2010 Loire Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes
Kermit Lynch – Loire – 2010

Joguet – Chinon
• Winemaker – FX Joguet
• Specialty – Cab Franc, single vineyard
• Organic
• Soils – Combo of Sand, Limestone, and Clay
• Harvests about 50% allowable maximum
• Factoid – Aubert D’ Villaine from DRC helped Kermit discover this property
• Favorite Bottlings –
o Cuvee Terroir – Sandy soil, aged in Inox and old oak
o Chene Vert – Clay and limestone, aged in barrique, 30% new wood, ages great. 2001 showed really exotic notes on the nose, sweet red fruit in the mouth. Fine tannins show continued potential. Bottling he seems most proud of, tasted back to ’96 w/ consistent notes – picks up leathery, shroomy, truffly note on older wines
o Clos de la Dioterie – Limestone, 80 year old vines, 2HA, clean and precise with exotic notes. Didn’t taste older bottling. Seemed to start w/ more precision than Chene Vert.

Champalou – Vouvray
• Specialty – Chenin Blanc
• Soils – Clayand limestone
• ’08 Vintage seems solid – long cool growing season with a lot of acidity. Slow maturation allowed good fruit
• Favorite Bottlings –
o NV Sec –method champagnois, vibrant w/ essence of pear and hint of evergreen and pineapple
o ’08 Vouvray Sec – Clean not cloying with pretty lime and citrus notes on the finish
o ’08 Moulleuxs – bright acidity balances ripe melon and quince notes
• Tasted Vouvray from hot year ’03. This wine must have acidity to be attractive

Hippolyte Reverdy – Sancerre
• Estate named after grandfather “Hyppolyte”
• 14HA
• Specialty – Sauvignon and Pinot Noir
• ‘08 and ’09 Sauvignon – Consistent zesty grapefruit and lemon curd.
• ’09 was difficult Spring with lower yield. Not hot like elsewhere
• Sancerre Rouge – Pinot Noir really good if you have the confidence to sell Sancerre Rouge

Domaine Salvard – Cheverny
• ’09 VDP Sauvignon Blanc “Unique” – Round, ripe grapefruit and healthy herbal note without urea. Fun!
• ’09 Cheverny – AOC regs mandate blend – 85% SB and 15% Chard – More round as you go East and add Chard. Less grapefruit, clean, good length
• ’09 Rose -60% Pinot/40% Gamay – Good acidity w floral notes on the nose. Elegant and dry w/ delicate cherry flavors

Domaine de Reuilly – Reuilly
• Warmest micro-climate in Loire, rare cirmidgeon limestone soil
• 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• ’09 considered the best harvest in 10 years
• ’09 Reuilly – Intense and zesty white grapefruit on the nose and in the mouth. Light and refreshing

Domaine Regis Minet – Pouilly Fume
• Sustainable, no herbicides used, all wild yeast fermented
• Clay/limestone soil
• Inox fermented
• ’09 Pouilly –Fume – Lime and buttermilk on nose with spirited lime cascading across the tongue. I find more lime notes than red grapefruit like in the Sancerre