Winedoctor

Bordeaux Wine Guide: Bordeaux Viticulture (subscribers only)

In the latest instalment of my new and expanded guide to Bordeaux, I look at viticulture. I examine the disease burden in the Bordeaux vineyard, and look at the treatments available, starting from the work of Ernest David and Alexis Millardet in the late 19th century.

Château Cos d'Estournel Update (subscribers only)

An updated profile after meeting new manager Aymeric Gironde in April.

Primeur Picks 2012 (subscribers only)

Somewhere in this report on the 2012 Bordeaux vintage, all 47 pages of it, I extolled the benefits of going it alone during the primeurs. This was the first year I did the tastings solo, rather than part of a group. And there were certainly some advantages to this. I particularly enjoyed the freedom of being able to draw up my own timetable, flying out and returning at times that suited me, and arranging all my appointments to make a schedule that allowed me more time at some tastings where I had previously felt rushed, less time where it wasn't needed at others. Perhaps more importantly, the extra time allowed me to slot in visits to many estates not previously (or rarely) bothered by my footfall, with Pomerol and St Emilion being major beneficiaries. It was, I felt, what Winedoctor subscribers expected and deserved. I was only too happy to oblige!

Sauternes 2012 (subscribers only)

Although the vast majority of my recent week in Bordeaux was spent tasting the embryonic barrel samples, I did allow one or two digressions during the week. One of these was on Monday, during my visit to Château Haut-Bailly. Here, after retasting the 2012 barrel sample (I had just come from the Pessac-Léognan syndicat tasting, and so it was a second bit of this particular cherry for me) I stayed on for a fifteen-vintage vertical, as well as a bite of lunch. It was the only château at which I accepted lunch or dinner during the primeurs, and this will of course be declared in my annual statement of benefits received, like this one for 2012. As for the vertical tasting, I will be writing this up as soon as I can. Temporarily relaxed, I lingered a little too long at Haut-Bailly, and found myself leaving with little time to spare if I was to make my appointment at Château Climens on time. I pointed the hire car in more-or-less the right direction; although the autoroute would have been the quickest journey, for some reason I elected to go cross country through the forests just to the east (I'm not sure why, save for the fact that country roads are interesting, and motorways are boring). I discovered a few roads I have never travelled down before (and I suspect I may never travel down them again) and also tested the accelerative powers of my turbo-charged lawnmower-engined hire car (it was not impressive).

AC Bordeaux 2012 (subscribers only)

Coming right at the end of my Bordeaux 2012 reports, it would be too easy to dismiss the notes I present here as mere also-rans, a rag-tag collection of wines that don't fit into one of the region's appellations and therefore probably aren't any good. After all, all the best terroirs and best wines are tied up in the great communes of Bordeaux, aren't they? Aren't they?

Pierre Luneau-Papin: 2013 Update (subscribers only)

Excited by the opportunity to meet some relative newcomers to the Vouvray firmament, and taste wines from the appellation never before encountered, I have focused more than usual on that region recently. I really enjoyed writing up those tastings, because although it is always useful to revisit the likes of Huet, Foreau, Fouquet and Carême, it is no less energising to meet people such as Michel Autran, Peter Hahn, Sébastien Brunet or Mathieu Cosme, and see what they have been doing with their recently inherited or newly purchased vineyards. Was that remiss of me though?

Jeanne Gaillard Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah 2012 (free to all)

I'm taking another detour away from the Loire this week, but I plan to return to 2009 Chinon - to keep up the vague theme I started with the 2009 Croix Boisée from Bernard Baudry, and the 2009 Coteau de Noiré from Philippe Alliet - again very shortly. This week, I'm off to the Rhône Valley, and in particular to Collines Rhodaniennes.

Bordeaux Wine Guide: White Varieties (subscribers only)

A comprehensive guide to grapes. I look at the white varieties of Bordeaux, paying particular attention to Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, but not forgetting Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Includes notes on flavours, synonyms, viticultural characteristics, genetics, images and links to relevant research articles.

Goulée (subscribers only)

My profile updated, with new information on people, vineyards and wines.

Médoc 2012 (subscribers only)

I complete my more detailed examination of the 'lesser' appellations of the left bank with the Médoc. Unlike the Haut-Médoc appellation, which is long and convoluted, the concept of the Médoc is rather easier to grasp. Almost everything on the isthmus north of the drainage ditch that runs just above St Estèphe is Médoc, the only notable exception being a pocket of gravelly soils classified as Haut-Médoc, tucked in the corner between the drainage ditch to the south, and the Gironde to the east, around the town of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. This is where the insiders' favourite Château Sociando-Mallet (well, it used to be an insider's wine) can be found.

Haut-Médoc 2012 (subscribers only)

Continuing my more detailed exploration of the wines made outside of the famous left bank communes, after Moulis and Listrac we now come to the vineyards of the Haut-Médoc. As regular Bordeaux drinkers will know, the Haut-Médoc appellation is a long and convoluted one, running all the way up the left bank of the Gironde, from north of Bordeaux, terminating shortly after Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, about 60 kilometres to the north. Within this appellation the famous communes of St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux rise like gravelly islands, so the Haut-Médoc appellation has the appearance of encircling and flanking these smaller communes.

Moulis & Listrac 2012 (subscribers only)

In the no-man's-land between the villages of Arsac, Margaux and Cantenac to the south, and St-Julien-Beychevelle to the north, there lies a run of vineyards too-often overlooked. Hugging the river there are some faintly gravelly croupes classified purely as Haut-Médoc, and many familiar good-value names can be found here. Names that include Château Lanessan and Château Beaumont, both just south of St Julien in Cussac-Fort-Médoc. Just inland from these Haut-Médoc vineyards are the communes of Moulis-en-Médoc and Listrac-Médoc, more commonly abbreviated (by me at least - but I'm certain I'm not alone in exhibiting this rather lazy trait) to Moulis and Listrac. The wines of these two communes, and the Haut-Médoc vineyards mentioned above, do not have the same high reputation enjoyed by St Julien or Margaux, to the north and south respectively. The reason for this distinction is geological. Both St Julien and Margaux are blessed with deep seams of the gravel that was deposited here by the Gironde, during the Günzian inter-glacial phase when the river ran at a much higher level (because without glaciers, sea levels and thus river levels were significantly more elevated than they are today).

Feasting on Foreau (subscribers only)

As I reach the end (for the moment at least) of a period of update and expansion of my coverage of Vouvray, during which I revisited now-familiar domaines and also discovered some new ones, it seems only appropriate that I turn my attention towards Philippe Foreau for a moment. The Domaine du Clos Naudin, Philippe Foreau's domaine, lies just up the road from Domaine Huet, and in terms of quality the two domaines continue to reign supreme within the appellation. Many have snapped at their heels over the years, Bernard Fouquet and Catherine Champalou were the original terriers of the appellation (and some would no doubt speak up for François Pinon as well), although in more recent years Vincent Carême has taken on this role, raising not only his own game but also that played by all those he educates and mentors across the appellation. Even so, for the moment at least, Domaine Huet and Philippe Foreau remain top dogs.

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boisée 2009 (free to all)

Something seems to have lit a Chinon fire within me. Maybe it's a sudden remembering that these wines offer huge value and pleasure, and in a great vintage - such as 2009 - have cellar potential aplenty and will develop complexity and unforeseen nuances as they age. Maybe, in the face of expensive Bordeaux - the 2012s are being released at lower prices in many (but certainly not all) cases, but one wouldn't exactly refer to them as 'cheap' - it was a need to taste something that was packed to the brim with quality, ripe tannin, sweet fruit and full potential, but which didn't require the sale of an essential organ in order to buy a bottle, or even a case.

Bordeaux Wine Guide: Red Varieties (subscribers only)

A comprehensive guide to grapes. I look at the distribution of red varieties in Bordeaux, from the Cabernets and Merlot down to Malbec, with details on flavours, synonyms, viticultural characteristics, genetics, images and links to relevant research articles.

St Emilion 2012 classification (subscribers only)

An update of my account of the 2012 St Emilion classification, including clarification on the fate of La Tour du Pin, high-end rumblings of discontent, and low-end legal challenges.

Domaine de Bellivière: 2013 Update (subscribers only)

It can only be four or five years since I first tasted through the wine portfolio of Eric Nicolas of Domaine de Bellivière. To be honest, at first glance I didn't quite know what to make of them, with their cool structures, crystalline floral fruits and their dry (or sometimes not-so-dry) savoury purity. I certainly didn't come up with as many appropriate adjectives as I have done in the previous sentence. I confess to being somewhat confused by the wines, the most uncompromising expression of ultra-cool climate Chenin Blanc I had ever encountered.

Castillon & Co. 2012 (subscribers only)

It is only natural that in a vintage that appears to have favoured the earlier-ripening Merlot over Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and other later-ripening varieties, that the hunt for good value wines should take us to the lesser appellations of the right bank. But then the alarm bells should begin to ring; after all, my tasting experience in St Emilion seemed to suggest that lesser vineyards had not coped well, having struggled to fully ripen their fruit in this rather trying vintage. Why should we expect similarly placed domaines along the limestone slopes and plateau of Castillon, or on similar soils in Fronsac, or within the satellites of the St Emilion and Pomerol appellations, to fare any better?

St Emilion 2012 (subscribers only)

There is no straightforward soundbite for St Emilion in this vintage, mirroring my inability to apply a simple soundbite to the vintage as a whole. It is perhaps not that surprising; this is a complex appellation, with a mix of strikingly different terroirs planted with different grape varieties. Although Merlot dominates, some wines feature Cabernet Franc over this variety, the obvious examples being Le Dôme, Cheval Blanc and Ausone. Many other estates are also beginning to lean this way, as the very early ripening and consequent problems with tannin and high alcohol so easily developed by Merlot in the warmer climate enjoyed by Bordeaux in recent years is pushing vineyard managers towards Cabernet Franc instead. Two châteaux, Angélus and Pavie, are perhaps more notable in this matter than others; a case of these newly elevated estates emulating their Class 'A' peers, perhaps? The potential complexity is clear to see, and this is before we explore the different viticultural and vinification philosophies, driving some estates to leaf-pluck and others not to, some estates to continue with full-on maceration, and others to hold back, and so on.

Pomerol 2012

After three days exploring the left bank communes, not only the classic wines of the Médoc - Pauillac, St Julien and so on - from north of Bordeaux, but also those from Pessac-Léognan to the south of the city, as well as tasting many wines from less grand appellations, it was time to head over to Pomerol. I packed up my case and loaded everything into the boot of my hire car; the vineyards of Bordeaux are so widely spread that it made sense to re-locate for a few days, so I would be leaving behind my Médocian hideaway in favour of a small hotel in Libourne, where I had booked a room for a couple of nights.

Domaine de Bellemare Les Granges de Félines 2012

The original focus of today's 'weekend wine' post was to be a return to Chinon, with another cuvée from the 2009 vintage, from a top domaine, to form a matching pair (actually, the second in a short series of 2009 Chinons) with last week's examination of the 2009 Coteau de Noiré from Philippe Alliet. But then on Saturday morning I hit the road, for a weekend of family activities (the focus of which was a wedding, as it happens), before heading on to London on Monday to take my chair on the Loire panel of the Decanter World Wine Awards judging week. As the weekend progressed I ended up in a cheap-and-cheerful bistro in Nottingham, one in a small chain, and I wasn't hopeful of finding much that was interesting to drink. As it turned out, I was wrong.

Margaux 2012

Whereas the story of the vintage, as told by most proprietors and vineyard managers, began with the disappointing spring weather, at Palmer it began a little earlier. It is an often-overlooked fact that the life cycle of the vine extends over two years, not one. This is because the number of inflorescence primordia (the stems that bear the flowers that will become bunches of grapes once fertilised) is determined by conditions during summer the year before. In warm and benevolent years such as 2009 and 2010, the vines are all set to produce huge flurries of flowers and fruit the subsequent year. This would not be the case after the less appealing summer of 2011, however, which as Bordeaux savants will know was characterised by warm weather in spring and autumn, sandwiching a rather cool and dreary summer.

Domaine des Aubuisières: 2013 Update

Having already tasted with François Chidaine, Jacky Blot, Vincent Carême and a number or other Vouvray and Montlouis vignerons at the 2013 Salon des Vins de Loire, the time came to taste with Bernard Fouquet of Domaine des Aubuisières. I was by now aware that the 2012 vintage had been a very troublesome one for the aforementioned vignerons; the potential for good (but certainly not great) quality was there, but for biodynamic and organic (whether certified or not) domaines yields were well down. The declared quantities tended to hover around 12 hl/ha; hopefully this will give them enough bottles to sell in order to keep the wolf from the door, but life as a Vouvray vigneron would not be tenable if such figures were to be repeated on a regular basis.

St Julien 2012

Getting an appointment at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou to taste the 2012 barrel sample had proved to be a difficult task; repeated requests seemed to have gone unanswered. But I wasn't going to let it lie; one of the reasons I went solo at this year's primeurs was to be able to make my own timetable, and to ensure comprehensive coverage. I wasn't about to let a few unanswered emails defeat me. So, in an unusually confident mood, I decided I would just turn up and see if I could blag my way in.

Pauillac 2012

The commune of Pauillac, directly south of St Estèphe, requires a lot of work to cover properly. The three first growths insist on a visit to taste the wines, and as primeurs aficionados will know these days the Tesserons of Château Pontet-Canet see themselves in the same fashion. Happily there are still some grand names here, making superb wines, that are still content to pour their wines alongside their peers, at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux St Estèphe-Pauillac-St Julien tasting. The likes of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, for example, as well as Château Pichon-Baron and Château Pichon-Lalande. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem right to me that only those châteaux that insist on a visit, get a visit. A good understanding of the commune and vintage at hand comes from visiting as many different châteaux as possible. And so this year, on my 'Pauillac morning', I managed to squeeze in appointments at Pichon-Baron and Grand-Puy-Lacoste as well.

Philippe Alliet Chinon Coteau de Noiré 2009

It is far too long since I made any mention of Philippe Alliet on Winedoctor, despite having made several recent tastings of his wines, including a look at the 2011 vintage at this year's Salon des Vins de Loire. Those notes are yet to be tidied up and published; in the meantime, some pan-fried fillet on Saturday evening - after a long day of typing up this week's instalments of my Bordeaux 2012 report - called for something red, structured, preferably with a bit of tannic bite, and yet perhaps not Bordeaux. And so I went exploring in the cellar. Well, 'exploring' is the word I use; perhaps 'stare somewhat aimlessly at the bottles until something jumps out at you' might be more appropriate. Whatever term you use, within a minute or two my hands landed on two bottles; a rather young Cornas, from 2006, and an even younger Chinon, from 2009. It should be pretty clear which one won.

St Estèphe 2012

Each year the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux organises a series of region-based or single appellation tastings for the primeurs. You might think it hardly matters which château actually hosts the tasting, provided they have room enough to accommodate all the pourers and tasters. You would, however, be wrong. The prime example of this is the Sauternes tasting, which is almost always hosted by a Margaux château (although this year Château La Lagune - not that much further for the Sauternais to travel, I suppose - stepped up to the plate). The château-proprietors of Sauternes and Barsac who are UGC members know full well that a tasting actually hosted in Sauternes, on the far side of Bordeaux to the famous communes of Margaux, Pauillac, St Julien and so on, would see dramatically reduced attendance. The wine trade might speak vociferously in favour of the sweet wines of Bordeaux, and continually wail at their faltering sales, but do they want to drive all the way round the Rocade to taste them? No way!

Vincent Carême: 2013 Update

These days, a review of Vouvray would not be complete without an appointment with Vincent Carême and his wife Tania. Having taken on and then built up his family's small-holding into a respectable domaine, joining the exalted upper tiers of quality in the appellation, Vincent is also - unintentionally, perhaps - fostering something of a Vouvray revolution. In part this leadership role is something he has grown into, as awareness of the dedicated organic practices he adheres to and the results of his quality-orientated philosophy spreads throughout the appellation. Also important in spreading the creed, however, is Vincent's academic role at Amboise. Through his teaching position Vincent has built up a small network of enthused and interested young (and some not-so-young) growers. Together, in manner as loose-knit as the 'natural' wine movement, this tenuous 'Vouvray collective' are reinvigorating the appellation.

Pessac-Léognan 2012

Flying solo for the Bordeaux primeurs means you can set your own timetable, giving me a freedom I rather enjoyed during this year's tastings. A freedom to arrange an 8am appointment at Château La Mission Haut-Brion, for example, in order to taste through the Haut-Brion/Clarence Dillon (call it what you will) portfolio. At the time of making the appointment it seemed like a good idea; you know the saying about the early bird and the worm. With the first visit done, I could then move onto the syndicat tasting at Château Olivier, taking in as much of the rest of the appellation as I could, before heading over to Château Haut-Bailly before lunch, leaving time in the afternoon for me to head down to Sauternes and Barsac. When the day came, though, getting up at 5:30am so I could spend more than an hour and a half driving there in the rain, under dark skies for at least the first hour, suddenly didn't seem so much fun. Happily, a fifteen-minute catnap in the car before my appointment soon rejuvenated by brain, and hopefully my palate.

Bordeaux 2012

It is Saturday afternoon, and I have just been speaking to the proprietor of a little-known Haut-Médoc château who told me he was glad to at last see the first real day of spring arrive. It is 24ºC, and as I am accustomed to Scottish weather - having now lived north of the border for eight years - these soaring temperatures feel like much more than spring to me. They have me in the mood for swimming trunks and a sun lounger, my fantasy afternoon hopefully culminating with a welcome dip in the obligatory piscine. Unfortunately, I have no such facility nearby. Instead, I find myself sitting in my hire car, looking out across an extensive vista of vines, most probably - in view of the proximity of the grand, multi-storied château (pictured below) - those belonging to Château Margaux. Well, I could think of worse places to park up, couldn't you?

Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru NV

I hurried down the steps of the Boeing 737-800 onto the tarmac at Edinburgh airport, and drew my fleece more tightly around my chest. I had left the warm climes of Bordeaux - it was 24ºC on my departure - and returned to the chill of Scotland. Fresh thoughts of emigrating to somewhere warmer filled my head. For now, though, that would have to wait; it was time to get writing my Bordeaux 2012 report, so that I can begin publication this week. And to refresh the palate after all those grumpy barrel samples, and to help fuel the typist's fingers, something free of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was required. Preferably something lively, fresh and invigorating. It would have to be Champagne. And why not Egly-Ouriet?

Bordeaux Climate

Bordeaux lies on the 45th parallel and has a very temperate climate, partly due to its latitude but also due to the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, the latter bringing warmer waters from further south. This warming effect reaches far inland thanks to the presence of the Gironde Estuary, the size and influence of which is not to be underestimated. As the water courses past the vineyards of the famous Haut-Médoc communes of Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe the estuary is many miles wide, reaching seven miles at its greatest. It is an obvious location for the siting of a nuclear reactor or two, a huge supply of cool water being essential for the operation of such reactors. Take a view across the Gironde from the vineyards of St Estèphe or St Seurin de Cadourne and it is difficult to overlook the twin reactors of the Centrale Nucléaire du Blayais......

Château Monbousquet

I don't recall which château it was I was looking for now. All I remember is that I had taken the road heading south and then south-west out of St Emilion. I had passed Château La Gaffelière, and after dog-legging right then left I had continued on over the D670. This arterial route runs in an almost perfectly straight line between Libourne to the north and St Pey d'Armens to the south. All day long it bustles which traffic, so much so that on occasion it can be a wait of several minutes before you can finally floor the accelerator and cross the flow. At some point the soils changed; as I was coming down out of St Emilion it was clear they were already loose and sandy, but once across the D670 they appeared to take on a more homogenous character, with a rich, red-golden hue. I had descended from the exalted limestone plateau and slopes of the appellation to the sandy near-palus of St Sulpice de Faleyrens. A minute later, looming up in the distance, I espied the rather monolithic chai of Château Monbousquet......

François Chidaine

I had a rather stuttering beginning to my knowledge of François Chidaine and his wines. It all started with a series of dissatisfyingly brief encounters with François at tastings, or near misses, but never an in-depth meeting. An appointment to meet and taste at his shop La Cave Insolite, in Montlouis, which I had to call off, is one example. A chance encounter at Château Fonroque, in Bordeaux, when looming appointments at Cheval Blanc and Le Pin prevented any lengthy discussion, is another. At other times I have been thwarted by throngs of eager tasters all keen for their share of François and his wines, preventing any meaningful discussion of the wines on show. Fortunately, since those early encounters, I have managed to talk with François at more length about his winemaking philosophy in Montlouis and Vouvray, both face to face - most commonly at the Salon des Vins de Loire where François is a staunch exhibitor, usually pouring upwards of twenty wines - and also by email. This profile is a distillation of these encounters, and encapsulates all I know about the man, his vineyards and his wine.

Château Haut-Marbuzet

The origins of Château Haut-Marbuzet lie in the 18th century, when much of the land around the hamlet of Marbuzet in the commune of St Estèphe was in the ownership of two families. The first is a familiar name, it being none other than the nobleman Alexandre de Ségur, who held sway here until his death in 1776, when his lands were divided and sold. These lands were acquired by Marc-Antoine Domenger, who was régisseur at Latour, and subsequently gave rise to Château Le Crock, now owned by the Cuvelier family of Léoville-Poyferré, as well as Château de Marbuzet....... Read more, in my new profile of this fine St Estèphe estate.

Sebastien Brunet

Following on from my other recent discoveries in Vouvray, namely Peter Hahn, Mathieu Cosme and Michel Autran, we come now to the next in my little parade of Vouvray vignerons. Sébastien Brunet is not a total newcomer, and so his story is perhaps more similar to that of Mathieu, who inherited his vines from his father, than Peter or Michel, who have gravitated to winemaking from the worlds of finance and medicine. Tragically, however, Sébastien inherited his vines earlier than was expected, following his father's premature death in 2006.

Château Talbot Caillou Blanc 2009

First off, before I get to my choice of wine this week, a little 'housekeeping' here. Over the weekend, in case you weren't already aware, Winedoctor changed to a pay-to-view model. Nevertheless, I will continue with some free-to-all updates, and my regular Monday 'Weekend Wine' posting is one that will remain free. Now that change is made, it seems the right moment to remind readers of my philosophy when it comes to my 'Weekend Wine' posts. Here I feature any wine recently tasted - quite often during the preceding weekend, although to be frank I do occasionally cheat and feature wines tasted earlier in the week - which has piqued my interest. It might be a technical issue with the wine, or something about the vineyard, winemaker or region that has me enthused.

Bordeaux Geology

Before homing in on Bordeaux, I thought it would be useful to first look at a few geological concepts. Fear not; I have no intention of presenting you with a geological timetable for you to learn. But it makes sense to at least look at the basic rock types, so that we all understand their origins, followed by a very broad overview of the geology of all France. The emphasis here is on the word broad, because in no way will this be a detailed examination. Nevertheless, taking an overview in this fashion not only allows us to understand why Bordeaux's geology is how it is, it is also useful for understanding other regions of France.

Clos Fourtet

A brief update to this profile, following the Cuvelier family's recent vineyard purchases.

Wedgwood

It was Tuesday lunchtime, and instead of being hard at work at my desk, I found myself strolling down Edinburgh's Royal Mile. What a rare treat; out for lunch, midweek. The venue was Wedgwood, a relatively new venue in the city. I should clarify what I mean by that statement; I have in recent years taken my finger off the pulse of Edinburgh dining (something I intend to put right), and so 'relatively new' could mean several years in my book. Indeed, after a brief piece of research, I see chef Paul Wedgwood and business partner Lisa Channon have been here at least three years, having picked up a nod as a 'charming restaurant' in the Michelin guide some time ago, as well as a few other trade accolades along the way. In fact, I see they've been here since 2007; a visit is not only warranted, it is plainly overdue. Lunch, here I come.

Château Ormes de Pez

Almost directly west of the village of St Estèphe is the rather unprepossessing hamlet of Pez. This little settlement consists of not much more than two streets, one running north, one running west, each one lined with residential properties, very much in the western suburban style. They present a superficial image of a grand, expansive suburb, but do not be fooled; these houses are lined up in single file, and just on the other side, in every direction you look, there are vineyards. We are still very much in wine country here, the appellation remains St Estèphe, and in fact there are almost as many wine-producing châteaux in Pez as there are residential properties. Well, perhaps not quite, but you get the idea.

Les Cailloux du Paradis Racines 2008

Perhaps it was last week's Real Wine Fair that did it. Or perhaps it was just the feeling that I have strayed too long from the Loire, looking instead at wines from Condrieu and Banyuls in recent weeks. Whatever the reason, this weekend I really felt as though a return to the defined, bright and crunchy fruit of the Loire Valley would do my soul some good. I like Viognier, especially when it shows a rare, minerally tautness, and I like Grenache too, especially when it comes with a sweet, heady, bright, cherry-fuelled intensity which so often seems absent from the baked, points-seeking wines of the Southern Rhône. But there is nothing quite like the perfume and crunch of Côt and Cabernet Franc from the Loire.