Dr Goode reminds London of Loire Sauvignon character and quality

If anyone had overlooked the quality of Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Dr Jamie Goode provided a timely reminder at his masterclass.

SUCH IS the success of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the UK market, there’s always a danger those in the British wine trade will overlook the home of this distinctive grape, which is, of course, the Loire.

But a masterclass on Loire Sauvignon in London in September, conducted by Dr Jamie Goode reminded the mix of merchants and sommeliers of the quality, diversity and value on offer in this wine region, stretched out along the France’s longest river.

And the reminder could prove particularly important in 2013. This is because prices of Marlborough Sauvignon are on the up in Britain as supply diminishes due to increasing global demand. Indeed, it’s a stated aim of the New Zealand Winegrowers to concentrate on the US and Asia, not the deal-hungry UK, because the former markets are deemed more profitable.
But this turn of events could benefit Loire Sauvignon due to the fact that there is an opportunity for this French region’s whites to re-assert themselves on Britain’s shelves at prices once occupied by their New World competition.

Dr Jaime Goode

The question remains: where should the UK trade look for the best examples? Among the many sources of top quality Sauvignon in the Loire, Goode believes that those from Touraine offer an increasingly good value and high quality alternative for UK drinkers priced out of the market for Marlborough. “New Zealand is looking to exploit more profitable markets and that means that now is a brilliant moment for Touraine, because some of the Sauvignons from the region are on the shelves at £8, and they are fantastic,” he commented.

Continuing he said, “The sweet spot for Touraine is £6-10, and that’s a price band New Zealand is rapidly heading out of.”

But what is it about Sauvignon that makes it so appealing? Goode, who is author of the newly published Science of Sauvignon Blanc, used the masterclass to briefly and clearly consider the nature of this widely-planted grape. Reminding attendees of the variety’s global spread, he noted that there are 98,000 hectares of Sauvignon, more than planted to Pinot Noir internationally. Of that total, over 26,000ha are found in France, the largest producer of Sauvignon worldwide, followed by New Zealand, with a little more than 16,000ha, and then South Africa with less than 10,000ha (see table p71). Within France, it is the Loire that has the most Sauvignon Blanc in the ground, with 8,100ha, more than either the Languedoc or Bordeaux, which each have around 6,100ha.

Goode also delved into the complex issue of aroma compounds and their role in Sauvignon’s character – essentially attempting to unearth the reasons for its popularity. “There are 20 aromatic chemicals found in all wines which make global wine odour – these are the chemicals which make wine smell of wine,” he began. Of these, one is present in the grapes called B-damascenone, while the others are produced by the metabolism of yeasts, according to Goode.

In other words, fermentation processes are dominant in creating wine’s flavour, and hence the importance of winemaking approaches for the exact character of Sauvignon, including the selection of yeast strain.

But Goode then went on to point out that there a further 16 compounds which are present in most wines at low levels – often below human detection levels – and which work together to affect the aromatic expression of other compounds. “This is what makes wine flavour chemistry so complicated,” he stated.

Then there are “impact compounds” which he described as those which have enough character on their own to be highly distinctive, such as the rose petal scent of Gewürztraminer from the compound Rose-cis oxide.

Considering Sauvignon specifically he picked out certain “impact compounds” that are generative to the grape’s distinctive odour. These include methoxypyrazines, which give the green pepper character (an aroma also evident in low levels in Cabernet Franc), as well as polyfunctional thiols, also called mercaptans. These latter compounds include 4MMP, which gives a box-tree aroma, as well as 3MHA, source of the tropical fruit scent so common in Sauvignon.

Interestingly, he said that Sauvignon from Marlborough has a much higher level of polyfunctional thiols than found in other parts of the world – although he suggested these may not be associated with site specifics, but the harvesting technique. “It has been shown that machine-picked Sauvignon Blanc has 10 times higher thiol levels than hand-picked Sauvignon; and pretty much all New Zealand Sauvignon is machine- harvested,” he said. He explained, “Something is happening during the harvesting process to elevate the thiol levels massively.” This rise, bringing with it an enhanced tropical fruit scent, could be connected to the increased damage to the grapes caused by machine harvesting, which in turn precipitates enzymic processes in grapes, elevating the production of thiol precursors.

Nevertheless, wherever the Sauvignon is grown, the character of the wine comes from more than just the impact compounds methoxypyrazines and polyfunctional thiols, as well as their reaction with other components in the wine. Indeed, Goode mentioned an experiment by New Zealand scientist Frank Benkwitz, which showed that wine constituents without any aromatic characteristic on their own can strongly influence the way other molecules present in the wine are perceived – for instance, decreasing the tropical fruit character.

Summing up his introduction on Sauvignon and the science behind the grape’s aromatic profile he said, “I think Sauvignon Blanc is a really interesting grape and the Loire is a great place for it.”

Furthermore, during a subsequent tasting of 14 wines selected by Goode from the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon this year, in which he was a judge, he said that there are further factors which alter the amount and character of the methoxypyrazines and polyfunctional thiols in Sauvignon. These include when the grapes are picked (not just how), as well as how they are pressed, whether skin contact is employed, the amount of solids in the fermentation, the temperature, and importantly, the yeast choice – “a cultured yeast makes a big difference,” he said.

He also noted that winemakers of Sauvignon are unusual in wanting a range of ripeness levels in the grapes. “Certainly for red wines you want homogenous ripening,” said Goode, “but for Sauvignon a mix of ripeness is good because the greenness in Sauvignon is quite attractive.”

As for the role of soils, Goode commented, “We know soils make a difference because wines from different soils taste different, but what makes that difference is difficult – we can’t say that this soil will make this wine taste like this, and that soil will make that wine taste like that – it’s far too complex.”

THE TASTING
As mentioned above, Goode selected 14 wines from 2013’s Concours Mondial du Sauvignon for the masterclass:

1. DOMAINE MASSON BLONDELET 2012, POUILLY FUMÉ

Goode enthused about this wine’s aromatic nose and noted a touch of passion fruit commonly associated with New Zealand Sauvignon. The wine is produced by a seventh generation family domaine in Pouilly Fumé, and the grapes are sourced from 21- hectare domaine farmed without insecticides or herbicides.

2. DOMAINE BONNARD 2012, SANCERRE

Offering a contrast to the Pouilly Fumé, this wine exhibited a leaner, more mineral and herbaceous character, according to Goode, who also described the selection as an “attractive style”.

From a 12-hectare domaine in the heart of Sancerre, the family behind this wine have been producers in the region for over 50 years.
Goode also noted that both Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre were “lovely” areas for Sauvignon with stony soils, perfect for vines, and that the contrasting style of the first two wines occurred as a result of different harvesting times and winemaking techniques.

3. DOMAINE DES COUDEREAUX, JEAN PAUL GODINAT 2012, QUINCY

Another highly attractive Sauvignon, this example showed the herbal characters sometimes found in wines from the grape, according to Goode.

Originally from Touraine, Jean Paul Godinat has 15 hectares of vineyards on the plateau des Coudereaux in Quincy. Grapes are crushed in the former Agri- Cher cellar on the road between Quincy and Preuilly, although the vinification is conducted in Menetou-Salon (where Godinat also owns vineyards).

4. HENRI BOURGEOIS, LES BARONNES 2012, SANCERRE

Described by Goode as one of the Loire’s top producers, Henri Bourgeois “are getting everything just right at the moment,” he said. “I really like the balance of this wine, it’s not too aromatic and there is lovely weight in the palate,” he added.

Henri Bourgeois had only a few hectares of vines in Chavignol, when he decided to leave multicrop farming and concentrate on winegrowing.

He acquired vineyards in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé and now the family controls 72 hectares in 120 different parcels. No herbicides are used.

5. DOMAINE GIBAULT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, TOURAINE

This was deemed a much “richer style” of Sauvignon by Goode and marked the first of a flight of Sauvignons from Touraine, which he said is a part of the Loire “making really interesting Sauvignon Blanc now.”

Goode commented, “The quality has improved hugely in the last decade and because Touraine is not as fashionable like Sancerre, there is good value… when you’ve got someone who knows what they are doing on the right soils, then Touraine is a sweet spot for Sauvignon.”

He continued: “Domaine Gibault is a family-run wine estate with 60 hectares in Touraine, not far from Tours and Blois. Soils are chalk and clay, quite like Sancerre/Pouilly Fumé, but with some sand, too.

6. CHATEAU DE VALLAGON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, TOURAINE

Goode praised this wine’s “zippy, minerally, tangy citrusy style” and noted that it is made by the Oisly co-op, which has a very good reputation, and thrives at the centre of the new Oisly appellation within Touraine.

7. DOMAINE DESLOGES SAUVIGNON 2012, TOURAINE

Enthusing about this Sauvignon, Goode stated how he really likes this wine, and praised in particular its “mouthfeel” and “aromatic interest”.

The wine comes from a fourth generation Touraine domaine of 20 hectares, which comprises organically farmed 20-30 year old vines.

8. DOMAINE DE LA RENNE SAUVIGNON 2012, TOURAINE

With a powerful green bell pepper and tomato leaf aroma, Goode described this wine as a “big methoxy style”.

He noted that achieving this character requires early picking, but adding that, “… the skill is integrating that methoxy character with the rest of the wine – you need to get it in harmony.”

Owner Guy Lévêque’s grandparents established this domaine in 1900, but Guy has grown it from 4 to 80 hectares since he took over in 1980. The soils are clay/silex and sand.

9. DOMAINE DES CAILLOTS 2012 TOURAINE

With a strong, attractive elderflower note on the nose, this wine had “nice aromatics,” said Goode, who also praised the selection for being “a very pure expression of Sauvignon”.

The wine is from a 20-hectare domaine in Touraine Chenonceaux – Chenonceaux is one of two new sub-appellations in Touraine (the other is Oisly, noted earlier).

10. SAUVIGNON DOMAINE DE LA BERGEONNIÈRE 2012, TOURAINE

An “exotically fruity” Sauvignon which also exhibited “fine greenness” according to Goode, describing the latter character as similar to the aromas released when brushing against a tomato leaf.

This wine comes from a 15-hectare domaine the banks of the Cher in Saint Romain sur Cher, on clay-limestone and sandy soils.

11. PHILLO, LES PIERRES D’AURÈLE 2012, TOURAINE

Described as a ripe style with richness, and possibly even a touch of residual sugar, Goode described the wine as “very attractive, but commercial style of wine.”

The Phillo Sauvignon is produced from 15 hectares of vines on clay/loam soils that have been certified sustainable by Terra Vitis.

12. THIERRY DELAUNAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, TOURAINE

Showing “brilliant balance, some richness with a bit of tropical fruit, as well as aromatics, this wine has both texture and good acidity,” said Goode. Continuing his praise he added that “everything seems to be in harmony here, and winemaker Thierry Delaunay doesn’t seem to be able to put a foot wrong.”

The wine comes from a domaine of 27 hectares in AOC Touraine between Chenonceaux and Chambord, on the left bank of the Cher.

13. DOMAINE DE CRAY, EARL ANTOINE ANTIER 2012, TOURAINE

“Very lively, zippy, with good acidity but also richness,” Goode complimented this selection, which also displayed a slight spritz.

The wine comes from a 60-hectare domaine owned by the Antier family, who also make wine in Montlouis.

14. MISTER L SAUVIGNON BLANC, LEVIN 2011 VIN DE PAYS DE VAL DE LOIRE

The tasting concluded with this barrel- fermented and aged Sauvignon from David Levin, who is owner of the Capital Hotel in London.
Goode described the wine as “Graves- like” and “very good”. He also said he thought the wine would age well, stressing that “oak and Sauvignon is a happy marriage, sometimes.”

The wine is sourced from 20 hectares of organic and biodynamic vineyards split into three parcels. Mister L is made only in exceptional vintages from the best plots of Sauvignon Blanc. It is barrel fermented for nine months in new French oak.