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Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes: a great new Loire find!
Last week, I reported on one of my finds of this year’s Loire Salon, Domaine Roux’s wines from Châteaumeillant, which region now has AOC status (see here). This week, I’m focusing on another new discovery, the wines of Domaine Le Rocher des Violettes, which is located in Montlouis-sur-Loire. Xavier Weisskopf (pictured) is precisely the kind of [...]
Continue reading...First taste: Châteaumeillant, a new Loire appellation – the wines of Jean-Claude Roux
Posted Wednesday 9th February 2011
Since returning from the Loire last week I’ve been updating the Loire copy for the next (2012) edition of Oz Clarke Pocket Wine and, speaking of updates, with effect from the 2010 vintage, Châteaumeillant has been promoted to Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status. Previously, its wines have been labelled Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS). Châteaumeillant is located on [...]
Continue reading...Angers fine dining, or not & calling non-meat eaters – RSJ’s monthly Italian Sunday lunches
Posted Sunday 6th February 2011
This time last week I was in Angers for the Salon hanging out with the usual suspects, my fellow Loire diehards Jim Budd, Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor) and Nigel Wilkinson and Tom King of RSJ restaurant. There’s always an entertaining anecdote or two (at least for them!) about my meals. While the guys run [...]
Continue reading...Top blogs: the Loire Salon Wine Blog Trophy results plus why not enter the Born Again Digital Wine Awards
Posted Tuesday 1st February 2011
The results of the 5th Wine Blog Trophy organised by the Loire Valley Salon (Wine Trade Fair) have been released and congratulations go to: Loire Destination Category – David Cobbold for his blog about visiting Nantes (see here) Loire Tasting Category – Fabrice Leglatin for his blog about the wines of Montlouis-sur-Loire (see here) Loire Encounter Category – [...]
Continue reading...Loire – bar-less eating and drinking au naturel!
Posted Sunday 30th January 2011
Arrived in the Loire Friday night for an early kick off at yesterday’s Renaissance des Terroirs tasting – highlights to follow but, meantime, the banner for the lunchtime canteen (pictured) pretty well sums it up. It’s about handcrafted wines – sans bar code!
Continue reading...Chenin Blanc – a chameleon and “no shrinking violet”
Posted Saturday 29th January 2011
South African wine writer Michael Fridjhon wins my (newly created) award for the most analogy-packed description of a variety I have ever read as he trots through the many different incarnations of Cape Chenin and ponders its future in a feature for South Africa’s Wine magazine here. Never before have I seen references to oaky styles being [...]
Continue reading...First taste: Loire 2010 vintage
Posted Tuesday 25th January 2011
I took my first peek at some finished articles from the 2010 Loire vintage last week on 20th January at Loire courtiers Charles and Philippa Sydney’s portfolio tasting. So how did their vintage report (see here) stack up with the wines? Pretty spot on as regards the Muscadets and Sauvignons, which showed admirable freshness – for me a [...]
Continue reading...Four great reasons to drink Loire Cabernet Franc
Posted Wednesday 12th January 2011
There’s lots of excitement about the Loire 2010 vintage – see last Thursday’s blog post so, before 2010 fever overtakes me with the upcoming Loire Salon, below you’ll find my tasting notes on some truly beguiling Loire Cabernet Francs tasted recently for a couple of book contributions on which I’ve been working. Each embodies all that’s good and [...]
Continue reading...Bar Battu – the City’s natural wine bar
Posted Sunday 9th January 2011
Last Sunday I posted an update (here) on Brawn natural wine bar on Colombia Road following my visit during December. This week I came across a profile of another London natural wine bar – Bar Battu, the city’s first natural wine bar. I’ve not visited Bar Battu but the wine list contains lots of familiar [...]
Continue reading...Up to 45% off at Great Western Wines from today – top tips!
Posted Saturday 8th January 2011
More sales news (see here for 50% off discount voucher at Castas), this time from Great Western Wines where you can save up to 45% on 100 wines and still take advantage of their 8% case discount on orders of 12+ bottles (unmixed) or 5% (mixed). You can buy the wines online here and, if you live in or [...]
Continue reading...A cracking food and wine match: Jo Pithon ‘Les Pepinieres’ 2005 & baked Vacherin Mont D`Or
Posted Saturday 8th January 2011
Nothing like Christmas to justify pulling out some favourite wines and tucking into fine food. I was particularly taken with three food and wine matches over the holidays which I thought I’d share with you. The first is Jo Pithon Anjou Les Pepinieres 2005 with baked thyme and garlic-studded Vacherin Mont D`Or (which I served with celery and Poilâne toast). It made [...]
Continue reading...Charles & Philippa Sydney’s updated Loire vintage report 2010
Posted Thursday 6th January 2011
In October, I posted a preliminary report (see here) on the Loire 2010 vintage provided by Charles and Philippa Sydney, Loire courtiers and themselves producers of the La Grille Classic Loire label. This week sees an update which I’ve reproduced in full below. The main, very exciting aspect of the update concerns the sweeties – for the Sydneys, “some of [...]
Continue reading...First taste: Brawn natural wine bar
Posted Sunday 2nd January 2011
It being a Sunday, (Colombia Road flower market day), I’m just following up on my post (here) about Brawn natural wine bar which opened last month. I paid a (social) call last month and can most definitely recommend it, though don’t do what I did and stride by – the entrance is actually off Colombia [...]
Continue reading...My top five wines of the year: the Loire
Posted Wednesday 29th December 2010
The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on which wines made the most lasting impression. This week, find out which wines really captured my imagination for my areas of focus. Yesterday revealed my Australian line up, today it’s the Loire’s turn. Below you’ll find my top five Loire wines of 2010 (in no particular order). And [...]
Continue reading...Château Pierre Bise Coteaux du Layon Les Rouannières 2007: seasonal wine of the day
Posted Wednesday 22nd December 2010
Claude Papin of Château Pierre Bise is among the Loire’s top winemakers. Today’s seasonal treat, from the fabulous 2007 vintage, was a highlight of a vertical tasting of Château Pierre Bise Coteaux du Layon Les Rouannières (see here for a report of the vertical). Skilfully balanced, you’ll polish off this sweetie in no time. Château Pierre Bise [...]
Continue reading...Virgin Wines: heads up on a great Margaret River Chardy for £7.99 & more
Posted Thursday 16th December 2010
This week’s newsbag includes a Harpers Wine & Spirit report that, of 1,742 consumers polled by YouGov, 25% said they don’t buy wine online because it’s too expensive, 21% don’t want to pay for delivery and 14% don’t want to wait for delivery (see here for details). Personally, I often buy wine online because there’s such a fantastic choice [...]
Continue reading...Domaine Roche Neuves Bulles de Roche Saumur Brut NV: seasonal wine of the day
Posted Thursday 16th December 2010
A couple of years ago, I asked talented Loire producer Thierry Germain of Domaine Roche Neuves whose Chenin he most admired. Without missing a beat, he cited Noel Pinguet of Domaine Huet. Both adore Chenin Blanc and both work biodynamically, with an absolute focus on terroir. In the last few years, like Pinguet, Germain has [...]
Continue reading...Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Cuvée Brut 2005: seasonal wine of the day
Posted Tuesday 7th December 2010
It’s fair to say that sparkling Chenin Blanc has not captured the imagination outside the Loire. However, renowned Vouvray producer Domaine Huet predictably makes a fabulous example, which had Champagne quaffers keen to find out more when I served it at my 40th birthday party. It’s a natural sparkler in more ways than one. First, Domaine Huet Vouvray [...]
Continue reading...December Wines of the Month: sweet, sticky and seasonal from Philippe Delesvaux & Seppeltsfield
Posted Thursday 2nd December 2010
For my December Wines of the Month I’m going to start as I mean to go on, with a daily December drip feed of seasonal treats of the fortified, sweet or sparkling variety. Domaine Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin Passerillé 2009 (Loire) – passerillé tells you that this Chenin Blanc owes its sweetness to [...]
Continue reading...French Quality Wines: the 12 wines of Christmas…
Posted Saturday 27th November 2010
No surprises, the Christmas recommendations are starting to flow as thick and fast as the snow is falling – apparently the UK’s earliest November snowfall for 17 years! The peeps behind the French Quality Wines Campaign have compiled a Christmas selection themed the 12 days of Christmas. Each Christmas cracker (save the last!) was nominated from a list [...]
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Posted Monday 14th February 2011
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