Appreciating Cabernet Franc

Opened a bottle of Les Varennes du Grand Clos 2004 from Charles Joguet (Chinon) with dinner the other evening and how well worth the 5 year wait it was! Dark rich black cherry robe, you can almost smell the cherries. An oppulent mouthfull of red fruit with soft tannins and surprise bursts of caramel going on in the background. This in my humble opinion is how a real single varietal French wine should taste. C'est magnifique!

It was at this moment and in tasting this delicious wine that I realised the difficulties the 'general consumer' has in fully appreciating Cabernet Franc. Now 2004 is young for a good Chinon. In fact it is recommended to drink 2012 but it's now 2009 and folks you just don't want to wait. In general the up to the counter wine tasting public are given 2007 / 08 wines to taste and to be honest without food this is a tricky task. The assertive tannins can sometimes mask the rich plummy fruit that this rich stand-alone varietal has to offer. As wine professionals our job is to educate the consumer to be patient.


It is not necessary to worship at the shrine of the £4.99$ supermarket plonk that has been mass produced, filled with fruit flavourings and tankered from the otherside of the world. Take a little time out to think about what you are drinking, how it has been produced and who has produced it. Here's an idea. Buy a good case whilst you are in the Loire Valley on your Wine Tour- taste one when you get home with a menu to match - lay the other bottles down and repeat the same exercise each year for the next five years. Invite friends and compare notes you will see the results for yourselves. Good luck and hopefully you will start to understand a little about good French wine.

Sunset over the vines at La Grande Maison

Vines at the End of the Rainbow with a Little Food and Wine Matching too.

Just had to share this dramatic photo with you. Kindly sent in by Susan and Aileen recent return guests from Dublin. The picture was taken from the orchard at the rear of La Grande Maison. A beautiful rainbow arc over the poplar tree and into the vines.

Susan also wrote a little about her Wine Tour, " We really enjoyed learning a bit about the wine. So far we have enjoyed the Quid Novi - Anjou Blanc ( with grilled hake and a salsa verde with basil, coriander and capers) and the Royal Rouge - Red Sparkling (as an appetiser and with chocolate). It is really nice to be able to make choices that match the food)."

We love it when folk take wine back with them to sample with their own dishes and it is a lovely to way to extend that holiday feeling.

April is an exciting time in the gardens of La Grande Maison too. We really pruned the wisteria (by The Gate House) back hard last year and happily it has really recovered and is showing a beautiful display this year.

.....as is the clematis that climbs over The Old Bergerie.

....and the lilac by The Vine Lodge

The apple tree in the orchard is in full bloom too. This is a lovely to spot to picnic overlooking the vines with a glass of rosé.

A Portes Ouvert for Easter at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac

11th, 12th and 13th April Easter Weekend sees the Portes Ouvert at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac We are especially excited to be able to try Christophe's latest release Petit Princé 2007 a Chenin Blanc that will not be released until the end of the year but will be available to buy this weekend only! This proved to be dry Chenin Blanc with floral aromas of tilleul, aubepiné and quince, delicate and elegant. I expect it will go well with fish, fruit de mer and wine meats in sauce.

Releasing the aromas from the barrel!

We also discovered Christophe Daviau's - Topette A Lundi, a light easy drinking red Cabernet Franc in a screwcap that you can save 'til Mardi - as if?

The lauch of a new cuvee for Daviau - Petit Princé 2007

A Selection of Loire Restaurants from Saumur to Amboise

Speaking to Madame Laroche owner of the Auberge Bienvenue in Doue La Fontaine the other evening she gave me her update of the new TVA (VAT) ruling for restaurants in France. She tells me that the 5.5% TVA is sure but will not come into effect until 2010 and then it will only apply to the food element of the meal and not the wine. So we will have to wait a while longer.

Never mind though as the food there was superb as usual. The menu Selections du Terrior is already very good value at 24 euros for 3 deliciously presented and prepared courses along with the surprise "amusee bouche" that appears. We chose a local wine from our friend David Lecomte at Chateau Du Passavant, an organically produced Cabernet Franc - Les Neprons 2004 which went superbly with the Entrecote Francaise Au Tanin D'Anjou et Fruit Rouges.


Another longstanding favourite of ours if you are heading to Saumur is Le Pot de Lapin. "Bistro à vins avec cuisine traditionnelle du marché" Olivier Thibault offers a superb selection of local Loire wines many of which you can sample by the glass for only 3 euros. The menu is all chalked up on a large slate board and you can choose from a simple selection of tapas to a more hearty full three or four course meal prepared from fresh local ingredients. There is also a great selection of wines from the south of France including an Domaine Olivier Pithon from Rousillon La Coulee 2006 (Jo Pithon's brother - another superb Anjou producer) a delicious blend of Grenache noir, Carignan and Syrah. Yum!

A little further along the Loire River and a great stop for a day trip is Amboise home to Clos Lucé the last home of Leonardo Da Vinci. We stopped in at the newly opened La Reserve and had the Italian influenced menu de jour for under 12 euros, a french slant on mozzarella and tomatoes, lasagne and panacotta washed down with a small pichet of local Touraine sauvignon blanc. Extremely good value and a tasty lunch break.

Les Machines de L'Ile Nantes

If you fancy a ride on a giant mechanical elephant during your stay at La Grande Maison then head to Les Machines de L'Ile in Nantes. Le Grand Elephant standing 12 metres high and weighing 50 tons takes you on a 40 minute ride along the quayside of the Loire River. It trumpets, sprays water from it's trunk and is an amazing technological feat of engineering.

In fact the whole gallery is worth a visit. Sue couldn't resist volunteering to ride the giant retro propulsion calamar but then she is a big kid at heart!

Poisson d'Avril !!

French Government to Ban Drinking at Pavement Cafes?

Report by Decanter Magazine

A Spring Wine Tour in the Loire Valley

What better time to come to the Loire Valley and taste wine than in the Spring. For a start many of the wines are still in barrel so we have an amazing opportunity to taste the wines still in production. The sap is just starting to rise in the vineyards, the trees are in blossom and the Loire River is all sparkly and starting to reveal it's sandy banks.

Barrel tasting the Saumur Rouge 2008 with Romain at
Domaine Guiberteau St Just Sur Dive
Romain's Chenin Blanc the Breze 2006 was superb and
we excitedly await it's release in May 2009!

Celine Dubois in the labeling room at Clos Cristal
organic winery owned by the Hospices de Saumur

The Tresor Room at Bouvet Ladubay.
The Sparkling whites produced in oak picked up the gold medal
at the Salon de Vin this year.

Natalie Mabileau pours a tasting of the St Nicolas de Bourgueil
LES ROUILLÈRES 2008 directly from the tank!

Bruno the winemaker at Domaine de Mihoudy
in Aubigne Sur Layon sampling the Bonnezeaux

The Barrel room at Chateau des Fesles
Recently bought by Chais de France but contrary to rumours
Bernard Germain and Lisa Heidemans are still at the helm
along with Gilles Biguet the original winemaker.

La Grande Maison - Wine Tours in the Loire Valley France

La Grande Maison est Ouvert 2009

Tomorrow we re-open for the 2009 season.

Goodness I can't believe the holidays are finally over or have they just begun? La Grande Maison has raised her head from the winter dust and is all sparkly again. The Vine Room has had new windows, the signs have been repainted, the potager replanted, the cave restocked, the lawns mown, the windows washed...shall I go on?

Humble and Willow are ready to welcome all our new guests, the sun is shining, the hoopoes have arrived, the sap is rising in the vines and we have our first Wine Tour tomorrow!!

Humble Pie (HRH)

Look out for the Grape Pickers sign on arrival.

Now taking reservations for 2009
for our Chambres et Belle Salle A Manger!

Treves and Cunault from the Loire River

Sue takes to the helm.

There is no better way to appreciate the villages along the banks of the Loire River than by boat. So this weekend (our last weekend off before La Grande Maison re-opens for the season on the 23rd March) we headed off to our little cottage in Treves and waited for Pascal to deliver the latest addition to our fleet "Little Tern". We couldn't wait to get her out on the water and sailed straight away down to the tabac in Cunault for lunch.

Approach by water to Cunault

Elise our friendly neigbour in Treves has just taken over as the chef at La Cale. So if you want a spot of reasonable lunch then 11 euros gets you, for example, a salad of rillauds as a starter, salmon in a beurre blanc with vegetables and a plate of cheeses or a dessert . Washed down with a small pichet of local rose for 4 euros we sailed home very content.

Micaela tackles the tricky navigation over the shallows!!

Home in sight as we pass the Treves Tower

Where have they gone? I wanted to take the bigger boat!

The following day we were a little more daring and sailed around the island of Treves and out into the main river where the current was much stronger. If the river seems large from the banks then try sitting in the middle of it! However it is so beautiful and serene and there are plenty of herons, egrets and other birdlife to spot. We celebrate our 'maiden voyage' proper by mooring up on a beach and watching the sunset over Saumur Chateau in the distance with a bottle of Cremant. The end to a perfect day and the most beautiful spring weekend in the Loire Valley.

Chilled Wine on the Beach!

Good News for Diners and Internautes in France

Good news for both diners and wine writers on the internet in France this week.

First of all comes the news that TVA (or VAT) will be reduced in restaurants from 19.6% to 5.5% making it more affordable to dine out especially for our guests already suffering with a failing pound against the euro. This means that for example a dinner for two at 100 euros which would normally include about 20 euros in tax would now be a 5 euros tax making a 15 euro saving. Not bad ehh :)

Dining Out At the Tresor Belge

Our second piece of good news this week is that prior to recent scares that the French Government was about to ban advertising and writing about wine (and alcohol) on the internet that they have now taken a back step and it is legal again! Allegedly.....this is good news for all the wine writers, tourist sites and wine promoters who momentarily thought that their wine sites were about to become illegal in France.

The End is Nigh for Freedom of Speech in France ?

'What future is there for wine if we are not able to talk about it?"
Sign on the D77 into Le Puy Notre Dame late this summer.

Read more on Jim's Loire

Wine Quote of the Week from La Grande Maison

La Bar Mme Bovray Hotel Flaubert Trouville

"Vin - Sujet de discussion"

Gustav Flaubert
"Wine - Subject of Discussion"
Gustav Flaubert

The Shut Duck

Little did we know that whilst listening to Heston Blumental speak about the wonders of his cuisine at the Omnivore Food Festial in Deauville this week that he had just taken the serious decision to shut his restaurant, The Fat Duck, due to a food poisoning scare. You can read the full story on the link below.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/27/heston-blumenthal-fat-duck

Heston Blumenthal speaking at Deauville

I think he has reacted swiftly and responsibly to try and find the cause of the outbreak and hope that he can re-open again soon without damaging his reputation. Although it could be argued that he has been tampering with food, we will await the outcome before casting 'nasturtiums'

Bon courage Heston!

The Fat Duck meets El Bulli...in Wonderland

Mention the name Heston Blumenthal and the words FOOD and CHEMISTRY spring to mind. Taste, aroma and flavour perception seem to be what modern cooking is all about these days and there can be no doubt that he is a genius alchemist at the cutting edge.

Les Cafes Confidences with Heston Blumenthal

So how fortunate we were to hear him speak for an hour at the Omnivore Food Festival this week. Especially as he talked about his latest creation inspired from his favourite childhood book, Alice in Wonderland. The dish entitled The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is Blumenthal at his creative best and took two years to develop.

Mad Hatter's Fob Watch
Photo : Micaela Frow taken from slide show c. Heston Blumenthal

For the exact description of the recipe you’ll have to get a copy of The Big Fat Duck Cook Book (which will be hard as it has already sold out!). It is so complex it defies me attempting to explain but the first stage is the production of the Mad Hatter’s Fob Watch.

Photo : Micaela Frow taken from slide show c. Heston Blumenthal

The Mad Hatter’s Fob Watch (stages of production involve freezing, spinning the stock out to leave a flavourless ice and straining through muslin - enough said) is an intense broth tea bag that is then wrapped in edible gold leaf.

The Mock Turtle Soup
Photo : Micaela Frow taken from slide show c. Heston Blumenthal

The Fob Watch Tea Bag is placed into a teapot and the resulting bouillon then poured over the rest of the dish to form a Mock Turtle Soup flecked with gold. Unbelievable? Well his next project will include employing a magician to help him in his cookery.

If an hour with Heston Blumenthal, sorry Sir Heston, isn’t enough to blow your mind then how about a presentation from probably the most influential chef in the world. Ferran Adria is the inspiration behind the Spanish restaurant El Bulli.

Introducing the legendary Ferran Adria at OFF4

With over 2 million booking requests for only 8000 covers per year and no waiting list this is the restaurant to head for if you can’t get into The Fat Duck. Ferran speaks from the soul and his life is dedicated to researching new dishes, flavours and methods of presentation many of which were influenced during his culinary visits to Japan. In fact the idea for El Bulli, he says, came from visiting a restaurant in Japan that had only one table and could not be booked in advance.

Preparing a dish entirely comprised of seeds. The creation of life.
Photo : Micaela Frow taken from slide show c. Ferran Adria

Dining at El Bulli has been called Art in 4 Acts and is an entirely different dining experience extending to the waiters advising how to eat each dish and a preferred order to gain maximum flavour. Eating with your hands is encouraged as it is more ‘thoughtful’ apparently.

Preparing a dish entirely comprised of edible flowers.
Photo : Micaela Frow taken from slide show c. Ferran Adria

A rare opportunity as Micaela gets to chat to Ferran Adria of El Bulli

Adria's dishes are inventive colourful, minimaliste, inspired and if meeting Ferran doesn’t make you feel good, then I’ll eat my hat.

La Dive Bouteille Deauville 2009 10e

Monday 23rd February and on our way to the OFF4 Omnivore Food Festival in Deauville which this year incorporates the 10 Edition of La Dive Bouteille. A fantastic opportunity to sample ‘vin naturel’ from some 120 vignerons of France and a few from a little further afield, but more about that later.

The Loire Valley always has a very visible presence at this salon with some 42 producers from Muscadet, through Anjou, Saumur, Saumur Champigny, Touraine, to Sancerre. Including many old friends the Oosterlink’s from Domaine Juchepie in Faye d’Anjou, Eric Dubois from Clos Cristal, Sebastian Bobinet from Saumur Champigny , Antoine Foucault, le Collier and of course the now infamous Catherine and Pierre Breton of Bourgueil & Chinon whose wines I seem to find on everyones' wine list these days in France.


We specifically wanted to taste the Chenin from Romain Guiberteau, neighbours of ours in St Just sur Dive. Sue gave the thumbs up to the 2007 Saumur which was clean, fresh and acidic but with lots of grapefruity lemony zing 13.5% whilst I loved the 2006 Breze which had a nose I could wear all day as a perfume, slightly oaked with great length but not overly powerful. We will definitely be re-visiting Romain again this year on our Wine Tours.

A few other finds we discovered along the way. (more detailed tasting notes of each to follow later as the blog gets updated)


Noella Moratin from Pouillé in Touraine, one of the few female wine makers of the area, producing a cousin of chenin with her 2008 Menu Pineau with 20g residual sugar, very light, refreshing and citrus fruity and well worth trying for it’s originality and value. Chez Charles her sauvignon still under going it’s malolactic fermentation with a high level of residual sugar to balance 2008’s acidity was a surprise and an unusual find.


Matthieu de Genevraye Clos Ouvert from Chilli - Otonio 2007 very blackcurrant fruit and liquorice, excellent length produced with minimal intervention.

Le Loup Blanc - Nicolas Gaignon Languedoc

Soif de Loup 2007 Vin de Pays simple fruity, light (but not in alcohol) and very drinkable beautiful garnet colour 13.5%. Would quench our thirst along with the wolf’s.


Le Regal de Loup 2006 Minervois AOC 50% Carignan 20% Syrah, 30% Grenache aged in oak barrels very smooth 13.5%


Les Trois P’tits Vin de Pays Delicious with smooth tannins.

La Méré Grand 2006 Minervois AOC a more classic style aged in barrel more tannins displayed, great on it’s own but probably splendid with red meats.

Up next : In Conference with a not so Little Chef - Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck and Micaela get’s to meet her culinary hero Ferran Adria of El Bulli.