And here are some notes.
Montlouis Remus Plus Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Jacky Blot 2014
Quince on the nose – and a sense purity. No oxidative notes. This wine has a nice texture and hangs together well. No fireworks, but a there’s a nicely artisanal feel to this wine. One to drink fairly soon I’d say. A good start to the evening.
Vin de France blanc ‘Venise’ Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Jacky Blot 2014
This is a Vouvray made in Montlouis – hence the VdF designation. This wine has quite a natural feel to it with some brittleness on the nose where there are some baked apple skin notes and something like hot brakes/cinders. The nose does settle a bit to show toffee apple and butterscotch notes, but I preferred the purity of the Montlouis. Quite a delicate wine. Not sure what to make of this really.
Sancerre La Grande Côte Francois Cotat 2009
This was my second encounter with a 2009 F. Cotat Sancerre and nothing has changed. It is still ripe and dessert like on the palate even though vinified to 15% alcohol. I think to be fair that this is more aromatic than the Monts Damnés was. Definitely demi-sec and I think there might be a thread of botrytis here. Not typical and a difficult wine to drink early in the evening.
Savennières Trie Spéciale Domaine Baumard 1990
Now this is also a fifteen percenter, but it is vinified dry and all the better for that. Savennières is always a challenging wine in some respects, and this is a big and unusual wine that I really enjoyed. The nose is quite exotic with a chenin nose of wool, lanolin, waxy yellow fruit, a dash of rose petal and some goat’s cheese. That sounds a bit weird, but it worked and the washed rind cheese note subsided as the evening went on. Still fresh on the palate with some baked yellow fruit and baked apple in evidence. There is a generous, but not cloying texture. Finishes with a melon rind note. Carries the 15% alcohol remarkably well. This bottle was not the best of his batch according to Daniel D, but I thought this was in good condition for its age.
Chninon Les Grézeaux Domaine Baudry 2010
Proper Chinon here that was light on its feet for a 2010. Red fruited, restrained, fresh zippy and sappy, lifted and savoury. There are some tannins evident towards the finish, but they are fairly mellow. Finishes with a dash of cinders/charcoal. Overall, elegant and gentle.
Chinon Clos du Chêne Vert Domaine Joguet 2003
I was nervous when Chris suggested the 2003, but all nervousness evaporated on encountering the wine in the flesh. There is a very claret like nose here with blackcurrant, tobacco, cigar box, some blackberry coulis and even some more exotic notes like iodine and tar in the background. I hope that list of adjectives sounds appetizing, bceuse the nose was gorgeous. Quite full and rounded for a Chinon, but also showing good line. The mid-palate has lovely ripe and yet also savoury dark red fruit veering to the black side in register. This is 14% alcohol, but you’d never guess that. Drinking beautifully. Very much a ringer for CF dominated claret.
Bourgueil Cuvée Prestige Domaine Lamé-Delisle-Boucard 2005 en magnum
What a difference a year makes. While the 2006 was a very attractive wine both at Less Celebrated France WIMPS and here at The Laundry, the 2005 is a bit better on every dimension. There might have been the faintest hint of VA initially on the nose but this subsided and revealed lovely tobacco infused red fruit, but what LDB do especially well is texture. This wine is really mouthcoating and complete while also being light on its feet. The balance between tannin and fruit is nigh on perfect. There is a cedary note on the mid-palate too. The acidity is just right. I’d back this to age another 20 years in magnum if well kept, but it was also a joy to drink on the night.
Bourgueil Cuvée Prestige Domaine Lamé-Delisle-Boucard 2006 en magnum
I felt a bit sorry for the Cinderella-esque 2006. It was doing everything right, but just not as right as the 2005. Broad and sappy on the palate with plenty of quite dark, savoury fruit. Slightly more evolved than the 2005, but this will also go another 10-15 years in magnum. I’ve always been a fan of this domaine which now also produces two single vineyard wines; a Brunetières and a Martinière, both starting with the 2015 vineyard I think.
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