Interpreting Chenin Blanc
featured, France: Loire
, Mar 2021
In my first Loire report for Vinous, I take the pulse of Chenin producers with a focus on current releases from Savennières and Vouvray.
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Loire Chenin Blanc: Underrated No More
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2020
One of the immutable, unwritten laws of wine writing has been that you must describe Chenin Blanc with one or more of the following terms: underappreciated, underrated or underdog. But the reality is that some of the most exciting white wines in the world are Chenin Blancs from Anjou and Touraine, in famed appellations such as Montlouis, Vouvray and Savennières, as well as from a wave of producers in Anjou who’ve shunned the traditional appellations and chosen to bottle their wines as Vin de France.
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Big Love for Loire
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2020
The Loire wine scene is full of youthful energy. It’s no surprise that the region has also become an epicenter of the organic, biodynamic and natural winemaking that appeals to a younger generation. The first part of my coverage looks at Cabernet Franc with a focus mostly on Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny, as well as others from Anjou and Touraine.
Vinous Table: L’Embellie, Tours, France
Vinous Table, France: Loire
, Sep 2019
L’Embellie was thoroughly enjoyable. There are plenty of tourist restaurants in the center of Tours offering mediocre fare, but L’Embellie is a step above others in the vicinity.
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Cellar Favorite: 1969 Caves des Liards Montlouis Demi-Sec
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
, May 2019
Consequently, when I came across a half-century-old Montlouis from Caves des Liards at importer Yapp Brothers’ recent tasting, I didn’t know what to expect. To my pleasant surprise, I found a delicious wine that has aged as well as the top Vouvrays I have encountered.
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Cellar Favorite: 1921 Marc Brédif Vouvray Moelleux
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
, March 2019
You might well assume that last week’s 1990 Moelleux Goutte d’Or from Foreau constitutes the best Vouvray that I have ever drunk. There are a couple of challengers, Marc Brédif’s 1921 Vouvray Moelleux being one of them, albeit much older.
Cellar Favorite: 1990 Domaine Philippe Foreau (Clos Naudin) Vouvray Moelleux Goutte d'Or (Mar 2019)
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
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One of the most revered producers in Vouvray is Domaine du Clos Naudin, founded by Armand Foreau in 1910 and run by his grandson Philippe since 1983.
2014 & 2015 Muscadet: Contrasting Vintages Ripe for Discovery
featured, France: Loire
, May 2017
If neither the 2014 nor 2015 vintage meets your expectations of Muscadet, then it’s hard to imagine what you could possibly be seeking. And if you still aren’t acquainted with these subtly intriguing, delicious, enormously versatile and ridiculously underpriced wines, there will never be a better opportunity to remedy that.
Vinous Table: Restaurant La Galottière, Loire
Vinous Table, France: Loire
, Jan 2015
On my first day on the Loire to research my recent article on Cabernet Franc I was surprised to hear every winemaker mentioning the same cook, a gentleman they all just called Vincent.
Loire Valley Cabernet Franc
featured, France: Loire
, Dec 2014
Some grapes command great respect in the eyes of consumers; others are hardly known or even ignored. In spite of being part and parcel of many of the most expensive red wines in the world, Cabernet Franc rarely gets the attention it so clearly deserves.