1999 Charles Joguet "Les Varennes du Grand Clos"

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santiago 16 years ago

I do not usually post many TN, even if I love to read those written by regular posters in the group.

Tonight, I wanted some red wine to go with homemade pizza. I finally decided on my last bottle of Charles Joguet "Les Varennes du Grand Clos"

1999.

It is quite right to say that I discovered the red wines from the Loire with the wines by Charles Joguet. It was my good friend Luc, caviste in Angers, who introduced me to this Domaine. This bottle was probably from my second trip to the Loire, back in 2002. I do not think Cellartracker existed then. At least I had not my small wine holdings there, so I cannot really say when I purchased this bottle.

I had not great expectations, for I had opened another Charles Joguet from the same vintage (Clos de la Dioterie) three years ago and I did find them a bit thin and green. 1999 was not the best vintage for reds in the Loire, mind you (it actually was a "vintage de merde").

But tonight this "Les Varennes du Grand Clos" 1999 was singing. Totally clean after popping the cork, it displayed some black fruit with a tobacco note that I loved. In the mouth, it was so easy to drink, with tannins resolved and a beautiful acidity and a great balance.

I do not consider myself a heavy drinker. In fact, I normally drink just a couple of glasses of wine with friday's dinner. But today, this small

12% alc. vol. was so nice that I ended drinking the full bottle (my wife is not drinking for nine months).

It was probably not the very best wine I have ever drunk. Neither the most complex. But it was a wine in its peak (I probably drunk it 10 years in advance as the average Wine Disorder contributor), with a lot of "digestibilité". Even if I know that Loire reds are an acquired taste, and assuming that many people will think this humble Joguet wine would taste green or herbaceous, I loved it from the first sip to the last.

We need more 12% alc. vol. wines like this. If we are to be objective, it was a B+ in Dale's scale. But it felt like a 100 pointer, for it was the right wine for the righ moment.

Too bad that Charles Joguet lost the Domaine of his name for financial issues, and Luc, my caviste in Angers, dropped their wines from his portfolio.

Sorry for the emotional rant!

s.

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Emery Davis 16 years ago

Hi Santiago,

santiago wrote: []

Thanks for the notes, and glad you had such an enjoyable wine. True that sometimes a particular bottle just comes off as "perfect" even if next time that might not be so.

Ah ha! This sounds like happy news! :)

I agree completely, there is much pleasure in a lower alcohol wine. And to think that 12 used to be "standard!"

I didn't know that he had lost control of the name; do you have more details?

cheers,

-E

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santiago 16 years ago

Hi Emery,

True. To go on with the trend, today I opened my last bottle of Rioja Viña Albina 1995 Reserva Especial, which at 13% is quite far from today standards. I liked the Joguet better, for the Rioja lacked fruit and was a bit too tertiary too me. I did not finish the bottle this time so will retaste tomorrow.

Not first hand. I remember reading that he had lost the Domaine because of his accountant, who kept it. However, I have just found in Joe Dressner's site that he retired and sold the Domaine to his accountant. Joe himself says that the Baudrys are good friends of Joguet so I may ask them in october.

BTW, Jo Pithon (Savennières, Quarts du Chaume, Bonnezeaux) also had to sell his Domaine lately, for financial matters. According to the Bettane et Desseauve 2010 guide, the production is now being marketed by Domaine FL (Jo Pithon + Chamboreau), belonging to the owner of an Angers based phone company:

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I have also read that Guy Bossard is looking for a potential buyer for his top notch property "Domaine de l'Ecu". Seems his descendants are not interested in wine and he wants to retire.

And, to keep with a track of bad news, one month ago I knew about Stephane Cossais, a young (42) vigneron from Montlouis dying of a heart attack while running a "walking race" in Bordeaux. He only vinified 5 years his Chenin Blanc, but made excellent wine in such a brief period of time. If you come across any Marchandais... get it. Really nice wine.

s.

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Mark Lipton 16 years ago

Yes, that is the story that I have also heard, possibly from the same source. I suspect that Kermit Lynch may also have written about this, since he is/was the US importer for Charles Joguet.

Pithon's story is a bit (only a bit) different in the sense that he was crafting his wines in a particular style that was, as it happened, rather hard to sell. Pierre Rovani briefly lauded his "sugar hunter" wines but on the whole he didn't find a niche for his style of wine.

To be sure, though, these are not easy times for vignerons, especially newer ones that may not own their own land.

And, finally, if congratulations are in order then many congratulations, Santiago!

Mark Lipton

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1999 Charles Joguet "Les Varennes du Grand Clos"

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