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2010 TOURAINE LES MARCOTTES Domaine de Pierre
Touraine Loire France
Light and crisp Gamay with lovely juice, making it a terribly versatile drink, even slightly chilled.
Touraine Loire France
Light and crisp Gamay with lovely juice, making it a terribly versatile drink, even slightly chilled.
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2010 DOMAINE DU FONTENAY Gamay Saint Sulpice
Côte Roannaise Loire France
From a very specific terroir, a 'granite lump', as Simon describes it. A style of Gamay as pure and natural as well-water, and just as thirst-quenching. Pure juice, lovely silky texture, raspberries and cherries. To me this evokes lunches in Paris with baguette and ham or cheese, perhaps a salad. Simple fare but sometimes simple is best, as nature intended. And the icing on the cake - it's only 11.5%.
Côte Roannaise Loire France
From a very specific terroir, a 'granite lump', as Simon describes it. A style of Gamay as pure and natural as well-water, and just as thirst-quenching. Pure juice, lovely silky texture, raspberries and cherries. To me this evokes lunches in Paris with baguette and ham or cheese, perhaps a salad. Simple fare but sometimes simple is best, as nature intended. And the icing on the cake - it's only 11.5%.
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2010 SANCERRE Chavignol Rouge Domaine Vincent Delaporte
Sancerre-Pouilly Loire France
The Delaporte's Sancerre Rouge, a very delicately oak-aged Pinot Noir, is round and juicily fruity with bright and elegant fruit. A strong contender for Burgundy drinkers at this price level. To be enjoyed young and even chilled.
Sancerre-Pouilly Loire France
The Delaporte's Sancerre Rouge, a very delicately oak-aged Pinot Noir, is round and juicily fruity with bright and elegant fruit. A strong contender for Burgundy drinkers at this price level. To be enjoyed young and even chilled.
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2009 CHINON Clos Guillot Domaine Bernard Baudry
Touraine Loire France
Fermented in wooden tanks with regular soft 'pigeages' (pressing down of the cap by foot) the wine is matured twelve months in oak barrels. From a fabulous vineyard site planted between 1985 and 2000 by Bernard from 'friche' - land never previous cultivated because the soils are too poor and the slopes steep and uneven. Clay and yellow chalky rock. Fine texture, plump and round, but still very closed aromatically. Good energy and then the tonic dryness... (more info)
Touraine Loire France
Fermented in wooden tanks with regular soft 'pigeages' (pressing down of the cap by foot) the wine is matured twelve months in oak barrels. From a fabulous vineyard site planted between 1985 and 2000 by Bernard from 'friche' - land never previous cultivated because the soils are too poor and the slopes steep and uneven. Clay and yellow chalky rock. Fine texture, plump and round, but still very closed aromatically. Good energy and then the tonic dryness... (more info)
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2010 SANCERRE ROUGE Cuvée Maxime Vieilles Vignes Silex Chavignol Domaine Vincent Delaporte
Sancerre-Pouilly Loire France
For the first time this beatifully crafted Pinot Noir from the Delaportes uses fruit grown exclusively on the silex soils famous in Chavignol, but mostly reserved for top Sauvignon Blanc vines. The result is a wonderful mineral dimension to the fleshy, juicy pinot style. Quite delicious in this vintage and an excellent alternative to some pricier names in Burgundy where the quality to price ratio does not add up so well at all!
Sancerre-Pouilly Loire France
For the first time this beatifully crafted Pinot Noir from the Delaportes uses fruit grown exclusively on the silex soils famous in Chavignol, but mostly reserved for top Sauvignon Blanc vines. The result is a wonderful mineral dimension to the fleshy, juicy pinot style. Quite delicious in this vintage and an excellent alternative to some pricier names in Burgundy where the quality to price ratio does not add up so well at all!
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2009 CHINON Croix Boissée Domaine Bernard Baudry
Touraine Loire France
The continuation of the same slope as the Clos Guillot. Much more chalky - the soil here is white. Hence a more mineral wine. Rich and dense, and already more aromatically defined. Strict, good volume in the mouth, dense dry black flavours which transcend the simply fruity - coal and carbon, incredibly fine and detailed. Keep three to five years to start seeing the best of this one.
Touraine Loire France
The continuation of the same slope as the Clos Guillot. Much more chalky - the soil here is white. Hence a more mineral wine. Rich and dense, and already more aromatically defined. Strict, good volume in the mouth, dense dry black flavours which transcend the simply fruity - coal and carbon, incredibly fine and detailed. Keep three to five years to start seeing the best of this one.
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2010 CHINON Les Granges Domaine Bernard Baudry
Touraine Loire France
Half-bottles
From vines in the valley on a free-draining sandy gravel. Bright purple colour. Very precise floral (heady dark roses) and fruit (damson and blueberry) nose and this is followed on palate with a dryly expansive juicy purple floral flavour.
Touraine Loire France
Half-bottles
From vines in the valley on a free-draining sandy gravel. Bright purple colour. Very precise floral (heady dark roses) and fruit (damson and blueberry) nose and this is followed on palate with a dryly expansive juicy purple floral flavour.