Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 121

YEAR'S BEST LOIRE WINES
Our blind panels tasted 259 new-release Loire Valley wines over the past 12 months. Joshua Greene, our critic for the Loire, rated 56 as
exceptional (90+) and 24 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

S PA RK L I N G

W HITE S

228342

93 | Dom. Vincent Carême

$40

2014 Vouvray l'Ancestrale ^ This is Carême's
pétillant naturel, from chenin he farms
organically, ferments in vat without added
yeast, then bottles before the fermentation
is complete, when there's still enough sugar
left from the grapes to generate some fizz. As
such, it doesn't behave like most commercial sparkling wines, and while it's enjoyable
to drink right after the cork is popped, with
mild apple and jasmine rice scents, it's a completely different wine with air: The flavors
turn darker, with earthy depth and richness,
the texture silken. Decant it for the sake of
deliciousness. § Cape Classics, NY
227670

93 | Le Rocher
des Violettes

$23

2014 Montlouis-sur-Loire Pétillant Originel ^ As a young oenologist working in Gigondas, Xavier Weisskopf was drawn to Touraine
for its chenin blanc and saw the opportunity
to buy undervalued land in Montlouis. He
founded his 22.2-acre domaine in 2005,
based on old-vine parcels, and converted
them to organic farming. His pétillant
naturel comes from chenin blanc vines that
are more than 40 years old, two-thirds of the
fruit fermented in stainless steel, the rest in
old wooden vats, all without added yeasts. It
transforms the richness of Montlouis chenin
into a bright, refreshing sparkler with ripe
golden-apple flavors that are both sumptuous and completely dry. § Michael Skurnik
Wines, NY
227860

90 | Le Sot de L'Ange

$24

2016 Vin de France Sotisse ^ Gamay, grolleau and cabernet franc come together in a
pale pink wine shot through with tiny bubbles, pumping flavors of tart raspberry and
the red juice of pomegranate seeds. The flavors might be simple and grapey, but this
has its share of sophistication; a generous,
dry refreshment with pork rillettes or country pâté. § Selection Massale, San Leandro, CA

Chablis, and, with its more direct connection
with the sea, would be an excellent match for
oysters. § De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC
228104

COUR-CHEVERNY
227740

92 | Domaine des Huards

$21

90 | Domaine des Huards

$29

2015 Cour-Cheverny Romo ^ The Gendrier
family farmed this estate for a century and a
half before they converted to biodynamics in
1998. For most of that time, the vines were
primarily romorantin, and today the Gendriers produce three wines from the variety,
including Romo. It's a tight, flinty wine that
manages to combine pale creaminess with
a little rancio, leesy power, and clean, juicy
savor that brings to mind scents of Thai curry
and chamomile tea. § T. Edward Wines, NY
227741
2011 Cour-Cheverny François 1er ^ Jocelyn and Michel Gendrier sustain romorantin vines that date to 1922. This cuvée, from
vines averaging 75 years old, is named for
King François I, who is said to have brought
vine cuttings to his residence in Romorantin. This wine's fruit has the dark tone of a
peach pit, and rich, nutty flavors that bring
to mind Epoisses. It's leesy, with lanolin and
petrol notes, and enough acidity to keep the
supple weight in check. § T. Edward Wines, NY

MUSCADET
228102

93 | Chéreau Carré

$20

2013 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Comte Leloup de Chasseloir Cuvée des
Ceps Centenaires ^ Bernard Chéreau's family estate dates to the 15th century, so the
100-year-old vines growing in front of the
winery are relative newcomers. He presents
their fruit in Comte Leloup de Chasseloir,
from a 7.4-acre parcel on a schist plateau
overlooking the Maine River. He has the
benefit of an underground cellar, an unusual
asset in the region, where he ferments this
rich Muscadet, sustaining the kind of mineral drive that makes great white wines compelling. Here, that's in the scent of schist (yes,
it's there in my blind tasting notes), a spark of
soil propelling a massive Muscadet forward
toward bright, salty refreshment. It's as saturated and satisfying as a young premier cru

92 | Chéreau Carré

$28

92 | Domaine Les
Hautes Noelles

$14

90 | Véronique
Gunther-Chéreau

$15

2009 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Le Clos du
Château L'Oiselinière ^ Within his 25-acre
vineyard at the confluence of the Sèvre and
the Maine rivers, surrounded by forest and
undergirded by schist and orthogneiss, there
is a parcel of 80-year-old vines that Bernard
Chéreau separates out as Le Clos. He allows
it to ferment spontaneously in stainless steel,
then ages it on the lees in underground
cement vats for 31 months. As a nine-yearold wine, this is still tense, with juicy ripe
pear flavors, fragrant and lasting. The mineral undercurrent makes it feel dynamic,
especially if you put pan-roasted sole in its
path. § De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC
227686
2015 Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie
Les Parcelles (Best Buy) ^ Jean-Pierre Guedon's domaine is based near the mouth of
the Loire, where the sea influence is strong.
He selects this wine from vines that are more
than 30 years old, farmed organically, and
everything about it touches on the Atlantic-seaweed, brine, seashell broth, the rocky
scent of a freshly shucked clam. Its savory
length would match oysters in winter or fried
cod in spring. § Michael Skurnik Wines, NY
227701
2016 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Moulin de la Gravelle (Best Buy) ^ This is a
rich and silken Muscadet, fattened by mineral savor, its fleshiness cut by parsley-like
crispness. Where else but in Muscadet do you
find wines with this kind of stature for $15?
Buy a case to drink all summer long. § Vinamericas, Miami, FL

P O U I L LY - F U M E
228653

92 | Francis Blanchet

$24

WINE & SPIRITS

121

2016 Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée Silice ^ From
a vineyard on a southeast-facing hillside
APRIL 2018
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2018
