Home > Vintages and Regions > Loire > Loire Update: Chateau Pierre-Bise

Chateau Pierre-Bise Update, February 2009

A meeting with Claude and Joëlle Papin of Chateau Pierre-Bise is always a delight, not only because of the consistently high standard of the wines and the thought-provoking range of the portfolio, particularly the treatment of the varied terroirs of the Coteaux du Layon appellation, but also because the duo are intrinsically charming and enduringly friendly. Papin has an intellectual approach to wine, to the vineyards, to the soil, and there are few characters more appealing in my opinion than the approachable academic.

The 2007 vintage was not one that held great promise for me; as I have written elsewhere, the weather was hardly favourable. Nevertheless a number of vignerons still seem to have turned out good wines, and judging by the bottles sampled at the 2009 Salon de Vins de Loire with Claude and Joëlle the Papins are undoubtedly in this group. Both dry and sweet are very good, although I think perhaps the former are of a higher quality. But the Coteaux du Layons should not be avoided; they are fresh, appealing, rich in crystalline fruit and a honey-tinged minerality. They are not the greatest wines I have tasted from this estate, but that only highlights the already high standard found here, and they are certainly worthy of the label. (19/3/09)

Chateau Pierre-Bise, February 2009 - Tasting Notes

The wines below were tasted in Angers at the Salon des Vins de Loire in February 2009. All my notes on the wines of Chateau Pierre-Bise, including those below, are collated under my Pierre-Bise profile. Click to locate stockists.

Chateau Pierre-Bise Anjou Blanc Le Haut de la Garde 2007: Good ripe fruit here, with a very rich and forward character. Quite firm and precise on the palate, peppery, rather stylish, with a fine midpalate texture. I sense some power beneath the pepper and spice here. This is good wine. 17+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Savennières Clos de la Coulaine 2007: This wine is not so expressive as the Haut de la Garde on the nose, but it expresses some dried fruit nuances. There is finesse on the palate; lively acids and a gentle structure although it has a good backbone overall. It is perhaps a touch diffuse today. Good potential though. 16.5+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Savennières Clos du Grand Beaupréau 2007: This has a great nose, with lively, mineral Chenin character with a bright and appealing style. The palate is polished, gentle and integrated, with a little honey fatness. Broad, laden with minerality, stylish and fine, this wine needs to firm up a little but this may well come in bottle. This should be very good in time. 17+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Savennières Roches-aux-Moines 2007: The Papin family own 2 hectares (out of 33 available) of the Roches-aux-Moines cru, with 1.3 hectares in production. Another impressive nose here, tinged with honey and caramel, with deep and complex layers of flavours. Fat but balanced, with a minerally midpalate structure and a fine, elegant composition throughout. Not up to my memories of the 2005 but certainly a lovely wine. 17.5+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu Clos de la Soucherie 2007: From a south-facing slope, this wine has a fabulous nose, full of botrytis, honey and enticing minerals. The palate is gentle and rounded, with a subtle minerality and moderate concentration, showing a nice acid backbone in the midpalate. A touch diffuse, but with very good potential. 16.5+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu Rouannières 2007: A very attractive nose, more withdrawn than the Soucherie, subtle, but still showing ripe, golden and honeyed characters. Showing more finesse though; good minerally acidity, notes of pepper, overall a fine character here. Although a little soft-focus towards the end it shows more definition. This could come very good. 16.5+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu L'Anclaie 2007: This has a much more withdrawn character on the nose, and is certainly much more reticent than the preceding two wines. Nevertheless the palate is broad, creamy and grippy, structured and nicely textured, with lots of appropriate acidity underneath. This has very good potential. 17+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Quarts de Chaume 2007: More character here, the nose being light and aromatic, full of honey and wild flowers, although still restrained and well-judged. Broad, concentrated and impressive on the palate, the sweetness nicely counterbalanced by the mineral character. Quite fat and dense. It has a lovely floral, orange peel edge to it too. Nevertheless even with good acidity and minerality this doesn't quite have the definition I would like. Still a very good wine, though. 17+/20

Chateau Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Rochefort Les Rayelles 2005: This cuvée comes from the slopes at the top of the Haut de la Garde vineyard. Compared to the 2007s showed alongside it has more intensity, more botrytis, but also a little volatile acetone character. The palate has a good style, broad and sweet with soft acidity, although there is a nice freshness at the core. Certainly displaying more sugar than the 2007s reflecting the vintage, and the acidity is there. Very good indeed. 17+/20