Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

Best to adopt the brace position when tasting young Anjou Cabernet, Franc or Sauvignon -   predominantly schist soils make for fearsome tannins.  And I realised, as I broached this pre-Salon tasting at the imposing Château Brissac, that I was still recoiling from the memory of the previous year.  Then, not only was I faced with the more difficult 2006 vintage but, despite a month’s notice, the organisers declined to cater for a lone veggie for the post-tasting dinner.  Having persuaded them that I’d still like to come, the tasting being the main event (at least for me…), I arrived to discover that even the tannin-ballasting bread provided for the tasting was lardon-studded – only in France!

Anyway, moving swiftly on, no-one could be more pleased that the 2008s were a walk in the park, thanks to a mild summer followed by a dry, sunny September.  These were, in the main, aromatic and elegant wines with well-defined red fruits and refined tannins.   You will find full tasting notes of my highlights, notably those from Domaines de Montgilet, de Bablut and de Haute Perche on my Loire Regional Report page here.