From 4 to 6 February 2017, four unmissable fairs were held in Angers and Saumur for lovers of natural wines: Les Pénitentes, Grenier St Jean, Les Anonymes and La Dive Bouteille. Of course, the petitescaves.com team was there. Ready to spend 72 hours chrono with us?
THE PENITENTES
Here is a Saturday morning like the month of February offers few, mild and sunny. Angers is slowly waking up, but the Hôtel des Pénitentes is ready to welcome natural wine professionals from all over the world. There are Japanese restaurateurs, Canadian importers, Scandinavian lookie-lovers? All this little world crosses the alleys of this former abbey erected at the end of the 15th century and then transformed into maison for penitent girls (hence the name) in the 17th century, glass and notepad in hand, greedy smile on their lips.
But the real action takes place in front of the winegrowers' barrels. Our first stand? Wines from Fred Cossard from Winery of Chassorney in Burgundy. Resplendent whites, perfect reflections of the different terroirs they work. Bottled Burgundy that titillates the palate, ample and deep. The day starts well! Here we go, it's a good thing, Emile Heredia and his Winery des Dimanches is two meters away. Vintages that taste great, pure pleasure. Special mention for the 100% Carignan cuvées Un dimanche à la campagne and Un drôle de dimanche. The next part is upstairs, where we come face to face with Thomas Pico Come on, let's try it. Chablis to fall, precise, a real favorite! After that, it's time for Jean-François Nicq and his amazing bottles of grenache with a crazy personality. A real treat. Time is running out. Lightning passage (well, not so lightning...) at our beloved winegrowers, Dominique Belluard, Dominique Derain, Patrick Meyer, Thierry Puzelat and already, the Greniers Saint-Jean are waiting for us.LES GRENIERS SAINT-JEAN & L'HOPITAL SAINT-JEAN ( RENAISSANCE )
A few minutes walk to enjoy the narrow streets of Anjou and we arrive at the port. Far from the image of a dusty attic, the medieval building is magnificent and impressive. The walk begins, it is sometimes difficult as the crowd is at its peak in the early afternoon. A little cuckoo clock in Alice and Olivier De MoorA tasting once again, a nice tasting, a few photos, and here we are again to criss-cross the corridors when suddenly, the Savoyard Yann Pernuit stands in our way. His Highness 2015 is a delight with a minty side and a beautiful minerality. Thank you Yann. A little further on, the young Alsatian boy Antoine Kreydenweiss and his thin, citrus-studded Riesling is a real pain in the gullet. Crunch day obligatory, passing through the Southwest. Fabien Jouves obviously and its malbecs, often fine, sometimes serious and always very good ! Next stop with Grégoire RousseauOur glasses are lined with a cuvée called Fusain, on old Merlot; incredible and captivating minerality, fruit, a beautiful power. Whaoouu ! Of course, of course, Michèle Aubéry Jean David (and his famous bonnet) will be our last stops, but you already know how much we love their wines. In the meantime, Henri Milanwalks around happily, talks loudly and laughs with everyone. The tastings follow one another, as do the minutes, and it's time to go to the hospital. Finally to the Saint-Jean Hospital, to continue our health journey...
A major building of Gothic art in the west of France, this building houses the Jean Lurçat Museum (contemporary tapestry) all year round and for two days some 60 winegrowers from the Loire and 6 Corsican winegrowers. A beautiful mixture. Muscadet first of all with the wines of Jean-Jacques and Remi Bonnet, expressive, generous, typical of a terroir, and those of Frédéric Nigeralways impeccable, beautiful reds too. Let's move on, Jacques Carroget from Winery La Paonnerie welcomes us with a big smile and some delicious drops from the Coteaux d'Ancenis. Comes Anjou, we fall on the star Richard Leroy...we switch quickly, the stand being overbooked with knowledgeable tasters. Then come the dry chenins from Winery Juchepie, a rare and captivating product, and the subtle and spicy Pineau d'Aunis from Deboubertin. What can be said about the wines of Thomas Carsin...mastered, grandiose, words fail us... The day ends with a Corsican tasting, Sébastien Poly (Winery U Stilliccionu) offers us some delicacies, much appreciated by our taste buds. Look, Henri Milan's wandering around here again, happy... like us.
THE ANONYMS
Sunday morning. Not quite recovered from the defeat of the 15th of France (ahh, those damn English), we go to the Curnonsky Salons for the Salon "Les Anonymes". Here, about fifty winegrowers share the billboard and about 950 heads mop around for the day. Objective: to taste, understand, exchange, memorize. Over and over again. West first, honor those who play at home. Didier Chaffardon is here, our favorite bearded winemaker and its unclassifiable wines. We discover François St-Lô, settled in Berrie in the Vienne. A mineral and lively chenin. We head off to the Languedoc-Roussillon, obviously confident, to say hello and sip Vie et Sève from Pierre-Nicolas Massotteto re-taste the jewels of Julien Peyras but also to chat with the friend Thomas Rouanet of its great Languedoc balanced and sanguine. The strong Pierre Cotton takes us towards the Beaujolais without any trouble, some Brouilly frankly quite bluffing. But what would a salon be without a trip to the Jura? We therefore unanimously decide to park at Winery at the Octavin to enjoy the remarkable sincerity ofAlice Bouvot and Charles Dagand's juices. Last jump in Auvergne, at Vincent Marie from Winery No Control, intense, the young man's gamay and pinots noirs conquered us! Three shows visited and already the desire to be there tomorrow for the great and unique "Dive Bouteille".THE DIVE BOTTLE
Final stopover of these three busy days, La Dive Bouteille, in Saumur. For two days, the Ackerman cellars absorbed 4,000 enthusiasts and camouflaged more than 150 winegrowers. Goodbye natural light, hello underground life! Who knows why, we start with Champagne. Valérie Frison offers us beautiful bubbles, chiselled, vinous, racy and marvellous. It couldn't have started better! A leap through Alsace where Catherine Riss exhibits her Pied de nez UFO blended cuvée, made from pinot noir vinified like a white wine, while Jean-Pierre Riestch gives us a taste of his litres. In the distance the Jura and a crowded barrel. The one of Fanfan Ganevat who can hardly breathe in front of the tide of empty glasses, good luck! Philippe and Tony Bornard 's stand is a little less under siege but the Ploussard is still as divine as ever. In Burgundy, Fanny Sabre of course, just to remember the last harvest in which we had actively participated. Jean-Yves Vantey (Rouges-Queues) tries as best he can to avoid being photographed. Almost succeeded. Without forgetting the youth: Julien Altaber and his pretty pinot noir and gourmet chardonnay. A little pig sandwich and a few natural light streams later and here we go again. In a corner of the cellars, the Beaujolais is making our eyes. On our way to Winery Léonis. Special note for the Brulius cuvée, a Brouilly with a nice volume. It's hard to resist the temptation to taste the few skittles of our friend Lapalu. Proudly posted at the end of the alley, Guy and Yann Bertrand deliver to passers-by sips of Fleurie en folie. Speaking of madness, let's go and savour the Folle Blanche from Marc Pesnotwhat a character and what wines! Small mention for the well named Chapeau Melon. If "the wines were told to me", Olivier Lemasson would certainly be around here, Drink Thirstless and Salt and Pepper are a real treat for the taste buds anyway.
Mandatory stop at the boss's house Jean-Pierre Robinot...all dressed up and loaded, as usual. Iris 13 delights with its freshness and substance when Light of the Senses 14 brings subtlety and volume. One could stay there for hours in the barrel of "Angel Wine" and put slippers on. What's new in the South-West? Patrick Rols always proposes powerful and majestic Aveyronnais cuvées when Elian Da Ros exposes to whoever will hold out his glass his nugget Le Vin est une Fête (Wine is a Party). From the Rhône now with the beautiful Condrieu from François Dumasthe sharp, vertical syrah of the friend Andrea Calek or the beautiful bottles of the great Marcel Richaud ! And the Languedoc ? The immense Jeff Coutelou that transforms his space into a bar-like living space a wine of buddies. Unique. Axel Prüfer that serves magnificent red wines to be drunk on the chain. Impossible to leave without having enjoyed a bit of Roussillon, the stage is bound to be a success with so many talents together. First of all, there is Stéphane Morinking of photography and spicy treats. What a foot! His next-door neighbour Philippe Wies largely maintains the level with its scrubland-filled liquids. In the background, the Occitan-South African Lubbian Tomb from Winery Matassa has only two whites left to taste, but what whites, my friends! In short, there's no need to say "La Dive Bouteille" is certainly the most furnished, the most physical but above all the most essential salon! You leave with plenty of memories, satisfied with the work accomplished, proud of all these author wines. Impossible to leave without a sip of Peaux et de Réjouissances, vintages of the owner of the place. Sylvie Augereau. Thank you all, we'll be back! Let's put away our glasses, read our notes. And back to normal life...
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