2 October, 2022
Wine, much more so than beer, is a drink best consumed with a group of friends. The more people join in, the more fun and interesting it becomes. I’ve known that since September 2020 when I drank wine with winemaker Thomas and his friends at the Loire for the first time – and talked about it. I really enjoy talking about what you taste. People often agree, but just as often disagree. What one likes, the other doesn’t like at all. Where one is very precise, describing colour, smell and the sensations on the palate in detail, the other is imprecise, but can add just as much to the entertainment with a funny reference. The more people drink, the more bottles can be opened. I usually try to take notes on every wine I drink. This only worked to a limited extent during this stay. We talked too animatedly, sometimes I was tired or didn’t have my reading/writing glasses with me, now and then I just wanted to enjoy the evening instead of scribbling around in my little book. So what follows is more of a label gallery of sorts!
Domaine Léon Bösch »Grandes Lignes«, 2018: a Riesling from Alsace. 29 August
Christian Ducroux »Esquisse«: a Gamay from Beaujolais, most probably from the year 2020. (The L number usually gives the year away – in this case it reads »L 200 02«.) 29 August
A great wine, unlabelled, from a winemaker Thomas knows and who lives nearby. Who was it, Thomas? 29 August
Tutti Frutti Ananas »Nespola«, 2020: tasty and easy. Vermentino and Grenache Blanc, from Banyuls-sur-Mer, Roussilon. A collaboration between two (or three) winemakers, one of them being the beloved Manuel di Vecchi Staraz of Vinyer de la Ruca. 30 August
Autour de l’Anne »Los Annegeles«, 2021: thin (in a nice way), bitter, southern. Clement helped harvesting this wine and shared with us his last bottle. Thomas then texted Anne to inquire about the grape varieties used: Colombard and Vermentino. Anne’s vineyard lies in the Languedoc. 30 August
Santamaria »Tranoi«, 2020: 80% Grenache Blanc, 20% Niellucciu, from Corse. Vanilla, yoghurt, not too far away from the previous Colombard, slightly rounder and more salty, flowery. Thomas thought that they harvested a bit too early, he wasn’t pleased about the »young wood« he found. 30 August
Noëlla Morantin »Stella Maris«, 2020: a Sauvignon Blanc from near Pouillé in the Cher valley. 30 August
Domaine Inebriati »DRYA«, 2019: an assemblage of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault from the Pic Saint Loup appellation from the northern Languedoc. Thomas thought of ›the sweat of a horse‹, I found it ›young and lively‹. Noémie thought it was a Cabernet Franc, Thomas, on the other hand, thought it was a heavily extracted Gamay which had been macerated for a long time. 30 August
Domaine Danjou-Banessy »La Truffière«, 2019: Grenache and Carignan, from Côtes Catalanes/Languedoc. What a fantastic sweet, southern nose! Playful on the pallet, light and elegant. Noémie and Thomas tried Domaine Danjou-Banessy’s wines at a fair and thought they were all very good. 30 August
Claire & Florent Bejon »Picrochole«, 2019: Clement was absolutely sure. This could only be a Cabernet Franc from »our region«, the Loire. And it was. I liked its volatility which was well integrated. 30 August
Domain Mouressipe »Càcous«, 2021: Grenache and Syrah, from the Languedoc-Roussillon. Very spicy and peppery so I thought it was a Pineau d’Aunis. I should have trusted my nose though. I had detected rosemary and thyme which could’ve let me to guessing Grenache and/or Syrah. I liked it, I liked its volatility. Thomas thought the taste was slightly irritating, »soapy«, he said. 31 August
Castel Vieilh La Halle »Le Rouge de notre Terre«, 2014:The third time I guessed the grape variety correctly. A Merlot! From Bordeaux. We never drink Bordeaux, usually, and liked this wine a lot. 31 August
Les Vins Jardinés »Les Prunelliers«, 2018: a gorgeous Melon de Bourgogne from an old classmate’s of Thomas’s, Yoann Gillot, who lives in Monnières, in the Muscadet. We taste melon and honey, it’s quite silky and its acidity is perfect. Thomas notices reduction and think it’s great that the wine hasn’t seen any wood – its richness comes from those 14 months (mentioned on the back label) that it spent on the lees. 1 September
Hameau Toucheboeuf »L’Effrontée«, 2019: an assemblage of 60% Viognier, 20% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne and 10% Cugnette. A buttery nose and a spicy wood imprint – at first we thought this was a Chardonnay from Burgundy. It changed with every minute, Thomas thought it would be more interesting to taste it the next day (it wasn’t, unfortunately). 1 September
Domaine Tessier »Cheverny«, 2021: a delicate assemblage of Pinot Noir, Gamay and Côt by one of my favourite winemaker families. Never disappointing! Great graphic design, too! 1 September
Clos Rocailleux »Autan Blanc«, 2019: a mix of Muscadelle and Loin de l’Oeil from the appellation Côtes du Tarn in the south-west of France that I had found in the fridge. I liked it a lot for its freshness. 1 September
Les Vins Pirouettes »Orange Pig«, 2020: We rarely have orange wines, i.e. white wine macerations. I like them in general but often miss the typicity of the underlying grape. In most cases I find it difficult to taste which grape was used. This Gewürztraminer maceration from Alsace we all liked a lot. 3 September
Jennifer Bariou & Thibaut Bodet »Grolleau«, 2020: I met the two Loire-based winemakers at a fair this year. I don’t remember tasting their 100% Grolleau though. It’s very good! 3 September
Damien Menut »Sonnemot«, 2020: another Grolleau from the Loire (Thésée, to be precise) which we enjoyed. A few days later we met, by accident, Damien and his parents and grandmother at a restaurant in a nearby town. 4 September
Domain Mouressipe »Galatia«, 2021: 100% Mourvédre from Languedoc-Roussillon – concentrated and southern tasting. 4 September
Domaine la Grange aux Belles »La Roche de Mûrs«, 2020: an underwhelming Chenin from Anjou, Loire. 4 September
Fabien Jouves »Autochtone«, 2020: a new favourite of ours from the south-west; an assemblage of Jurançon Noir, Gibert, Valdiguié and Noual, grape varieties we had never heard of before. 5 September
Domaine Julien Auroux »Blanc«, 2020: a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon from the appellation Bergerac Sec in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. 6 September
Laurent Saillard »Syrah du Gard«, 2021: a joyful assemblage of southern Grenache and Syrah grapes, part of Saillard’s négoce business, if I’m not mistaken. Saillard is based in Pouillé-sur-Cher, Loire, and a neighbour of Julien Pineau’s. 6 September
Marie Rocher: a red wine by our friend Marie Rocher in a magnum bottle from Thomas’s cellar – that’s all the info I can give. 6 September
Julien Pineau »L’Ecume des Nuits«, 2017: a masterful Cabernet Franc from Julien Pineau which we could’ve kept in the cellar for a few more years. 6 September
Arianna Occhipinti »SP 68«, 2019: the first time I’ve had a wine by the Sicilian Occhipinti. This blend of 70% Frappato and 30% Nero d’AvolaIa was delicious! »SP 68« is the name of the autoroute that Occhipinti’s domaine borders. 7 September
Barouillet »Splash!«: a fresh and bitter Pet Nat from Pomport in the Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. On the back label it says »French wine is not dead«. 9 September
Ciry Cattaneo »La Curiosité«, 2019: a slightly cooked 15,5% vol. Grenache Gris maceration from near Carcassone in the Occitaine. 9 September
BénéTom »RSA 2021«: a rather horrible assemblage of 60% Syrah and 40% Merlot. 9 September
Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand »Myosotis arvensis«, 2018: a rare sight, it being a wine from Burgundy, from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. 100% Pinot Noir, very lean and high in acidity. Mixed emotions from our group – another wine drunk too early? 9 September
Domaine Danjou-Banessy »La Truffière«, 2018: Grenache and Carignan, from Côtes Catalanes/Languedoc, a different vintage to the previous one (see above), i.e. a year older. We preferred it! Clove and juniper were quite present on the palate. 9 September
Ktima Ligas »Roditis«, 2019: the first natural wine from Greece that I ever had. It’s from the appellation Pella which is in Central Macedonia. The grape variety is called Roditis. 9 September
Sonshine Vins »Pet au casque«, 2019: a Chenin Blanc Pét Nat from the Loire, from Thomas’s friend’s Lisanne van Son’s domaine. 10 September
Valentina Passalacqua »Nù Litr Bianco Puglia – Progetto Calcarius«, 2020: an Italian Bombino Bianco from Puglia. 10 September
Domaine Rietsch »Demoiselle«, 2020: a Gewürztraminer from Alsace. 10 September
Domaine de Séléné »Primeur«, 2021: a Gamay from Beaujolais. 10 September
Domaine L’Oubliée »Notre Histoire«, 2020: a favourite winemaker of mine from Bourgueil. A fantastic Cabernet Franc. 10 September
Complemen’ Terre »NoLem«, 2020: a Melon de Bourgogne from the Muscadet. 11 September
Julien Prével »Le Jus Brifiant«: a marvellous rosé Gamay Pét Nat from the notorious Prével who lives nearby. 12 September
Mikaël Bouges »Prométhée«, 2020: a Chenin from Faverolles-sur-Cher, Loire. 12 September
Domaine Philippe Tessier »Cour-Cheverny«, 2020: a superb Romorantin from a domaine that never disappoints. 12 September
La Pensée Filante »Sauv’ qui peut!«, 2020: a Pét Nat made from Orbois and Sauvignon Rose grapes in Vouvray, Loire. 13 September
Domaine de Fleury »Jardin«: an outstanding Cabernet Franc from Thouars, Anjou, Loire. 13 September
Laurent Saillard »La Pause«, 2020: a Gamay from Saillard’s own vines. 14 September
Le Chai de Thélème »échoOôT«, 2020: a Côt from Huismes, Chinon. 14 September
Stéphane Delettre »Chard’s R – Les Chardons Rouge – Last but not least«, 2019: a Cabernet Franc from Saint Nicolas de Bourgeuil, Loire. 14 September
Mathieu Cosme »Fines Bulles«, 2020: a Chenin Brut Nature from Vouvray, Loire. 15 September
Vivien Peltier: Vivien (who can be seen in the background) helped at Thomas’s harvest (and shares a plot of land with him on which three different red grape varieties grow). This was his red Pét Nat (super!), a few days later we had his marvelous Pineau d’Aunis. 15 September
Domaine de Fleury »Source«, 2020: another outstanding wine from Carole Kohler, this time made with Chenin Blanc grapes. 15 September
Julien Pineau »Substance«, 2020: my favourite Sauvignon Blanc, such force, such delicacy! 15 September
Thibault Stéphan »Les Vigneaux«, 2020: a great Cabernet Franc from our friend Thibault Stéphan who makes wine in Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur. 15 September
Le Facteur »Brut Nature«, 2020: a Brut Nature from Vouvray. 16 September
La Ferme des Sept Lunes »Pet’Lune«: a Viognier Pét Nat from the Rhône. 16 September
Terra Vita Vinum »Grand Vau«, 2020: an enjoyable Chenin blanc from Anjou. 17 September
Ab Initio »Logos«, 2020: a Chardonnay from the south, vinified by our friend Emmanuel Roblin in the Muscadet. 17 September
Thibault Stéphan »Le Repenti«, 2019: Thomas was reminded of his own Chenin Blanc »Les Doyennes«, also from 2019. A magnificent wine from Saumur. 17 September
Laurent Saillard, 2021: a rich, honey-y assemblage of his own Sauvignon Blanc and bought Ugni Blanc from Vaucluse in the south-east of France. 17 September
Domaine Philippe Tessier »Point du Jour«, 2020: a stellar assemblage of Gamay and Pinot Noir and a highlight for all of us. 17 September
Domaine Philippe Tessier »Chemin Noir«, 2020: an outstanding Pineau d’Aunis which blew us all away. 17 September
Les Maisons Rouges »Clos de Pavée«, 2020: another very good Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil. 19 September
Domaine Guin »Authentique«, 2018: And another Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil! Was it good? I can’t remember. 19 September
Cyrille Sevin »La Mazodière«, 2018: a very enjoyable Romorantin from the appellation Cour-Cheverny, Loire. 19 September
Nicolas Carmarans »Selves«, 2020: a Chenin Blanc from the remote Aveyron in the south-west of France. I never had a Chenin coming from that far south. 22 September
Château Aurore »Un supplement d’Âme«, 2014: We needed a red wine to cook with so Thomas brought this Bordeaux from the cellar that he had bought from a traveling salesman. It wasn’t too bad! 23 September
Dominique Lucas »C de Marrin«, 2018: 100% Chasselas from the appellation Pays d’Allobrogie in the Haut-Savoie. 23 September
Thomas Puéchavy, 2016: The first wine Thomas ever made! And this was the last bottle; a great honour being able to drink it. Sparse, austere, bitter, slightly green – a success! It reminded me of the wines of Le Nadir. And guess what? The grapes came from the same area, i.e. Saumur, Le Puy-Notre-Dame. 23 September
Arianna Occhipinti »Il Frappato«, 2017: Much more expensive then the »SP 68« we had before. The taste of wood was too strong, we had a Bordeaux kind of feeling which we didn’t really appreciate. Unfortunately! 23 September