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August
26th
2009:
Chablis
&
The
Eastern
Loire
Despite
being
two
separate
wine
regions
and
a contrast
of Chardonnay
and
Sauvignon
blanc,
these
two
regions
share
some
similarities
in soil
and
style
- the
emphasis
being
on crispness
and
freshness.
Generally,
you
don't
see
a lot
of new
oak
usage
in these
two
areas
so the
balance
of acidity
and
fruit
is very
important.
From
Chablis
we tasted
a trio
of wines,
Chablis,
1er
Cru
and
Grand
Cru
from
the
excellent
Domaine
des
Malandes
- with
a clear
increase
in quality
and
intensity
as we
progressed
up to
Grand
Cru.
From
Eastern
Loire
our
main
focus
was
Sancerre
from
Henri
Bourgeois
- with
a couple
of very
fine
examples
showing
depth
and
intensity
- and
perhaps
expanded
the
boundaries
of what
we expect
from
Sancerre.
We also
tasted
a Pinot
Noir
which
was
OK and
finished
with
an amazing
red
from
Touraine
- La
Guerrerie
- a
blend
of Malbec
and
Gamay
which
was
earthy,
rustic,
spicy
and
quite
fascinating.
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If
you want to make sure
that you do not miss a
single event over the
coming months, then the
best way is to have the
dates of all the forthcoming
evenings in your diary
ahead of time!
