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Wines of the Loire from Artisan Wines
With summer threatening to actually be quite good (surely it can't be any worse than the last two?), perhaps it is time to restock the wine rack with wines of bold and bright flavour, perfect for sipping in the garden, or perhaps indoors on the inevitable less sun-soaked afternoons? With that in mind I recently took a look at a handful of candidates from Artisan Wines, a small independent retailer run by Andrew Kerr who specialises in small volume wines of interest and quality. There are wines from Provence, the Rhône Valley and the Loire, and regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I am drawn most to the latter. I tasted five wines from the current Artisan list, one sparkling, one white and three red.
I asked Andrew to provide some introduction to the wines, which are available as a mixed case from Artisan, and his words are certainly worthy of reproduction here...
Andrew Kerr: “The case features three red wines, that show-off the incredible diversity of the Loire region. From up-and-coming Domaine Philippe Gilbert we have an attractive mid-weight Pinot Noir wine, whilst the well-established Thierry Germain at Roches Neuves in Saumur Champigny has produced a terrific Cabernet Franc from the difficult 2007 vintage. Meanwhile, the experimental Henry Marionnet has produced an excellent wine – with a touch of something wild and unusual - from the rare Gamay de Bouze grape. Turning to the white wines, the remarkable sparkler from leading Muscadet producer Domaine de l’Ecu has a crisp and refreshing style that goes down well whatever the occasion. Finally, Henry Marionnet shows an unusual Sauvignon Blanc, this time made from ungrafted vines. This approach is reputed to produce a cleaner and more intense flavour – why not see for yourself?”
Full disclosure is necessary here, as Artisan Wines has long been a Winedoctor sponsor, but the deal above, and the sale of these wines or indeed any other wines from Artisan, bring no financial benefit to me or this site. A purchase supports an independent retailer who in turn supports this site with regular sponsorship, but this is the only business connection between Winedoctor and Artisan Wines. There is certainly no commission involved. If you think this may influence my opinion of the wines, please bear it in mind when reading my notes. (21/5/09)
Wines of the Loire from Artisan Wines - Tasting Notes
Tasted in May 2009. Artisan prices are included, or click
for all stockists.
Domaine de l'Ecu Cuvée Ludwig Hahn NV: The colour here is an attractive straw-gold, with a plentiful bead
resulting in a bone-white froth of bubbles on the wine's surface. The nose has a
very dry, bony, steely character, with very subtle nuances of citrus and straw.
The palate is firm, full of fresh and crisp acidity, with a firm and gripping
finish; it is certainly best after the bottle has been open an hour or so. The
fruit character is reserved, fresh, and very much framed by the acidity; it is
all nettles and straw, backed up by a minerally seam. A very good wine, perfect
for warm weather and seafood. Full, very sharply mouth-watering, and on the
whole a refreshing pleasure, rather like a face-full of sea spray. It's remarkable
to think this is a wine born of Folle Blanche, otherwise known as Gros-Plant,
Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne and, believe it or not, Cabernet Sauvignon. 17/20 (£8.75)
Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Vinifera Sauvignon Blanc 2005:
This is another of Henri Marionnet's wines made from ungrafted vines,
something of a specialty for him (although there are other Loire viticulteurs
doing the same thing); in this
case the vines were planted, on their own roots, in 2000. The nose here is
surprisingly muted, deep and slightly green, with foresty, orchard-type fruit
character. Good full texture on the palate, full and substantial, firm and bold.
There is good acidity, and a rich, grippy, macerated white fruit flavour in
keeping with the style seen on the nose. This is a good wine with lots of character,
but it strays from the typical, green, primary fruit character that many would
expect from Sauvignon; could this be an effect of the ungrafted vines, I wonder? 16/20 (£10.50)
Domaine Philippe Gilbert Menetou-Salon 2007: There is an attractive
matt hue here, with a moderate depth of colour. The nose has some good interest,
starting off with bright but rather richly macerated fruit, with a burnt edge.
This continues once the wine has opened up as a vein of charcoal, along with
dark chestnut mushrooms. The palate has a moderate weight, a nice charcoaly edge
to the fruit, and a bright acidity backed up by an attractive texture. There's some
really nice fruit and a good weight through the midpalate and towards the
finish. This is very nice. 16.5/20 (£10.25)
Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny 2007: I must confess I have
fairly low expectations of reds from this vintage, but there are good wines out
there. This one certainly has some promise, showing a good depth of colour in
the glass, quite a dense black cherry hue too. On the nose there are some dark
fruits with a rather savoury edge. The palate starts off in quite a supple
style, then showing more structure, but this never dominates, even
though the fruit has a very reserved style and the wine itself a sinewy rather
than fleshy texture. That savoury edge comes through on the palate again, backed
up by a vein of ripe tannins, and a sappy, juicy-sour acidity. A very attractive
wine in a difficult vintage, showing once again the skill of Thierry Germain. 16+/20 (£9.75)
Domaine de la Charmoise Les Cépages Oubliés (VdP de la Jardin de France) 2006:
This is 100% Gamay de Bouze, a
teinturier variety rarely seen vinified these days, hence the cépages
oubliés (forgotten grapes) moniker. Unlike the 2004 tasted last year this vintage has a much
more characterful, deep and roast-meaty, beef stock aromatic profile. Dark and
sinewy rather than sweetly inky, the wine has a great presence on the palate,
with more sweetness coming through later. There is a fine substance to it, stony
but well balanced out, with a dry, sappy but ultimately short finish. This has
a delicious style, a captivating nose and a fine, easy-drinking palate. Lovely wine. 17/20 (£9.50)
