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WAITROSE - FRENCH WHITES - MAY 2011
http://quaffersoffers.co.uk/QOforum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7140		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  meljones [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:17 pm ]
Post subject:  WAITROSE - FRENCH WHITES - MAY 2011
Tasted 24th May 2011

Bordeaux

Calvet Limited Release Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Bordeaux, France 6.49
100% Sauvignon Blanc from various terroirs in the Bordeaux region - selected for high aromatic complexity. Fruit was gently handled and
the must cold-settled and racked before being fermented at 15 - 17°C under inert gas in order to preserve the aromatics. Matured in
stainless steel tanks on fine lees with stirring. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 12.0%, TA 3.85g/l, pH 3.73, RS 6.1g/l. Available from Waitrose
Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Very light on the nose. Quite a rich and full flavoured taste. Slightly textured. Flavour lasts quite well.

The Naked Grape Sauvignon Blanc 2010 IGP Charentes, France 7.69
100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Charentes, from the ‘Terres de Groies’ vineyard, planted on limestone soil with a layer of chalky clay and
strong maritime influence from the nearby Atlantic. Vines are 15 - 20 years old, with yields of 65hl/ha. 2010 was an early vintage and the
grapes were harvested 15th - 20th Sept. Gently pressed in a pneumatic press then cold-settled with no skin contact. Fermented at low
temperatures in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks for about 18 days, (10 - 12ºC at the start of ferment rising to 18ºC). Matured on fine
lees for 6 months. Winemakers Sophie Devers and Jean-Christoph Bourgeois. Alc 13.4%, TA 6.89g/l, pH 3.27, RS 0.7g/l. Available from
Waitrose Wine Direct and 222 branches.
Light, elder nose with a hint of pineapple. It says the RS is 0.7 g/l but it seems very sweet to me. Nastily so.

Loire

Champteloup Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Touraine, Loire, France 7.79
100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on clay with flint and chalk. Grapes, juice and then the new wine were protected throughout the
vinification process under a blanket of inert gas to preserve natural aromatics. Cold stabilised then temperature-controlled alcoholic
fermentation at 15°C and matured on fine lees in stainless steel tanks. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 12.20%, TA 4.0g/l, pH 3.28, RS 2.0g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Almost nothing on the nose. Nice catty, fresh tang in the mouth. Bright and lively.

Domaine Balland-Chapuis Montagnes Blanches 2010
Coteaux du Giennois, Loire, France 9.99
Buyer’s Highlight - Fresh, vibrant Sauvignon from this little-known Central Loire appellation: poor man’s Sancerre.
100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on 18has of clay and silica terraces just 30km north of Pouilly-sur-Loire. The Guyot Simple trained vines are
15-years-old, planted at a density of 6,500vines/ha. Grapes were machine-picked, this year later than usual in the 2nd week of Oct.
Gently pressed after 48 hours of static cold settling, then fermented for 20 days at a controlled temp. of approx. 18°C with selected yeast.
Aged on fine lees for 3 months, with no malo. Bottled March 2011. Winemaker Philippe Reculet. Alc 12.3%, TA 4.7g/l, pH 3.25, RS 0.03g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 144 branches.
Little on the nose. Tangy sauvignon taste. Bright, sharp and lovely taste.

Calvet 2010 Sancerre, Loire, France 13.49
100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on archetypal chalk and flint pebble soils of Sancerre. The grapes were machine-harvested, gently
pressed before being fermented at 18 - 20°C in stainless steel tanks under inert gas to preserve the inherent aromatics. Quickly racked,
filtered and early bottled. Winemaker Serge Debucy. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 12.5%, TA 4.5g/l, pH 3.25, RS 1.2g/l. Special Offer:
Save 25%, £13.49 - £9.99 from 29/06 to 19/07. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 239 branches.
Quite light on the nose. Intense and bright taste. Refreshing. Somehow not quite there, but hard to see what it lacks, until you taste the Vacheron below.

Domaine Vacheron 2010 Sancerre, Loire, France 18.79
100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on soils comprised of 45% Jurassic limestone, 45% Eocene flint and 10% Cretaceous marl. Vines are 20+
years-old and are grown organically and biodynamically. Grapes were hand-picked with average yield of 45hl/ha. Rigorously sorted by
hand and low-pressure pressed, then gravity-fed into tanks and cold decanted. Fermented at less than 20°C for 4 weeks. Matured on
fine lees in stainless steel tanks with bâtonnage, then fined with bentonite, blended and bottled. No malolactic. Suitable for vegetarians
and vegans. Alc 12.4%, TA 5.0g/l, pH 3.25, RS 2.4g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 240 branches.
Light on the nose (to be fair, Waitrose have decided to cook peanut cookies in the next room – you can imagine the chaos it’s caused). Just a hint of lees on the nose. Tart, intense and nervy. Lovely. *

Domaine de la Taille aux Loups, Les Dix Arpents Chenin Blanc 2010
Montlouis, Loire, France 13.99
100% Chenin Blanc. Increasingly recognised as one of, if not the greatest producer of Vouvray and Montlouis, Jacky Blot has a clear
penchant for the precision and purity of totally dry Secs. Jacky’s search for quality starts in the vineyards of this 49ha estate, where he only
recently started to reintroduce organic fertilisers after a self-imposed ban of any fertiliser for 15 years. Combined with almost manically
short pruning, yields reached a mere 26hl/ha in 2010. Grapes were picked by hand in successive tries, with a further grape-by-grape
manual sorting prior to pressing. Fermented for 2 - 3 months in the naturally cool rock-hewn cellar in Bordeaux barriques (10% new per
year), then matured in oak until bottling in the spring. Winemaker Jacky Blot. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.0%, TA 5.0g/l,
pH 3.3, RS 3.0g/l. Available from July. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 5 branches.
Quite a rich colour. A hint of lemon and honey on the nose. Bright and exciting. Lemony acidity. Nice.

Burgundy

Waitrose Chablis 2010 Cave des Vignerons de Chablis, Burgundy, France 10.49
100% Chardonnay from 20 year old vines planted at a density of 5,500 - 6,000vines/ha on Kimmeridgian soil. Grapes were
mechanically harvested in Sept - Oct 2010 from selected vineyards. Cold settling before fermentation using carefully selected yeasts in
stainless steel tanks. Matured for 3 months on fine lees. No oak maturation and fined with bentonite. Winemaker Bertrand Cherel.
Suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Alc 12.5%, TA 4.0g/l, pH 3.2, RS 1.2g/l. Special Offer: £10.49 - £8.39, Save 20% from 25/05
to 21/06. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Not a lot on the nose. Bright and lively taste. Searing acidity but with the fruit to make it lovely, rather than jagged. Nice.

Cave de Lugny Chardonnay 2010 Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France 6.99
100% Chardonnay. Vines are 30 years old and planted on chalk and clay with a south-southeast exposure. Grapes were machine and
hand-harvested Sept 2010. Drained and pressed with natural must clarification. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation were
temperature-controlled and took place in stainless steel tanks. No oak ageing. Winemaker Gregoire Pissot. Alc 13%, TA 3.46g/l, RS 1.05g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Very little on the nose. A lot of texture and juicy, lemony acidity. It’s OK.

Joseph Drouhin 2009 Rully Premier Cru, Burgundy, France 14.49
100% Chardonnay from Guyot-pruned vines grown on limestone and harvested with an average yield of 51hl/ha. The fruit comes from
growers with very long-standing contracts. Very slowly pressed, then the wine went directly into barrels to mature, of which 20% were
new, for 8 - 10 months. Full malo and aged on lees. Alc 13.0%. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 239 branches.
Quite dark colour. Lemon pithy nose. Full-flavoured, a bit of oak, nicely creamy and fat. Good.

Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard Les Belles Filles 2009
Pernand-Vergelesses, Burgundy, France 16.99
Buyer’s Highlight - Although 2009 is better known as a red vintage in Burgundy, Jean-Jacques made some outstanding whites.
One of the real stars is this exotic fruited, mineral Pernand-Vergelesses .
100% Chardonnay from Jean-Jacques Girard. The Girards are one of Savigny-lès-Beaune’s oldest vigneron families, tracing a founding
Jean Girard back to 1529. The ‘Les Belles Filles’ vineyard has a steep, east-facing slope, on limestone soils, where the viticulture is lutte
raisonnée. Grapes were harvested by hand and machine in Sept 2009, with a yield of 50hl/ha. Fermentation began in stainless steel
tanks of 50hl before being transferred to oak barrels of 228l, 15% new, for 10 months. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.4%,
pH 3.23, RS <0.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 37 branches.
Very little on the nose. It’s a new bottle and so very cold. Pity. Heavy, a little oaky and a bit disappointing. Prefer the Drouhin Rully at half the price. Sorry..

Domaine Gérard Thomas 2009 Saint-Aubin, Premier Cru Les Combes,
Burgundy, France 19.99
100% Chardonnay from a small estate in Saint-Aubin, immediately behind Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet. The grapes were
handpicked 10th Sept 2009, then gently pressed in a pneumatic press. Juice was then racked to a stainless steel tank before being
transferred to oak barrels for fermentation. Matured in 100% oak barrels of which 20% were new and frequent lees stirring from Nov to
March to give depth and roundness before the malolactic. Winemaker Gérard Thomas and his daughters Isabelle and Anne. Suitable for
vegetarians. Alc 13%, TA 3.8g/l, pH 3.25. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 230 branches.
Lime marmalade on toast aroma – one of my favourites. There’s oak, but it doesn’t encroach. Lovely pithy taste. Really delicious.

Louis Jadot 2008 Chassagne-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Burgundy, France 26.99
100% Chardonnay from vines planted on calcareous soils in high density plantings of 10,000vines/ha. This is a blend of several different
Premier Cru vineyards from around the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, including Morgeots, Grand Montagne and Chenevottes.
The grapes were hand-harvested and immediately whole-bunch pressed. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels (approximately
20% new) and then underwent a full malolactic and an 18 month ageing period. Lightly fined and filtered to bottle. Winemaker Jacques
Lardière. Alc 13.5%. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 9 branches.
Lime and vanilla – mmm. Beautiful taste. Creamy, but savoury, but fresh, lemony, it confuses with its complexity. I love it. What an excellent way to spend £26.99. *

Domaine Philippe Chavy 2008 Meursault, Premier Cru Les Charmes,
Burgundy, France 41.00
100% Chardonnay from the 0.41ha Les Charmes vineyard in Meursault, which is planted on clay and chalk soils. The vines are 70 years
old and were hand-harvested with a yield of 60hl/ha. Pneumatically pressed and then fermentation started in stainless steel tanks at
18°C, lower than it would be in barrel, to achieve a fresher style. A strict débourbage was carried out to produce clean, clear must and
the ferment completed in 228l Allier oak barrels (Philippe Chavy uses a maximum of 30% new oak on his 1er Cru wines). Matured in barrel
for 10 months and bottled without fining. Alc 13.5%. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 3 branches.
Ludicrously heavy bottle. Dark gold colour. Served very cold and so little aroma – pity. Heavy, rich, tropical, buttery, lovely. Just stunning. *

Château de la Maltroye 2008 Chassagne-Montrachet,
Premier Cru Morgeot Vigne Blanche, Burgundy, France 50.00
100% Chardonnay from 45-year-old vines grown on clay and limestone soils with a density of 9,000vines/ha.The fruit was handharvested
and initially fermented in stainless steel vats before being transferred to oak barrels to finish fermentation and maturation.
Bottling took place after 10 - 12 months in barrel, of which 30% were new. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.5%, TA 3.9g/l,
pH 3.3, RS 2.4g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 46 branches.
Creamy nose, with a hint of vanilla. Some texture from the oak. Quite a savoury taste. Almost salty.

South of France

Domaine de Sainte Rose Coquille d’Oc Blanc 2009 IGP Côtes du Thongue, France 6.99
40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier and 5% Muscat, from vineyards on the banks of the River Thongue, stretching up
on to the gravelly plateau that leads towards Pezenas. Soil is argilo-calcaire with gravel. Grapes harvested August/Sept 2009, picked at
night to protect the juice from the extreme daytime temperatures. Each variety vinified separately. The juice was cold stabilised then
went through traditional fermentation in stainless steel, temperature-controlled tanks. Winemakers Charles and Ruth Simpson. Suitable
for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13%, TA 3.10g/l, RS 0.79g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 240 branches.
Refereshing pineapple nose. Ditto taste. Fresh and pleasant. Not particularly sauvignon-like until the very end.

La Vieille Ferme 2010 Luberon, France 7.49
30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Ugni Blanc and 10% Roussanne. The production area is mainly within the Parc Regional du
Luberon, with a mixed geology of old alluvium and flat and rounded stones, together with chalk marl and clay. The grapes were
harvested relatively late, lightly crushed, then pressed in a pneumatic press, prior to clarification. Cool fermentation took place in vats
for 90% of the blend, with the other 10% fermented in new oak barrels and kept on the lees. Matured in stainless steel tanks until the
following January, when it was fined and bottled. Alc 13.0%, TA 3.27g/l, pH 3.41, RS <2.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and
240 branches.
Sweet, heavy and spicy nose. Very southern taste. Low acidity, very spicy and quite heavy. It needs something strongly-flavoured and a bit herbal. Couscous salad with roasted veg and loads of chopped herbs, perhaps?

Domaine Félines Picpoul de Pinet 2010 Languedoc, France 7.99
100% Picpoul from a family-owned domaine which has been in the hands of the Jourdan family since 1983. Vines are on the banks of
the lagoon of Thau, on clay and chalk soils. The area benefits from low rainfall and the Mediterranean Sea has a cooling influence,
resulting in mild temperature variations. Vines are 5 - 25 years old, planted at a density of 4,400vines/ha and tended with lutte
raisonnée. Grapes were machine-harvested 20th Sept - 5th Oct, producing a yield of 50hl/ha. Gentle pressing in a pneumatic press
then cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine spent 3 months on lees before filtration and bottling. Alc 13.5%, TA 4.0g/l,
pH 3.25, RS 3.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 213 branches.
Dark golden colour. Also smells southern. Spicy, heavy nose. Very, very tasty. I don’t know what you’d do with it. Very, very tasty.

Laurent Miquel L’Atelier Vermentino 2010 IGP Pays d’Oc, France 9.99
Buyer’s Highlight - Great producer with an innovative grape variety for the region - something different.
100% Vermentino from very stony soils in the Languedoc with a hot and dry Mediterranean climate. The vines are 11 years old, shortpruned
and were harvested by machine at night in late-Sept with an average yield of 70hl/ha. The grapes were gently pressed then
fermented with selected yeast for 4 weeks in stainless steel tanks at a cool 14 - 16°C. No malolactic and matured for 6 - 8 months in
stainless steel tanks. Winemaker Laurent Miquel. Bentonite fined so suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 12.5%, TA 3.45g/l, pH 3.57,
RS 0.26g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 239 branches.
Very tasteful taupe label. Spicy nose. Ripe taste. Lacking acidity, but pleasant enough.

Alsace

Domaine Paul Zinck Riesling 2007 Eichberg Grand Cru, Alsace, France 14.99
100% Riesling from a 30ha family estate in Eguisheim. Their Grand Cru Eichberg parcel is at 270m altitude with a south to south-east
exposure on chalk and clay. The grapes were hand-picked in early October, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks with
temperature control for 2 months with selected yeasts. Malolactic is inhibited and the new wine left on fine lees until the following Spring.
Winemaker Philippe Zinck. Alc 12.5%, TA 7.9g/l, RS 3.1g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 2 branches.
Pithy nose. Dry, but not aggressively so. Quite pleasant.
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