Roughing it with Rougeard: A last meal of sorts

[Chris_Kissack]

@marc d

@Chris Kissack

@Michael Powers

That is very interesting Chris, but how do these compare to your top producers in Chinon and Bourgueil?

Good question. I woudl say there are no domaines comparable to Clos Rougeard, but there is a much broader selection of domaines turning out excellent wines I would rank alongside Roches Neuves. This is especially so if you judge domaines solely on the quality of their limestone/côtes cuvées, and don’t worry about ranking domaines according to the lighter wines from gravel or sand (which can be great, but will never be the greatest) in their respective portfolios. And some of these domaines are still relatively unknown, and there is a dynanism to the appellation as well with some interesting new domaines cropping up. Top domaines, which probably won’t surprise anyone, include Philippe Alliet and Matthieu Baudry, also the revitalised Charles Joguet, Couly-Dutheil for their Clos de l’Echo, Jérôme Billard for his Pierre de Tuf, and so on. But look out for less well-known names, such as Bruno Sourdais (Logis de Bouchardière), Yves Plaisantin (Jaulin-Plaisantin) & Nicolas Grosbois, the first well established but overlooked, the latter two on their way up. Definitely more choice here than in Saumur-Champigny.

The field is tighter in Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil, but I like Benoit Amirault best, then Jacky Blot, with good value from Frédéric Mabileau, interesting wines from Sébastien David. Cotelleraie can be good too. But whereas I buy a range of wines from Chinon, I generally buy mostly from the Amiraults and Jacky Blot for my own drinking.

Thanks for this Chris.

Where would you put Pierre and Catherine Breton in here?
Specifically their top wines like Bourgueil Les Perrieres and Chinon St Louans?

I hope you are OK Robert, hurricanes are nasty.

Historically I would have put them on the same level but I dliberately omitted them as I haven’t tasted Les Perrières for a couple of vintages. I will be back in the region in January and may try to visit then.

[marc_d]

Ah, good to hear Chris. I was wondering if you thought C and P Breton had dropped in quality because it seemed strange to omit them.

In my tiny world, my simplified hierchy is Baudry for Chinon (with a soft spot for the unique and wonderful Jerome Lenoir), Breton for Bourgeuil, and Clos Rougeard for Saumur.

I know, I need to branch out more, so your suggestions above are very useful!

[Vince_T]

@Chris Kissack

Chinon is (putting my hard-hat on and preparing to duck) like Burgundy, with slopes and a variety of terroirs, which means you get some very different styles of wine all wearing the same appellation. The lighter wines which tend to come from sand are gravel terroirs on the flatter alluvial plain of the Vienne are generally the ones to drink young, while as you go up the slopes you get clay and limestone. These are the terroirs which give the better cuvées which you refer to and I definitely agree they do not always drink well young. With Burgundy, there premier cru and grand cru appellations guide us to some extent, as these tend to reflect where the vineyards are on the slope, and the real geeks know which vineyard is where anyway. With Chinon it is more difficult; there is no cru system, and even when the vigneron names the vineyard on the label, try finding a map to pinpoint where that vineyard is. It’s not easy! But wines like those I mentioned all come from limestone terroirs and I treat them like any otehr serious red wine, I might check in on them once in the first decade but otherwise I tend to drink them once they are ten years old, but with no rush. From Baudry, Alliet, Couly-Dutheil and the like the vintages I have drunk recently have been 2003, 2005 and 2006 but I have bottles from the limestone côtes drinking nicely from 1989, 1993 and 1996.

Right. I’ve had a 2011 Raffault Les Picasses (limestone) and a 2010 Baudry Grezeaux (gravel) in recent weeks and both were pretty unyielding. Had a 2013 Clos Les Pins (base cuvee) last night and boy was that a treat for $15. Best $15 red i’ve had ever perhaps. I think a direct import from K&L; sadly, i went back online for a case & it’s gone.

[Robert.A.Jr]

I forgot that I had a 1/4 bottle left of the Rougeard, sitting in the regular fridge since Thursday night. Sitting in a very good place, has put on some weight and has fleshed out with arechtype nuances of Loire Cab Franc, green tobacco leaf, ash, peppers, along with a full range of red fruits. This is an excellent wine.

[Marc_Frontario]

@Robert Alfert

I forgot that I had a 1/4 bottle left of the Rougeard, sitting in the regular fridge since Thursday night. Sitting in a very good place, has put on some weight and has fleshed out with arechtype nuances of Loire Cab Franc, green tobacco leaf, ash, peppers, along with a full range of red fruits. This is an excellent wine.

How the hell does one forget they have left overs of Rougeard in the frig for two days let alone admit it??? Someone has too much wine!!

[Chris_Kissack]

@Marc Frontario

How the hell does one forget they have left overs of Rougeard in the frig for two days let alone admit it??? Someone has too much wine!!

I agree!