Loire Wines Fair in Angers

Bottled wine glass

Monday january 31st to wednesday 2nd was when the Loire Valley wine fair was held in Angers , along the Loire river . 570 estates and wineries were present . Exceptional opportunity to taste and meet the owners and the winemakers . This is open to wine professionals and buyers only and they come from all over France and the world ( estimated 9000 visitors rom 25 countries ) . This wine fair is one of the most sought-after by wine professionals and I was happy to be part of it as it sheds light on the very rich diversity of the Loire Valley Appellations and terroirs .
Here are a few pics shot while tasting great wines , mostly from estates I did not know yet .

Rousseau Freres "Touraine Noble Joué"

Ever heard about "Noble Joué" ? Smallest appellation of the Loire area . 30 hectares altogether . Very recent also ( 2001 ) . This is actually an old wine already known in the 15th century ( Louis IX ) wich had its glory apogee in the 19th century , before the phyloxera . It then nearly disappeared . Noble Joué is a "vin gris" made from Pinot Gris ( 30-35 %), Pinot Noir ( 10-15%) and Pinot-Meunier (55%) . Very beautiful rosé at 4 Euro , from Rousseau Freres in Esvres "Le Vau" .

Junko Arai (right) with Noëlla Morantin At last we meet Junko Arai, who owns a wine estate near Mareuil sur Cher ( along the Cher river ). Her story is highly interesting . First , she is from Japan and runs an importation business for french wines to the japanese market . Then , as it happens sometimes, her love affair with wine translated into making wine herself... Her estate is Domaine des Bois Lucas . Pictured here with chai master Noëlla Morantin and a bottle of Gamay "Cuvée Kuniko" 2003 : An incredible Gamay made possible by the 2003 millesime . We will visit her soon , more info then... Jo Pithon Jo Pithon makes outstanding Chenin wines on Anjou , Coteaux du Layon and Savennieres . Among the 7 wines we tasted there was an exceptional Anjou Bonnes Blanches 2002 , old vines ( 40 years) with meticulous work, 20-25 hectoliter/hectare, very little SO2 , new casks . Powerful . 18 Euro .Frustrating not to write about the other we tasted . More when we visit . Pictured here with Quarts de Chaume , Les Varennes 2002 , one of the 3 Moelleux we tasted .2 years in new casks , less than 10 ho/hectare . nice . 70 Euro in 75 cl .

Henry Marionnet and his "Premiere Vendange" 2004

My wine notes remind me here also the nice moments we had when we tasted 5 different reds of the Domaine de la Charmoise . We indeed have to plan a lot of visits in the Loire Valley . Need to see the places where all these wines are made and slowly matured .
Just some notes about the bottle and the pic : Touraine Gamay "Premiere Vendange" 2004, 100% natural : Vinification , fermentation , maturation, bottling . Not chaptalized , no sulphur added , nowhere . Written on the bottle . Very delicate , the most beautiful wine of the Domaine, according to Henry Marionnet .

Francis Jourdain and INAO engineer Jean Michel Passal

INAO , the Appellations authority, is often seen as an abstract administrative entity . But it has also a human face and many INAO engineers and technicians are in close contact with the vineyard reality , visiting the estates , looking at the soil and the vines and meeting winemakers , year around .
Here is Jean Michel Passal , an INAO engineer who oversees the region , discussing and tasting with Francis Jourdain, Valencay wine producer ( Valencay Appellation is less than a year old ) .

Catherine Breton, Joe Dressner, and Isabelle Pithon

B. and I were indulging in tasting once more Catherine et Pierre Breton's wines when two americans joined . I noticed the name on the tag of one of them : Joe Dressner , and dared to present myself . I had visited several times his website and liked very much the style of his approach to the estates and wines he imports in the U.S. , with articles where you feel he personally knows the people and the places . Not always the case on the importers' websites .
I could have been an annoyance with my desire to talk and take a pic, but he gently agreed, if, he said, Isabelle Pithon could join with Catherine Breton . He enquired about why make a wine weblog in english . As I often say, french people live next door to this wine landscape in their daily life . I said I thought more interesting to share it in english with the rest of the world which can't visit the places as easily . Anyway , he is a nice person and I'm happy of our brief talk.

Thierry Germain and his Marginale 2003

Thierry Germain was an outsider in the Loire Valley when he left the Bordeaux region where his family owns vineyards .
He now makes some of the most outstanding Saumur Champigny wines in the Appellation . His Marginale 2000 was selected by japanese sommelier Shinya Tasaki in a list of the 60 "best wines of the world" , setting off big demand for his wines there . His Domaine des Roches Neuves Marginale 2003 is superb , with quite a "sucrosité en bouche" , a sugar feel in the mouth . 20-25 ho/ha, with a terroir right on chalk ( reverberates the summer heat )

Yann Lelias, Chateau de Villeneuve's cellar master

Chateau de Villeneuve , an estate with beautiful white Saumur, as well as red Saumur Champigny . Of the 6 wines we tasted , I remember , and my notes underline, a great white : Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur "Les Cormieres" 2002 . Great dry wine . Balanced , with long long lengh in mouth . Purity . Vineyard spot on very thin layer of turonian clay-limestone . Yann Lelias say it was already a beautiful millesime before the grapes reached the cellar at harvest time . Different things I saw about the estate make me want to visit soon .

Comments

[RAVAILLER Jean-Pierre]

Bonjour,
Co-auteur d'un livre qui doit être édité en
2010,intitulé:La Touraine,Vins et Gastronomie, je
souhaiterais illustrer 2 chapitres par une
photo;je souhaiterais utiliser la photo d'henry Marionnet et celle du Noble-Joué(Rousseau frères). Est-ce possible?
Vous pouvez regarder le blog concernant le livre sorti en
2009 quivous montrera le sérieux de mon travail.
bien cordialement
JPR
Jean-Pierre RAVAILLER
2 Rue de Port Cros
54180 Heillecourt
Tél: 03.83.55.45.08.
Blog : www.gastronome.unblog.fr