It was a festive evening at the The Vine Wine & Tapas in San Leandro as the entire room was reserved for us, so there was plenty of room for everyone to roam around and catch up with each other. There were 21 diners and 19 tasters, including first time participants Richard and Suzi Mills who were guests of Bob & Sandy.
Since the main tasting was focusing on a white wine (Chenin Blanc), Bob decided to showcase in the pre-taste some of the top red wines from the Loire Valley, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Franc Rosé, and a Pinot Noir from Sancerre. The general consensus among the attendees was that it was fine to have a pre-taste of such different varietals than the main tasting wine.
As for the main tasting, there was definitely a favorite: the “Francois Chidaine 2017 Les Bournais Montlouis Sur Loire”. The point total of 46 with 19 tasters, with an average score of 2.4, was the lowest of the year by far. It was also the most expensive wine in the tasting at $44, while the least favorite wine, the “2017 Jasnieres” at $22, was the least expensive, so in this case, we got what we paid for. The 2nd favorite wine was also a Francois Chidaine from Montlouis, the Les Choisilles with 62 points and costing $32. The 3rd place wine was from Vouvray, also in Touraine, and just across the Loire from Montlouis. It garnished 68 points and cost $42.
For full descriptions and rankings of all the wines, click here: Tasting Notes – 2019-10 Loire Valley Chenin Blanc
Here’s the voting results by individual tasters:
Here’s the wine lineup in order of finish with the top wine on the left.
The hosts: Bob & Sandy Simoni
The wonderful venue was The Vine Wine & Tapas in San Leandro
ANNOUNCEMENT
WHAT: Loire Valley Chenin Blanc
WHERE: The Vine Wine & Tapas, 135 Parrott St., San Leandro
WHEN: Sat. Oct. 12 at 6 P.M.
HOSTS: Bob & Sandy Simoni
Come join us as we taste the best Chenin Blanc that the Loire Valley has to offer from the 2013-2017 vintages. In an unusual twist, the pre-taste will include some typical red wines from the Loire Valley, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Franc Rosé, and a Pinot Noir from Sancerre (the only region in the Loire Valley permitted to grow Pinot Noir).
The Loire River, which runs through much of the heart of the Loire Valley and offers the wines of the region a uniquely flavored minerality, is the longest river in France and stretches for more than 629 miles. Given its unique relatively Northerly location, the cool climate, in conjunction to its soil composition, allows grapes the ability to ripen slowly, uniformly and efficiently, thus enhancing the ultimate flavor and aromatic concentration of wines produced throughout the region.
While there are a number of sub-appellations that produce Chenin Blanc in the Loire, it’s probably both Touraine and Vouvray that are the most noteworthy currently.
In Touraine, Chenin Blanc is traditionally medium-bodied, un-oaked and off-dry. Fruit flavors vary, but expect predominant tones of tree, citrus and tropic fruit touches with some herbal tones.
Heading Northeast slightly, we land in Vouvray. It’s here where Chenin Blanc styles are even more varied. Premium quality dry, medium and even sweet Chenin Blanc is produced throughout the entire appellation.
Below is a map of the Loire Valley with the appellations we will be tasting from highlighted in yellow.
For more details on the various regions in the Loire Valley, click here: Loire Valley Wine Descriptions.
The Loire Valley has always been special to Bob as he spent his sophomore year in college living and studying in Angers (highlighted in red in map above). There his 18-year old palate learned to appreciate Rosé d’Anjou, so he’s including one of those in the pre-taste as part of this trip down memory lane. See below for a page from his old photo album with photos from Angers from 1981-1982.
We will be using the same place used last year for our tasting: a spacious, wine-themed private room at a wine bar called The Vine which is attached to the Englander Pub in San Leandro. The room can fit 45 people so we will have plenty of room for our tasting. We will also have exclusive use of the outdoor patio which might be nice for the pre-tasting if the weather permits. Parking is free and is available in front or on nearby side streets. It is also .4 miles from the San Leandro BART should you want to take public transportation (a ride could surely be arranged back to the BART afterwards). Their website is at: http://www.thevinewineandtapas.com/
The cost of dinner is $50. This is a single bottle tasting so we are limited to 24 tasters but can easily accommodate more diners. The cost of the tasting will be relatively inexpensive (approximately $35 per taster).
Here’s the menu (Please choose one main course with your RSVP):
APPETIZER
Assorted cheeses and baguettes (served with Pre-taste).
House salad with a champagne vinaigrette.
MAIN COURSE
RIB EYE STEAK
Twelve ounce USDA choice rib eye steak, charbroiled to your specifications, served with a baked potato & mixed vegetables
SEAFOOD MIXED GRILL
A tasty combination of shrimp, scallops & salmon grilled to perfection
served on a bed of spinach with rice pilaf
CHICKEN BREAST WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE
A chicken breast with a white wine mushroom and garlic sauce served with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables.
DESSERT
German chocolate cake
RSVP: by Oct. 5 with the number of diners, tasters and your main entrée selections.
Cellar Society of San Francisco 