled fermentation on the skins and is then held in tank until bottling the May after the harvest, whereas the latter, which was added to the range in 1995, is fermented and held in 500 litre wooden casks, before bottling. There are also red bottlings of Anjou and Anjou-Villages, both from Cabernet Franc grown on schistous soils, both fermented and raised in temperature-controlled tanks, whereas the top red, the Anjou-Villages Côte de la Houssaye, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from a single vineyard with a south-easterly aspect and a gravelly, schistous, nutritionally poor soil. The fruit is fermented with temperature control, then stored in tank for 14 months before bottling. The latter two wines can both be structured and serious, and benefit from time in the cellar.

The sweet wines, all bottled under the Coteaux du Layon St-Lambert appellation, are exemplary. There is an entry-level wine bottled as just that, then a Cuvée Prestige, and then the Clos des Bonnes Blanches. Obviously all 100% Chenin, the fruit comes from schistous terroir and undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation before going into more of those 500 litre casks until bottling. Even at the lowest level, these wines can be exhilarating, but step up to the Prestige level, or the single vineyard wine from a site which he shares with Jo Pithon, and they give even more pleasure. When stocking up on sweet wines for the cellar, you may buy here with confidence, I think. (13/9/07)

Contact details:
Address: 44, rue de la Belle Angevine, 49750 St Lambert du Lattay
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 78 43 55
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 78 43 55

Vincent Ogereau - Tasting Notes

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Vincent Ogereau Anjou Blanc Cuvée Prestige 2004: This has quite a deep, golden hue. The nose is honeyed and rich yet seems to suggest a dry style, with nuances of sea salt and dill. It has a very firm, compact character. Indeed, it is quite dry, with a big, full, very structured and grippy style. There is a firm backbone of alcohol which is present to the tune of 14%, and there is texture, and even a little tannin. A lot of the character here is oak derived, and it reminds me more of an old-style, top heavy Languedoc white and is not what I come to the Loire for. 13.5/20 (September 2007)

Vincent Ogereau Coteaux du Layon 2004: An appealing mid gold colour, a sizeable chunk of potassium tartrate crystals considering this has only been in the bottle for a couple of years. The nose certainly has appeal, with notes of crystaline pineapple, peach slices and white pepper. The palate starts out delicate and fresh, but the creaminess builds, counterbalanced by a bitter, grippy presence of fruit. It opens and increases in density with time, showing more and more interest and also a lingering finish. Really very good indeed for an entry-level Coteaux du Layon. I suspect this would develop beautifully in the cellar over 5-10 years. 17+/20 (September 2007)

Vincent Ogereau Anjou-Villages 2003: This wine has a vibrant and glossy colour. Crunchy, dark, smoke-tinged fruit on the nose, with some bitter dark chocolate, aromas of dark woods, and a little mushroom. This is complex and intriguing. The palate is very dryly fashioned, rather like sucking a cherry stone. Slightly puckering, with smoky, dark, crunchy fruit and superb acidity. Firm, just a touch rustic, overall very attractive. 16.5/20 (September 2007)

Vincent Ogereau Coteaux du Layon Cuvée Prestige 2003: A simply gorgeous colour when it hits the glass, a vibrant, golden hue with a peachy nuance. The nose just shouts Layon, being full of rock and mineral nuances, alongside notes of orange peel, honey and mint. The palate is fresh and lively, gently creamy, balanced and pure. It has plenty of divine texture through the midpalate, elegant and yet broad and coating. This is a pervasive and yet occasionally detached wine, rich and yet with finesse and a beautifully clean style on the finish, where there is a good length. All said, a beautifully composed wine which gives much pleasure now, but which will do well in the cellar. 18/20 (September 2007)

Vincent Ogereau Anjou-Villages Côte de la Houssaye 2002: This wine has a vibrant, shimmering hue, and the nose is just as enticing, with aromas of smoke, charcoal and burnt cherry. It is hard, crisp and precise, opening out to reveal a sandy minerality with complex notes of wet stones, rose petal tobacco, cordite, gunpowder and flint. The palate is just as lively, with a firm acidity juicy structure and fruit, and a bitter seam cutting through it all. A fine weight and incisive style. This is really nice. 16.5-17/20 (September 2007)

Vincent Ogereau Coteaux du Layon St Lambert Clos des Bonnes Blanches 1999: A vibrant, burnished, vibrant orange-gold hue meets the taster here. The nose is just delightful, with an intense, concentrated attack of botrytis characterised by notes of oranges, caramel and quince, with a little medicinal streak through it. Later it twists and turns to reveal layer upon layer of creamy, succulent peaches with a little roasted, baked feel. The palate is fresh, but with rather low acidity, yet fabulously rich with fruit, honey-coated quince, pineapple and peach. It glides in quite a gentle fashion, gently revealing a delicious crème brûlée character with a glorious midpalate creaminess. Simple divine. 18.5-19+/20 (September 2007)