The annual
Loire fair was held last week on the outskirts of the picturesque, historic
town of Angers.
It’s an intimate
wine fair compared to the big ones in Shanghai, London, Bordeaux and Dusseldorf.
But all the Loire producers are out in force, from the tiniest growers to the
big-player winemakers. They come from the west in Muscadet and the Vendée, plus
the central appellations and VdPs, through to the far-eastern AOC’s of Pouilly-Fumé,
Menetou-Salon and Sancerre. What is also nice is that the miniscule, obscure
appellations (of which there are quite a few!) are also present and I had a
great time tasting wines such as Touraine-Chenonceau, Côtes d’Auvergne, Côteaux
de Loir (not a misspelling!) and my favourite, Pissote.
It has been
tough in the Loire for the last few years with major frosts and severe hail
storms literally destroying the production levels to unthinkable yields. And
although 2013 was somehow remarkably better it was nowhere near the average
volumes normally enjoyed.
But the
people from this region are like their vineyards: very hardy indeed! They hold
their heads up high and keep going and going, always smiling, forever with
their remarkable passion for wine. The
Loire folk will always make time to let you taste everything from micro cuvées,
single barrels or the newest blend … and of course always time to talk goat’s
cheese!
This year
was no different and after a long day at the fair I was kindly invited to
dinner in Angers by the winemakers of our sparkling Crémant de Abbesse Rosé. It was a great evening with lots of
characters. I was sat next to Nick Butler, an Australian who was one of the
first ‘flying winemakers’ Tony employed in the late 1980s! The table also had
some wine importers from Dublin so you can only imagine the craic! Before long
the group of older, retired French winemakers were in full voice and began
reciting traditional songs, all clasping a glass of sparkling Loire rosé of
course!
Next day it
was back to business with another good day at the fair. I stopped at various
stands to taste the new-vintage wines, discovering yet again just how good and
diverse this region is. I had a
wonderful personal tasting from the amazing Jacky Blot; his wines sell out even
before they’re bottled but he has let me have 300 bottles of his extraordinary
Clos Michet vineyard in Montlouis.
 |
| Jacky Blot |
I wasn’t let
down on the second evening either and once again the hospitality of the locals
rose to the occasion. Loire maestro Charles Sydney holds his infamous growers’
supper every year and I was privileged to be invited. The venue was at the
lovely La Ferme restaurant right under the cathedral in Place Freppel in the
centre of Angers.
What an
evening! 50 people in total, the majority being growers with a sprinkling of
wine buyers, too. Each producer turned up with a bottle (or three!) of their
wines that were passed around the tables igniting a giant game of musical
chairs, everyone so intrigued about the wine they had just tasted. Finally
things settled down and everyone was back in their own chair. Before the food,
a grower from each region of the Loire had volunteered to give a quick overview
of their growing season and harvest. A great idea and fascinating to listen to
the passion.
Finally, after
3 days of madness, I took the time to visit dominating Château Angers. It’s a
huge, imposing castle with its 17 towers guarding the town of Angers at its
strategic location along the Loire River. This place has some history and not
only a French one!
Firstly
built in the 9th century by the Counts of Anjou, it next became part of the empire of the Plantagenet
Kings of England during the 12th century. Conquered by Philip II in 1204, the castle was significantly expanded at
great expense to the Royal revenue.
The Château’s most famous possession is the
magnificent Apocalypse Tapestry, commissioned in 1373 by Prince Louis, the son
of King John II. The tapestry was made in six sections, each 24m wide by 6.1 m high, comprising
90 different scenes, taking Nicolas Bataille a total of 5 years to complete! It tells the story of the Apocalypse from the Book of
Revelation by Saint John the Divine and after surviving centuries of wars, fires,
occupations and revolutions the tapestry is now housed in the Château gallery. It
is the oldest French
medieval piece to have survived.
King Rene, who was born in the chateau in 1409,
grew up with a passion for wine and planted the first vineyard inside the walls.
And today, 140 Chenin Blanc vines still stand proudly in the little walled
vineyard.
The gardens that decorate the grounds around the
walls are simply exquisite!
A great 3
days ended on a high as I learned of the exciting news that we had won GOLDs at
the prestigious Angers wine competition with Daniel Reverdy Sancerre, Les
Damnes des Prieiur Sancerre and the Clos Nozieux Cheverny!
Back to
Bordeaux today but here are some of the talented Loire winemakers to look out
for and will be listed at Laithwaite’s very soon: Jeremie Mourat, Pierre
Sauvion, Chateau Variennes, Christine Champalou and Jacky Blot.
Don't listen
to the hype and talk down of the 2013 vintage. Yes, there are problems and
yields were small in the Loire, but boy, there are some stunning wines! Real
winemakers in the thick of it, and when you’re struggling – and I can tell you
from experience – winemakers will make their best wine ever!
