Red alert: Test the other Loire wines
When I held a tasting of expensive, elite Bordeaux recently, one of the experts on our panel made a surprising remark.
"These don't compare to some wines I recently tasted from the Loire Valley," said William Wouters, the sommelier at Brussels's three-Michelin-star Comme Chez Soi restaurant.
A vineyard in the village of Montsoreau.
The Loire Valley, southwest of Paris in the center of France, is known for good white wines such as Sancerre and Vouvray. Over the years, I've made several visits to the area's chateaux and savored these wines and sumptuous meals in restaurants with truly palatial settings.
But the Loire red wines were never a highlight. Even in the region's best restaurants, they were overchilled and tinny. Cold masks imperfections to be sure -- and I think that's why Loire reds traditionally are served chilled. But the cold also dulls flavors.
The possible revelation of something more sophisticated intrigued me, so I decided to find out more.
As in other wine-making regions, it appears a group of enterprising vintners in the Loire have improved their cultivation and winemaking techniques, reducing yields and harvesting later to get ripe grapes, and updating their cellars.
Loire vintners also have gotten lucky with the weather. In this region, where cold, rainy autumns can ruin harvests, better-than-usual weather has resulted in some recent excellent vintages. In particular, wines from the hot summer of 2003, now becoming widely available, turned out to be terrific. In southern regions of France and elsewhere in Europe, the heat wave produced in many cases overripe, over-rich wines, but the Loire benefited.
After tasting more than a dozen Loire reds, many but not all from 2003, the verdict is clear. These are much fruitier, concentrated wines than in the past -- and bargains as well. Many of these wines turned out unusually rich and intense, yet still balanced. And most of the best wines made by individual Loire vintners still retail for �20 or less in Europe. Unusually, there are also better-than-decent wines made by Loire cooperatives sold at supermarkets for �7.50 or less.
Almost all the wines I tasted came from three villages between the towns of Angers and Tours -- Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur. Loire winemakers told me that each village is known for a distinctive flavor: Chinon soft, Bourgueil tougher, and the Saumur-Champigny area balanced. These distinctions were a bit much for my palate; I had difficulty telling the difference.
My tasting was dominated by reds made from the Loire's main red-wine grape, Cabernet Franc. It's a fickle variety. In Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is used to give structure and backbone to Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot-dominated blends. Alone, it takes care to bring to maturity.
This means a lot of poor Loire red sloshing about, and enjoying these wines may mean putting up with an occasional dud. One bottle I tasted, a �5.50 Cheverny from 2002 was pale pink and flat in taste. Even a 2003 Bourgueil by Domaine Yannick Amiraut recommended by my wine retailer here in Brussels struck me as close to mouthwash.
Fortunately, the next Loire Valley red I tried -- a 2003 Saumur-Champigny from Chateau du Hureau (�12.50) -- was superb.
Beyond some unevenness, it was hard to draw a general conclusion from the notable failures in the tasting. And, it's important to remember that Loire wines, even the best, aren't heavyweight show-offs. They lack the knockout punch of southern French, Spanish, or Italian wines, not to mention New World rivals. Expect the best Loire reds to be fruity, flinty and full of finesse, with delicate aromas of raspberries, gooseberries and cranberries. They are layered with autumnal tones of tobacco and a mineral-filled tautness. Loire wines aren't designed to stand on their own: They are meant to accompany food, pasta, poultry, veal or lamb. I tested them over a week's worth of meals.
The sommelier Mr. Wouters also recommended Chinon wines from Domaine Philippe Alliet and Domaine Bernard Baudry, which some wine critics also point to as two of the region's outstanding reds. I found them at my favorite local wine store. They lived up to their reputation.
The towers of the chateau at Angers.
The Baudry, a 2002 at �14.90, was full of flavor, the berry fruits lingering on the mouth.
The expert at my wine store recommended decanting the Alliet, a 2003 at �17.60, to let sediment fall to the bottom and to smooth out what he called its "gamy" character. (He also recommended doing this for the Amirault Bourgueil, which could have improved it.) The Alliet wine was terrific, its fresh bright fruits matched by a racy minerality.
Another top Loire Cabernet Franc, a 2003 labeled Beaumont, at �12.60, came from Catherine and Pierre Breton. The Bretons publicize themselves as organic winemakers, which to me is no guarantee of quality winemaking. Even so, their wine was promising, with pungent notes of cherries and cassis. Though Loire wines aren't meant for long aging -- they generally should be drunk within five years of release -- the Breton's bottle perhaps needed more time to settle into a fully balanced structure.
While Cabernet Franc is the Loire's best-known red varietal, I enjoyed some surprises from wines made from other grapes. A 2003 Pinot Noir from producer Henry Pellé (at �13.80) had a beautiful, bright raspberry nose backed by a gentle acidity and minerals that makes it a rival for much more expensive and prestigious Burgundies. A powerful cranberry-scented 2003 Anjou Rouge from Agnes & Rene Mosse at �16.50, made of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, was equally impressive and could challenge big-name Bordeaux. (I also tasted a stupendous 2003 white from Mosse at �16.50 made from Chenin Blanc -- pure, bright gold packed with full apple, apricot and vanilla flavors.)
Alongside these elite producers, the Loire's large cooperatives also are making big efforts. Instead of just mixing grapes from different growers into generic wines, Alliance Loire, the joint marketing arm of various co-ops in the region, has begun making wines using grapes from single plots of land. I tasted half a dozen of them, none costing more than �7.50. The most impressive examples, with generous dollops of cherry and cassis flavors, came from the Saumur-Champigny area, and I'd advise looking out for them in supermarkets. Two particularly good ones were the Saumur-Champigny La Cité des Dulles 2003 and the Les Poyeux 2003, both from the Cave de Saumur.
A final note: I tasted the wines unchilled, and many of the bottles required at least an hour of decanting. In general, I like red wines to be served at room temperature, which brings out their full flavors. Now that at last many makers in the Loire Valley are producing truly fine red wines, give them a chance to express themselves.
给你惊喜的卢瓦尔红酒
最近我举办一个品酒会，品尝昂贵高级的波尔多(Bordeaux)葡萄酒，有位专家语惊四座。
“这些酒比不上我最近在卢瓦尔河谷(Loire Valley)喝到的几种葡萄酒，”布鲁塞尔一家米其林三星级(three-Michelin-star)餐厅Comme Chez Soi的斟酒师威廉?伍特斯(William Wouters)说道。
卢瓦尔河谷位于法国中部，巴黎的东南方，以生产桑塞尔(Sancerre)和沃莱(Vouvray)等优质白葡萄酒著称。近几年来，我去过几次那里的酿酒厂，在富丽堂皇的餐馆里享受奢侈的葡萄酒和美食。
但卢瓦尔的红酒一直默默无闻，即使在该地区最好的餐馆里，这些红酒上桌时都太过冰凉，味道也不怎么样。诚然，凉意能遮盖住红酒在味道上的瑕疵--我觉得这就是卢瓦尔红酒一般都冰冻后才上桌的原因。不过，凉意也会影响口感。
我对专家的评论产生兴趣，感到其中必有蹊跷，因此决定一探究竟。
结果我发现，在卢瓦尔河流域的其他一些酿酒区，有一群富有进取精神的葡萄酒商改进了葡萄种植和葡萄酒酿酒技术，减少产量，延迟采摘期以获取成熟的葡萄，并升级酒窖的设备。
这些葡萄酒商也幸运地碰上了酿酒的好气候。该地区的秋天偏冷多雨，影响了葡萄的品质，但近年来异乎寻常的好天气使一些年份的红酒品质超群，尤其是2003年盛夏酿造的红酒，更是个中翘楚，现在正赶上全面上市的时候。在法国南部地区和欧洲其他地方，当年夏天的热浪促使葡萄过熟，令葡萄酒过于浓烈，卢瓦尔红酒却从中受益。
我品尝了十几种卢瓦尔红酒，其中很多是2003年酿造的，最后的结论很清楚：这些红酒比以往年份的更清香浓郁--价格却很便宜。其中许多红酒彰显出超乎寻常的厚重与热情，但仍口感均衡。在欧洲，这些由卢瓦尔个人酿酒者出品的顶级红酒仍只卖20欧元甚至更低的价格；此外，卢瓦尔一些酿酒公司生产的红酒也具有难得的出众品质，而在超市的售价不到7.5欧元。
我这次品尝的红酒几乎都出自位于安吉斯镇(Angers)和杜尔斯镇(Tours)之间的三个村庄，即希农(Chinon)、布尔格伊(Bourgueil)和索米尔(Saumur)。卢瓦尔的酿酒者告诉我，这三个村庄酿造出的红酒风味迥异：希农的口感温和，布尔格伊的口感浓烈，而Saumur-Champigny的口感适中。这些差异对于我的味蕾来说有些难以辨别，我喝不出有太多不同。
我品尝的大多是由卢瓦尔盛产的品丽珠(Cabernet Franc)葡萄酿造的红酒，这个品种的味道变幻无常。在波尔多区，品丽珠是解百纳赤霞珠(Cabernet Sauvignon)或梅洛(Merlot)葡萄混合酿造酒的主干，为其带来成熟的韵味。
卢瓦尔红酒良莠不齐，要品尝它就要做好吃哑弹的准备。我尝过一瓶5.5欧元的2002年舍维尔里(Cheverny)，酒色呈苍白的粉红，味道平淡。即使一个在布鲁塞尔的红酒零售商向我推荐的、由Domaine Yannick Amiraut酒厂生产的2003年Bourgueil红酒喝上去也像漱口水。
好在我品尝的下一瓶卢瓦尔红酒--由Chateau du Hureau酒厂生产的2003年Saumur-Champigny--口感一流。
虽然有些品质不均，但不能因几瓶劣酒就断言卢瓦尔红酒一无是处。有一点大家要记住，即使最好的卢瓦尔红酒也不能作为重量级的炫耀资本，因为其缺乏法国南部、西班牙和意大利红酒那种令人震撼的魅力，也很难与美国、澳大利亚等葡萄酒新产区的竞争对手相媲美。顶级卢瓦尔红酒果香丰富，强壮而活力，有树莓、醋栗和小红莓的宛转芬芳，具有仿佛烟草和矿物质一样丰富的层次感和秋日情调。卢瓦尔酒不适宜单独品尝，而适宜作为食物、意大利面、禽类、小牛肉和小羊肉的佐餐佳品。我在品酒过程中，吃掉了整整一周量的肉食。
斟酒师伍特斯先生向我推荐Domaine Philippe Alliet酒厂和Domaine Bernard Baudry酒厂生产的希农(Chinon)酒，一些评论家也将其列为卢瓦尔地区最出色的两种红酒。我在当地最爱去的葡萄酒店里找到了它们，确实名不虚传。
售价14.90欧元的2002年Baudry口感丰富，令人嘴角留香。
那家葡萄酒店的品酒专家建议，喝售价17.60欧元的2003年Alliet酒时要先醒酒，让沉淀物留在瓶底，这是缓和其“浓烈”口味的方法。（他还建议对Amirault Bourgueil酒也采取同样做法以改善口感。）Alliet红酒十分出色，果香清新明亮，矿石味丰厚。
另一种顶级卢瓦尔的品丽珠酒是2003年的布芒堡(Beaumont)，售价12.60欧元，产自Catherine和Pierre Breton地区。Breton人自称以有机葡萄酿酒，但我觉得那并非高品质的保证。不过，他们生产的红酒确有看头，樱桃和黑醋栗的香味浓烈。虽然卢瓦尔红酒并不适宜长期保存--通常出厂五年内喝最好--但Breton地区的酒却需要更多的时间以达到完全均衡的状态。
虽然品丽珠是卢瓦尔最有名的红酒葡萄，但我也欣赏其他品种酿造出的葡萄酒给我带来的惊喜。Henry Pelle酒厂生产的2003年黑品乐(Pinot Noir)（售价13.80欧元）拥有靓丽的树莓香气，伴随著优雅的酒酸和矿石味，使之成为与更昂贵和著名的勃根地(Burgundy)葡萄酒一较高下的对手。由Agnes & Rene Mosse酒厂生产的2003年Anjou Rouge拥有强烈的小红莓芬芳，售价16.50欧元，由赤霞珠葡萄酿造而成，同样给人留下深刻印象，堪与大名鼎鼎的波尔多葡萄酒相媲美。（我还品尝了Chenin Blanc酒厂生产的2003年Mosse白葡萄酒，售价16.50欧元--其口味淳厚，色泽金黄，富有浓郁的苹果、杏和香草味。）
除了这些精英级的酿酒商，卢瓦尔许多大酒厂也在努力酿出好酒。Alliance Loire是该地区各大酒厂合资建立的市场营销公司，它不再把各个产地的葡萄混合起来酿造普通的葡萄酒，而是开始使用单一产地的葡萄酿酒。我品尝了它生产的6种酒，每种售价都在7.5欧元以下，其中留下最深印象的是产自Saumur-Champigny区的酒，樱桃和黑醋栗气味浓郁，我建议大家去超市找找看。其中特别出色的是2003年La Cite des Dulles和2003年Les Poyeux，都产自Cave de Saumur酒厂。
最后要说的是：我品尝的葡萄酒都是常温的，其中很多种要求至少一小时的醒酒时间。通常我喜欢喝常温的红酒，这样能体会其完整风味。既然现在卢瓦尔河流域的不少酿酒商正在酿造真正的上好红酒，我们就该给他们一个表现的机会
