Wine Focus for May: Vouvray Plus!

[Rahsaan]

2010 Chidaine Vouvray Clos Baudoin
I hear from other folks that 2010 was a big step forward in quality for this wine. I don't have enough experience with previous vintages to know, but this is certainly a fine wine. I had two bottles recently and both needed a bunch of air, but then they were lovely poised coiled mineral energetic Vouvrays. They also held up pretty well overnight. Not exactly backward or difficult to drink, but I'm sure its best days are ahead.

2008 Chidaine Montlouis Les Bournais
This is always a rounder fleshier wine. A recent bottle of this was showing better than from several months ago. But that could just be randomness. In this recent bottle, complimenting all the rich roundness was a nice energetic acidic mineral spine. So I was happy and would love to see how this ages further. If only I could spare the space!

[Clint Hall]

A few years ago I had a very good Huet vintage petillant, then the next year a disappointing one. Don't remember the years. Or, come to think of it, is it possible I had two NVs a year apart? Does Huet make an NV petillant? In any case, I haven't seen any sort of Huet sparkler around here for some time now. Actually, the good Huet was what whetted my appetite for more Vouvray sparklers.

The irony of this is I don't think I ever tasted a Huet still wine I didn't like.

[Tim York]

Vouvray sec 1998 – Domaine du Clos Naudin, Philippe Foreau – Alc.13%. 1998 was a difficult vintage and I believe that Foreau only made this dry cuvée with no demi-sec and moelleux. I had several bottles of this. When tasted very young up to about year two, it was deliciously crisp and then it plunged into a long closed period. Philippe Foreau advised me to leave the bottles alone until about 2006 and he was right, because the wine then opened up. I wrote as recently as February about the previously opened bottle.
The colour is now quite deep yellow. The nose showed nice notes of apple pie, flinty minerals and a touch of wax. The palate was bone dry, crystalline, flavourful and brightly focussed with aromas similar to the nose, medium body, some depth and good length with only residual greenness from the difficult growing and harvesting season; 16.5/20.

Last week’s bottle was the last of all and was rather different being slightly more evolved but perhaps more interesting. Most of the above description still applies but there were the beginnings of oxidative notes which at this level added welcome complexity and the overall effect was a little richer and more burnished than I remember without that green trace. Unlike in a more classical Chenin vintage like 1996 or 2002, I wouldn’t think that this 1998 has much more life in it but it was very attractive right now; 16.5/20+.

[David M. Bueker]

Just thought I should mention that I have not yet seen a single Chenin Blanc wine in Wroclaw, Poland. Will try to kick into this topic when I get home.

[ChaimShraga]

Just thought I should mention that I have not yet seen a single Chenin Blanc wine in Wroclaw, Poland. Will try to kick into this topic when I get home.

How odd.

Bourillon d'Orleans, Vouvray, Moelleux, Tris de Nobles Grains, 'La Coulée d'Or', 2003


I find the nose intriguing. Beneath the spicy/wooly aromas of Chenin approaching maturity, I think I spy a hint of honeyed botrytis, but whatever is going on in there, the aromatics have a piercingly intellectual charm. The palate is sweet, of course, rich and hedonistic without, for me, going over the top, with a strand of botrytis funk that is even more obvious than it was on the nose.

Yet another dessert wine I prefer to Sauternes (even if I did have it with spicy Asian food, and even if, like Sauternes, it's not exactly bulging with acidity), but not enough for a repeat purchase.

[Tim York]

Bourillon d'Orleans, Vouvray, Moelleux, Tris de Nobles Grains, 'La Coulée d'Or', 2003


Yet another dessert wine I prefer to Sauternes (even if I did have it with spicy Asian food, and even if, like Sauternes, it's not exactly bulging with acidity), but not enough for a repeat purchase.

Unlike with Sauternes, I think that the low acidity is largely a 2003 phenomenon.

[ChaimShraga]

I thought so too.

[JC (NC)]

2009 Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux. A Rare Wine Co. selection. Imported by Vieux Vinesm Inc., Vineburg, CA. 12.5% abv. Gold patina with transparency. Perfumed florals (white blossoms) and honey. Some botrytis? Ripe peach. Plenty of acidity to balance the sweetness. Reminds me in some ways of Riesling Auslese. The CT notes recommend cellaring until at least 2020 but that is not practical for me and it can be enjoyed now.

[Robin Garr]

Laurent Kraft 2009 Vouvray ($13.99)

Clear straw color, with a few little bubbles around the rim. An appetizing scent of Meyer lemons leads into a crisp, fresh flavor, Meyer lemon and subtle mineral notes of chalk and "rainwater over rocks." It's not a sweet wine, but neither is it as dry as "Sec" on the label might suggest to those unfamiliar with Vouvray, Rather, a hint of refreshing fresh-fruit sweetness is well balanced by crisp acidity and gentle 12% alcohol. U.S. importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C. (May 5, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It would be fine with delicate "white" meats like poulet l'estragon of simply prepared freshwater fish; the producer's info page in French suggests blanquette de veau, andouille, charcuterie and Tarte Tatin (apple pie!). I crafted a seasonal vegetarian Asian-style main dish with subtle aromatics to match, and fared very well stir-fried pea shoots and baked five-spice tofu.

VALUE: This lower teens price seems more than fair for this quality Vouvray, which shows up in the $16 range from most U.S. vendors on Wine-Searcher.com.

PRONUNCIATION:
Vouvray = "Voo-vray"

WEB LINK:
Here is importer Robert Kacher's fact sheet (PDF format) on the 2009 vintage of Laurent Kraft Vouvray[/url].

Laurent Kraft's fact sheet about his Vouvrays is in French only; clicking the British flag for an English page, oddly, takes me back to the home page in French.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com lists several U.S. Vendors, but I was frankly surprised not to find more for a wine from an importer as widely distributed as Kacher. Ask at your favorite wine shop or use this link to locate Kacher's regional managers for information about sources near you.

[David M. Bueker]

2002 Huet Le Mont Sec
Clearly damaged at some point. Total VA fest.

[Tim York]

Vouvray Le Haut Lieu sec 2005 - Domaine Huet - Alc.13% - (c.19 EUR for 2010)
I should have resisted the temptation to open this bottle, not because it was a mediocre wine but because I think that it will be far more complex and expressive a few years down the road. The aromas on the nose were quite discreet with wax notes and touches of pear and quince. The palate was medium full and by no means bone dry with a distinctly sweet touch on the long finish but as usual with Huet this was balanced by some nice lively acidity and mineral notes. The overall impression was richer than Huet Vouvray dry in most vintages and fruit and mineral flavours were still quite primary, albeit attractive. I am confident that a lot more complexity will emerge down the road; 16/20 now with +++ potential.

2002 Huet Le Mont Sec
Clearly damaged at some point. Total VA fest.

That's a real shame, David . I would expect a sound bottle of 2002 Le Mont to be crisper and more to my taste than the above 2005.


PS 24 hours later.
Often an opened bottle of Vouvray can benefit from 24 hours in the fridge but this one didn't. The lively acidity had become duller and the overall effect was more bland. I begin to have doubts whether this Haut-Lieu 05 will age as well as I first thought.

[David Lole]

Domaine Delétang Montlouis Moelleux 'Les Batisses' 1990 - Grande Reserve

This is Deletang's top late-picked chenin blanc, a wine without a great deal of colour, somewhere approaching a light lemon gold, followed by an attractive but reasonably sedate nose of honeysuckle, pear, quince and a noticable, quite unusual earthen/minerally character that I couldn't define/describe to a tee. The palate delivers somewhat of an understatement compared to many other sweet wine styles of the world - straw, honeysuckle and some lanolin with gently sweet pear and toffee fruit, surprisingly none of the typical chenin apple character to be found here at all, too. The wine is light on its feet with virtually no fatness, although the normal chenin acid seems relatively unassuming (another unusual trait), but there's reasonable length and a pretty decent finish to round things off. My memory serves me well and my last bottle of this, tried some years back, was more impressive and if anything somewhat more developed and with seemingly more depth, complexity and weight. With all my Vouvray and Montlouis chenin, I rarely have any haste in opening them as they seem to keep on keeping on for yonks. This bottle was somewhat of a disappointment in many ways and I can't help but think that it had been stripped of some its "goodness". 86 points from me on this occasion (compared to the last bottle that would have scored easily somewhere in the low nineties).

[Tim York]

Vouvray from Domaine du Viking, Reugny

Here is a brief note on two wines from warm vintages tasted at the Spring tasting of a reliable local wine merchant in the presence of the jovial owner, Lionel Gauthier. The estate is located at the Northern extremity of the Vouvray appellation and its name is inspired by Gauthier's Nordic blond looks.

Vouvray sec 2006 (€11) gave a quite "tendre" impression even though the RS was no more than 5g/l, much less than in most Huet sec. I guess that this impression was derived lower acidity than in most vintages but the wine was already quite mature and attractively rich, deep and complex with typical Vouvray wax and pear and decent length calling for a quite rich pairing of fish or poultry in sauce.

Vouvray tendre 2003 (€11) was what I would call demi-sec but a good rich one avoiding the heaviness of a lot of 2003 with similar wax and pear notes to the previous and enough acidity for excellent balance in spite of the noticeable sweetness. An even richer pairing is indicated here.

Given prices substantially lower than Huet's and Foreau's, I am tempted to get a few bottles to confirm my good impression.

[Thomas G]

No love for Pinon? The 2009 Tradition was delicious this evening with roast chicken. Perhaps a bit a sweet for some but it matched the dish.

[Matt Richman]

Here in New Zealand, Vouvray is not easy to find. However I recently returned from a weekend in Auckland with a trunk full of French wine, including this:

2010 Champalou Vouvray (France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray)
Very clear and clean beautiful wine. Steely with more acidity then I remember in the 2008. A bit of flowers and honey and some wax and a long delicate finish. Really lovely and a steal for the price.
B




Thomas G- I am a big fan of Pinon, I think they must be the best bargain in Vouvray.

[Mark Lipton]

Thomas G- I am a big fan of Pinon, I think they must be the best bargain in Vouvray.

François Pinon is not only a great winemaker, but a heck of a nice guy, too. I had the pleasure of meeting him last year in Chicago on the Dressner tour and it was great fun. I haven't had his '09s, having generally steered clear of the vintage while drinking my '08s, but Pinon's '08s were brilliant to my tastes.

Mark Lipton

[Robin Garr]

Okay, Anjou is slightly off-topic, but it's a Loire Chenin Blanc, and I liked it better than this sweetish, rather mass-market Vouvray ...

Sauvion 2010 Vouvray ($13.99)

Clear pale gold. Aromatic fruit, very ripe cantaloupe and a whiff of fresh pineapple on the nose and palate. Fresh-fruit sweetness and medium-bodied texture reminiscent of tart pineapple juice, shaped by zingy, mouth-watering acidity that keeps the sugar in balance, with subtle touches of Loire "stone" peeking out through the fruit. It's not a dessert-level sweet wine to be sure, but definitely "off-dry," although the acidity keeps it in the food-friendly category for me. U.S. importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., White Plains, N.Y. (May 17, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Its tart-sweet profile would favor mild freshwater fish or oysters on the half-shell. It was just fine with a little leftover asparagus-walnut pesto with cilantro over thin diagonal slices of small zucchini and summer squash sauteed with browned onions and garlic.

VALUE: This local price falls just above the median for this widely distributed Vouvray. Wine-Searcher.com reports a large number of vendors offering it under $12, many for $10 or less, at which point it is a much better value.

WEB LINK:
Click here for importer W.J. Deutsch's fact sheet on Sauvion Vouvray.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Sauvion Vouvray on Wine-Searcher.com.


Domaine Richou 2010 "Chauvigné" Anjou ($11.99)

Very clear straw color. Mixed fresh melons macerated in Meyer lemon juice on the nose and palate. Bone-dry with mouth-watering acidity to frame the flavor; tart and fresh melon fruit over chalky minerality; light lemon zest and chalk linger in a refreshing finish. U.S. importer: Vintage '59 Imports LLC, Washington, D.C. (May 11, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Perfect with spring green vegetables, white fish and shellfish or chicken; it made an outstanding match with spaghetti topped with a spring mix of slow-roasted asparagus, garlic and onions browned in olive oil and Normandy butter.

VALUE: A very good value at this price.

PRONUNCIATION:
Anjou = "Ahn-zhoo"

WEB LINK:
Importer Vintage '59 has an extensive fact sheet on Domaine Richou and its wines here.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Unfortunately, Wine-Searcher.com provides only one U.S. vendor on its free site, holding the rest behind the Wine-Searcher Pro paywall, which is worth the $39 annual investment if you buy a lot of wine online. Otherwise, check with your local merchants or look for distributors in your state on the importer's website.

[JC (NC)]

I had a small taste of the Sauvion Vouvray at Toast of the Town, a charity tasting for CARE Clinic in Fayetteville, NC. I thought it was okay. I bought a bottle of Sauvion Muscadet last week but haven't tried it yet.

[Robin Garr]

I had a small taste of the Sauvion Vouvray at Toast of the Town, a charity tasting for CARE Clinic in Fayetteville, NC. I thought it was okay.

Oh, it's okay, nothing to spit out, but I've had more interesting Vouvrays.

[Joe Moryl]

2006 Vouvray, Cuvee Tradition, F. Pinon:
OK, Thomas wanted to know where the Pinon was, so I pulled this one out tonight. Somewhat floral on the nose, with a whiff of vinyl. Initial impression is honey laced melon and pear, but followed by lots of chalky mineral and crisp acidity. Certainly demi-sec but very well balanced. Right out of the bottle this comes off as a bit simple, but with some warming and air, it blossoms. Good stuff, but maybe just a bit more advanced and golden than I would expect for an '06 at this stage (stored at 55F).

[ChaimShraga]

Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Clos du Papillon, 2005

This has all the elements I found in previous bottles - canteloupe and the unique smoky, ashy signature of Savennieres - the difference, is, everything has finally come together. The fruit is fresh and vivid, without any sense of heaviness. There's a light bitterness on the finish, but it evokes grapefruit rind, rather than pips. After a couple of hours, a sweaty muck emerges, which reminds Efrat of piss. I find it very appealing. Whatever, this is an excellent, decently complex drop.

[Eli R]

Vouvray/Montlouis with exeptions for Chenin from elsewhere ...

This theme was somehow lost.
I am not yet too familiar with Vouvray wines, but I have recently tried Chenin from South Africa and a few made locally in Israel where Chenin is one of the new "hot" wines.

Eli

[Mark Lipton]

2008 François Chidaine Vouvray "Le Bouchet"
nose: white peach and lime, with a hefty mineral streak
palate: zippy acidity, taut and racy, sec-tendre?, nearly dry finish

I'll preface this by saying that I love everything Chidaine produced in '08 and this wine's no exception. It has a nearly dry feel despite carrying 19 g/L of RS. It was fantastic with dry smoked Copper River salmon and cheese/Poblano tamales.

Mark Lipton

[Salil]

1989 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve
Just a stunning Vouvray. Incredibly fragrant; packed with dried apricots, quince, orange marmalade and honeyed flavours; dense and intensely sweet yet superbly balanced with plenty of acidity beneath the sweetness to keep it very fresh, precise and very easy to drink. Wonderful stuff, thanks Brad.