Anjou... it's Complicated (the Loire Project 2025)

As we take a pause from the Chinon region of the Loire Valley we move slightly west into Anjou and open the can of worms that comes with it. Anjou is kind of a little bit of everything. Its been called the most & least interesting region of the Loire. There are wines from Anjou that define the valley and are the most esteemed sought after bottles in all the world like Clos Rougeard or the fine Savenniers from Coullee Serrant. Anjou can hold some of the brightest stars in the wine world but also is known for some mass marketed juice that simply checks a few boxes but lacks the transcendental nature of what Anjou wines can be!

The Anjou region is broad and can be broken down into into quite a few sub regions with styles and characteristics varying greatly. From the laser focused Chenins of Savenniers to the Deep Savory Cab Francs of Saumur Champigny to the sweet nectars of Quarts de Chaume. Anjou is well, yeah it's complicated!

 ANJOU

-A third of all wine production in Loire comes from Anjou

-Most of the production comes from a broad sweep just south of the Loire River and stretches west to the Nantes Region and east to into the Saumur, that nestles against neighboring Chinon and Saint-Nicolas-du Bourgueil.

-Two small tributaries of the Loire River define its sub appellations (those bering the Layon & Aubance Rivers)

-the Layon River flows from southeast to northwest following the line of the Layon fault. To the west of the fault lies Anjou Noir (west) and Anjou Blanc (east). Not named after the grape colors which is typical for noir and blanc but to describe the soils color.

-Anjou Noir (west bank of the Layon) Amorican Massif, dark soils comprised of ancient volcanic metamorphic rocks and gentle slopes.

-Anjou Blanc (east bank of the Layon) Younger limestone based schist soils of the Paris basin with steep rocky inclines sometimes described as chaotic!

-After Phylloxera most vineyards in Anjou were replanted on the Anjou Noir side or left bank (gentle slopes) of the Layon, with shortages of labor from WWII many classic chenin blanc areas were replanted with cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon along with a few other red varieties and less care was taken in soil health and general care of the vineyards. More focus went  into high volume, easy to work vineyards. The result was an awkward period for Anjou and the lack of high quality grapes created a catalyst for rose' production.

-Rose d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou became the budget roses of France and was embraced as a quaffable day drinker that it continues in reputation today. The high acid red grapes of Anjou led to a style of rose that contained some residual sugar to balance its tartness with sweetness. This has become the flagship rose of Anjou. 

-Along with increased rose production, sparkling wine from chenin blanc became another marketable offering but the reputation of Anjou still struggled to gain the reputation it once held.

-Anjou labeling became more scarce and some producers started opting for just putting the generic Vin de France on their labels as it gave them more stylistic freedom and it seemed the days of noble wines for the kings of Anjou were long gone...

This seems like a fitting moment to introduce the "two from Anjou tasting" I recently had that started this funhouse designed rabbit hole of what defines this region?

Bois Brincon BB Rouge Anjou 2021 (90pts)

Aromas of stewed red fruits mingle with touches of cured game, floral potpourri, black olive, macerated overipe raspberry glimpses cut into a green woodsy funk that adds layers of mystery as it whirls through nuances of fennel, hay and cherry skins. Palate is locked in with fleshy red apple accented by tart cranberry and raspberry. Ebbing and flowing with grace. Great interplay of fruit and earth, soft supple mouth but crisp clean acidity to balance. Finish is polished and focused and seems like its got just the right amount of age to harmonize and unify this wine into a delicious offering!

Nicolas Reau Anjou Ange 2022 (72pts)

Initial punch of brettanomyces on the nose with some classic dark red fruit and earthiness slowly emerging as I try to swirl the barnyard out of the glass. Sour bing cherry, tomato leaf, some savory herbaceous qualities but a pronounced horseshit forward glass of volatile acidity. Palate confirms what the nose kept telling me. Barnyard brett from front to back of the palate. Fruit opens a bit midpalate but never outshines the brett forward qualities inherent in every aspect of this wines flavors. 

So with my head swirling with how good that BB Rouge was, especially considering it was the cheapest of the bottles I have opened... I started to do some of that research I shared above. What is Anjou? I scoured more wine books, youtubes, podcasts and blogs and began learning some of the facts I shared above regarding its complicated layers of terroir, fruit quality and styles. I discussed, listened and researched even deeper as I sorted things out and started to get a bit more of a handle on the region. 

As I paused to regroup and abosorbs all this new info dealing with the facts and theory of Anjou, I was simultaneously offered an opportunity to attend a wine event down in Boston, that being put together by Kermit Lynch. It was called the "Next Generation Tour". I'm not going to get too long winded on who Kermit Lynch is and why he is so important, maybe a future post, but I will simply state, Kermit is an importer of some of the finest and exciting wines I have encountered in my life and a few of these producers pouring their wines are part of my Loire Valley selections. 

 After confirming my attendance and making arrangements to be away from the family for an afternoon, I reached out to my favorite wine buddy who lives in the greater Boston area and it just so happened that he also was planning on attending. I had been in a long winded email conversations with him over this current deep dive into Loire and it is actually through this friend that I have gotten to try some of the most sought after and eye opening offerings in my life. After talking about meeting up he suggested we get lunch after and hunker down to taste a few choice Chenin Blancs before I head back to Maine.

Plans were made and off I went road trippin to my old stomping grounds in Boston.

Not that much of my high school days were spent on Newbury st. but yes I was a child of the greater Boston area and spent many of my high school days bouncing from Harvard Square to Cambridge and anywhere I could catch a good jam band playing or take in some art and culture. Needless to say, a Boston trip is always slightly nostalgic for me.

The tasting event was well done, spread out enough that we were able to make our way through the different producers and sample through the "Next Generation" of winemakers taking on the legacy their parents built!

After checking all our boxes and taking some notes on the highlights and lowlights of the event we wasted no time making an exit, grabbed some soup dumplings for lunch and made our way back to my buddies house to crack open a few wines.

I had brought a unique offering that was recommended by the folks that run Maine & Loire up in Portland, Maine and my buddy had a treat in store for me to sip alongside.

Domaine Belargus Quarts 2020

Wow my original impression and tasting notes on this were:

Matchy nose on the front opens to some tangy peach fuzz, rocky citrus, beeswax, flint, and orange blossom.

Evolving palate that rolls along the line of austere yet playful as it ebbs and flows with funky fruit and layered minerality.

Salted lemons, musty old lambic wood, dried apricot, floral honey, flint. dandelion, bergamot, crushed rocks, glacial melt.

Complex wine that kept on giving after sipping side by side with a few other chenin blancs, this one kept whispering to revisit over and over.

Since sipping this wine this past week, has taken me into a deep dive into this producer. Ivan Massonnat, the man behind Domaine Belargus and what once seemed a peculiar move by a Parisian businessman to purchase part of the Quarts-du-Chaume (Loires only Grand Cru designation) has turned out a great move. Historically the Quarts is an area known for its sweet wines and to start producing dry electric chenins here seemed avante garde. However a new modern approach seems very much to be creating results that are getting the wine worlds attention. Along with his site in Quarts-du-Chaume, he also has parcels in Savennieres and the Layon Valley where he practices biodynamic growing, hand harvesting in multiple passes, and letting the terrior speak. Sourcing from these distinct sites,  Ivan conjures up electric dry chenins and in exceptional vintages also a line of unicorn status sweet wines. He is pushing boundaries and has good company in his endeavor. More to come about Domaine Belargus as we work our way through the Chenin Blancs' of Anjou!

Speaking of which, this bottle of Les Perruches I brought along was a nice contrast and comparison to the Quarts. Along with these two, my friend also opened a Sadie Family Skurfberg Chenin Blanc from South Africa, which was lovely but had more on the opulence side and lacked acidity to stand up with these racey Anjou Chenins! 

Bruno Dubois Les Perruches 2020

Ripe fruits on the nose with grilled pineapple, smoked apples and floral honey setting the foundation and touches of herbal whiffs underneath.

Palate follows with layered apple compote, baked pear, lemon peel acidity, some rocky limestone chalkiness adds some

depth and complexity with a soft warm spice that lingers. Ripe fruit galore.

Well here I stand, toe dipped into Anjou with a mixed case of Saumur Blanc, Anjou Blanc and Savennierers ready to be investigated, stay tuned for some in depth compare and contrasts as we taste the terroir of Anjou and learn more about Anjous' sub appellations!

Blinded by Chinon (the Loire Project 2025)

 Into Chinon we go... 

 I was so in the zone for the last few weeks of searching and organizing "the Loire Project" lineup that I kept putting the start of it off, because I was waiting to see if this bottle was gonna arrive, or I just needed to research this producer a lil more, but in the end it just took a little nudge from a fellow wine enthusiast who arrived with a bottle of Chinon in hand and boom, we are underway! 

Our night started with a bottle of rose champagne and then dove into some interesting high acid, slightly oxidized white wines from around the world. After sipping and tasting for a bit, we got some water and a little cheese plate and decided it was time for some reds! My buddy was pretty excited about a recent bottle he had acquired (Thouars, L'Amiral) and after a lil bit of coaxing we decided to side by side a couple of Cabernet Francs from Chinon. Of course once two were open, all of a sudden 4 were open, as we bounced from one to another and weighed the things we enjoyed about each and what we thought others were lacking. It is always fun to try and compare wines with others as we taste with our own palates and our taste references and preconceived notions and preferences always differ. After a generous time of sipping we moved onto some vintage Madeira and even cracked an old bottle of De Struise Pannepot Reserve from 2011 as he mentioned he had never had a "vintage" beer!

Good Times for sure and a great way to embark on this project! Sharing bottles with friends who are enthusiastic about trying things is the greatest pleasure in bottle foraging. As excited as I get about opening special bottles for myself, I get more pleasure out of sharing. 

Having the 4 bottles of Chinon opened I was excited to put them to the test of the previous nights conversation but today I worked them blindly and added in 2 more options to round out the appellation as the week progressed!

Before I get into these wines, lets talk a bit about the Chinon region!

CHINON

-Chinon was granted its AOC in 1937 (adjusted in 2016)

-Currently consists of 2,354 Hectares

-Produces 12 Million Bottles Annually (86% Red/ 9% Rose/ 5% White)

-Deep connection to the author, poet and physician known as Rabelais and the origin of "Breton" a local term used for Cabernet Franc is said to have come from him

-The grape of focus in Chinon is Cabernet Franc

-Most of the vineyards of Chinon are located south of the Loire River just along the northern banks of the Vienne. The Vienne is a major tributary of the Loire and the two rivers converge just west of Chinon.

-Chinons climate is the warmest & driest in all of Touraine which is helped by substantial forests to the north and east. giving added protection to the vineyards from the cold winds of the north.

-Chinon has three major soil types 

1.Alluvial Terraces (sand & gravel located closest to the river banks and produce lighter more aromatic floral wines that are great for youthful drinking.)

2.Turonian Yellow Limestone Slopes (addition of clay and limestone results in denser more black fruit forward, age worthy wines with structured tannin)

3.Siliceous Clay & Sand Over Senonian Limestone (found on the plateaus at higher elevations)

Ok now lets get into these wines.

Tasting, smelling, experiencing...

My thoughts:

Dom Pallus Les Pensees Pallus 2018 (92pts)

Complex aromas of dark cherry & eucalyptus on the front that open into more dark red fruits, decaying autumn forest, earthy mushroom, thyme and mint. Palate follows with graceful interplay between herbaceous woodsy notes and bright red fruits, soft baked apple flesh, rich composted earth, pine needles, blood orange, cherry cola, pomegrante and twizzlers. Focused yet mysterious throughout.

Dom Pallus Messanger Rouge 2020 (90pts)

Initial aromas of dense red fruits with hint of toasted marshmallow that mingles with some green earthy pepper tone accented by cherry skin, black trumpet mushrooms and some rustic woodsy character. Palate is focused on red fruits initially but has great balance of density and playful woodsy character showing glimpses as well. Cherry pulp, apple skins, wet leaves, forest humus. Complexity and vibrancy, dark but not brooding. 

Couly-Dutheil  La Coulee Automnale 2020 (86pts)

Earth forward aromas open into dried cranberry, mossy forest boulders, raspberry, iron, herbal mountain berry. Palate is brighter on the red fruit initially but assimilates into the earthen backbone as is gets more stewed with nuances of black plum, cherry, currant, walnut, apple skins. Earthy notes lean more on floral than herbal here and less green. Bright acid throughout but fights the finish a bit on the end.

Olga Raffault Les Picasses 2017 (86pts)

Aromas of moist dark forest floor with soft strawberry fruit, violets, dried cranberry, pencil shavings and a slight confectionary candied fennel glimpse underneath. Palate is dense with unctuous dark plum tones that roll into a wild blueberry compote. On the palate the earth is more integrated than the nose initially lead me to expect. Focused red fruits, seemless integration of woodsy earth notes and acidity come together in great balance on the finish. Slight lingering green herbaceousness on the finish.

Bernard Baudry Les Grezeaux Chinon 2021 (84pts)

Aromas are green pepper and macerated cherries upfront with a subtle touch of old wood,  barnyard funkiness that is integrated at a level that I find appealing with hints of dried floral hay, fleshy apple and baked plums. Palate has a medium body with less density but still prominent red fruits lead the way weaving through undertones of composted forest floor humus that holds the fruits hands from start to finish. Tart blueberry, rosemary, pine needles, cedar and a deep woodsy berry compote finish.

Chat Petit Thouars L’Amiral 2018 (78pts)

Aromas are dominated by a sandalwood incense note that is cloying and distracting from the floral violets and red fruits you would expect. Some classic red fruit underlays the perfumed awkwardness as it opens into some pencil shavings and tannic plum skin. The fruit continues to be secondary leaving the predominate note that of a hippie store oozing with nag champa and sandalwood. Some classic chinon glimpses but always fleeting and never getting past the awkwardness that started with my first whiff.

Below you can see where along the Vienne each vineyard is located.

Wrapping up with Chinon for now... and with the exception of the Thouars, they were all extremely enjoyable wines. Happily surprised to see Domaine de Pallus taking the top two spots in my blind as they are the two Chinons I always try to keep stocked at the shop I am the wine buyer at. I think my conclusions here are that I am on the right path of exploring. Finding the different nuances between producers and vintage variation will come with time and experience and while I type these I just acquired 4 offerings from the father of Chinon, Charles Joguet... so yes done with Chinon "for now" and stoked to dive into more of the Loire catalog of wines we have lined up for this project!

 Stay tuned....