James Molesworth`s Recommended Loire Wines
Transcription
James Molesworth`s Recommended Loire Wines
James Molesworth’s Recommended Loire Wines For complete reviews, see the Buying Guides of previous issues or www.winespectator.com. An alphabetical listing of all wines tasted for this report begins on page 156 of this issue’s Buying Guide. Top reds and whites Top dessert wines wineScorePrice wine ScorePrice Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex 2004 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon 95 $NA Sélection de Grains Nobles 2004 500ml 96 $83 Cuts like a knife, with live-wire Key lime, grapefruit, chalk and sea salt notes. Rich and powerful. Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Buisson Renard 2004 95 $62 95 $62 Subtle but alluring aromas of lemon curd and acacia flower belie the power in this white. Long, crackling finish. Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé 2004 94 $50 93 $27 couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l’Echo Crescendo 2003 93 $60 93 $35 94 $86 Top values 93 $37 $35 Shows very flattering ginger and peach aromas, but tightens up quickly on the palate thanks to its nervy acidity. Prince Poniatowski Vouvray Clos de l’Avenir 1997 93 $34 Mature up front, with burnished notes of lemon cream, dried pineapple and mango. Sweet but refreshing. 89 $10 89 $10 87 $11 86 $9 86 $10 86 $10 86 $10 Racy, with nice depth. Offers lots of lemon, lime, floral and mineral notes, with a long, crunchy finish. Domaine des Dorices Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvée Choisie Vieilles Vignes 2005 A bright, lean style, with lime, sea salt and floral notes. Crisp, tangy finish. jean-claude Bougrier Vouvray 2005 Top dessert wines $10 Nice crunchy acidity keeps this melon- and peach-filled white going, leading to a bright, minerally finish. Les Vignerons des Terroirs de la Noëlle Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2005 93 90 Very pure and elegant red, showing purple flower and blue and black fruit notes. Long, finely tuned, minerally finish. Cave des vignerons de Saumur Saumur White Les Pouches 2005 Lush red, with plum sauce, licorice, graphite and Black Forest cake, with a long, dark, fruit- and iron-filled finish. S.A. Huët Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg 2005 $62 With an auburn color and dark notes of maple, date and 375ml sugared walnut, this will be a different paradigm for most. Cave des Vignerons de Saumur Saumur Réserve des Vignerons 2005 Rich for a demi-sec, with layers of mango and papaya driven by notes of ginger, cardamom and bergamot. Thierry Germain Saumur-Champigny Domaine des Roches Neuves La Marginale 2004 94 wineScorePrice Muscular red, packed with bramble, blackberry, cassis bush, tobacco and dark olive paste notes. Should age wonderfully. Foreau Vouvray Demi-Sec Domaine du Clos Naudin 2005 $88 Shows a burnished hint. A waxy note leads to lemon cream, papaya, glazed pear, piecrust and buckwheat honey flavors. Jo Pithon Quarts de Chaume Les Varennes 2003 Shows gorgeous fruit—glazed pear, fig and quince—with a warm brioche note. Finish sings with floral and mineral notes. 95 Piercing minerality drives the panoply of mango, almond, papaya, green tea and acacia flavors. Creamy finish. Foreau Vouvray Moelleux Domaine du Clos Naudin 2005 Uncommonly rich, with a tightly wound core of lemon zest, white flowers, chalk and freshly baled hay. François Chidaine Vouvray Le Bouchet 2005 Seems very rich at first, with blood orange, persimmon and ginger notes, but then the fine minerality takes over. Foreau Vouvray Moelleux Domaine du Clos Naudin Réserve 2005 Gorgeous, with acacia and honeysuckle flower aromas followed by green almond, grapefruit, lime and straw notes. Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang 2004 (continued) Light-hearted, with fresh green apple and lime notes backed by a frankly sweet note on the finish. wineScorePrice Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2005 98 $70 A jaw-dropper, with orange blossom, persimmon, fig and quince flavors that remain remarkably bright and light. S.A. Huët Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2003 Clean and fresh, with citrus, floral and mineral notes and a crisp finish. 98 $140 Offers a stunning array of date, quince paste, fig and 500ml persimmon aromas and flavors, with a laser of acidity. Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Clos Ste.-Catherine 2005 96 $50 Very enticing, with quince, pear, persimmon and fig aromas and flavors. This should cruise in the cellar. Cave des vignerons de Saumur Saumur White Réserve des Vignerons 2005 Crisp, with flint, lime, floral and mineral notes on a bright frame. Sauvion & Fils Vouvray 2005 Rich and ripe, with glazed fruit, apple tartine and fig paste notes backed by a rich texture and a long, creamy finish. Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Cuvée Le Paon 2005 Henri Bourgeois Sauvignon Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France Petit Bourgeois 2005 Lean, with lime and peach notes that stay fresh and bright through the minerally finish. 95 $40