Memories of Sussey Street from the Eighties when Vouvray was last fashionable. Flabby with a hint of liquorice, quite sweet.
Another so so from the wineonline.ie pot luck sale.
I guess we should be drinking this fresher rather than 5 years later.
Val du Loire
Sancerre, Domaine Andre Vatan, ‘Maulin Bele’ Rose 2014
Lovely zing off this rose, crisp, clean 100% Pinot Noir, lovely with the Cheese Platter in Whelehans.
Jancis Robinson wasn’t too keen on this – preferring their standard Sancerre – but I am. Not cheap but quality shines. John brought this to dinner.
A suggestion from Provence that Saignee produced Roses aren’t the real deal.
Sancerre, 2014, Le Domaine du Pré Semelé, Remy, Julien et Clement Raimbault
Le Domaine du Pré Semelé
An accomplished austere Sauvignon from the Pre Semele Domaine in Maimbray about 5 km north of Sancerre. Delicious
We presented this to the Bartleys though I think John prefers his Cono Sur Chardonnay!
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Joel Delaunay, Touraine, Sauvignon Blanc, 2012
This is another wine you could only get in Cellar Master, so perhaps Alan is curating for O’Briens now.
Well made, solid, typical agrume tang with a flinty tint.
Pricey at €14.99
Calvet, Touraine, Sauvignon Blanc, 2012
An homage to our trip to the Loire Valley – Calvet Touraine Sauvignon Blanc.
I was mildly surprised by the quality of this offering, probably because of the Calvet name on the bottle.
A typical Touraine; nice dry citrus tang, well balanced, nice aroma of ammonia cut grass.
Their 2013 vintage has won a medal at the Paris Agricultural Show and I look forward to tasting it.
Ackerman, Sancerre, 2012
This was the white wine offering at the post Golf Dinner for the ABGS TABS Fundraiser in Woodenbridge.
Lovely fruit, crisp finish, well made – an ideal compliment to the Steak Frites the team enjoyed after a hot hard day’s Scrambling .
Great company, good weather and not too shabby Golf (though not up there with the Bandits from a scoring pov).
Thanks Ian, John & Philip.
Chateau de la Chesnaie, Muscadet, 2012
Another staple from Irish Wine lists of the 80’s and Muscadet, which was the only wine to have with Fish then, just dropped out of fashion.
More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine and it is of the Melon de Bourgogne grape also known simply as Melon.
Muscadet Sevre et Maine, ‘wine with a musk-like taste’ meaning Muscat though it hasn’t.
http://www.chereau-carre.fr/affichepage.php?p=chesnaie_gb.htm
Competent, if standard, food fare from Brasserie Bure in Tours.
€21.10
Turonien Vouvray 2012, La Deuvaliere
Aaah, Vouvray. 100% Chenin Blanc – a taste of Leeson Street from the 80’s. A taste of quality of course.
A very competent Dinner in Restaurant La Deuvaliere in Tours – accompanied by this blast from the past.
A rounded wine, tasting of peaches and apricots which we chose because we had driven through the prosperous town of Vouvray outside Tours on the Loire a little earlier.
From a Troglodyte cave in Vouvray: http://www.chateaugaudrelle.com/loire-valley-wine-vouvray
€19.
Cuvee Pointe d’agrumes, Touraine Sauvignon, 2013
Cafe Sud in Tours: the Citrus Tip
A nice introduction to Tours and Touraine Sauvignon Blanc: tart, slight flowery nose, lots of Citrus and tropical flavours deserving of the Agrum descriptor.
An interesting companion to the ambitious menu in Cafe Sud.
Francois Xavier Barc has assembled an interesting clutch of “accomplices” – winemakers devoted to styles indigenous to the Loire Valley:
Tasting notes here: http://complicesdeloire.com/pointe-dagrumes-touraine
€23
Clos Roche Blanche, Sauvignon No 5, 2011, Touraine
We stayed in Chateau d’Artigny near Montbazon, once home to and fitted out by Francois Coty.
That night we dined in the plush l’Origan restaurant and had the mini tasting menu.
The friendly Maitre d’ recommended the No 5 Sauvignon over the No 2 and it was delicious.
A complex wine with lots of minerality, flinty, metallic well balanced with citrus and gooseberry notes, great blast of grass.
A rare find. Didier Barouillet is the winemaker at Clos Roche Blanche. Worth more investigation.
The bar service at Chateau d’Artigny is brutal but we met some nice Americans from Fargo and had a pleasant nightcap with them as a result.
McConkey Wine 