Reviewed: 7 November 2012
Thierry Michon has been making wine on the Atlantic coast for many years in vineyards that are on the western edge of the Loire. Recently, the region has been awarded AOC status with the appellation name Fiefs Vendeens. Thierry’s desire to make the best wines possible has seen his vineyards converted to Biodynamic farming practices. The whites have been biodynamic since 1993 and the reds since 1995, so this is obviously not a new fad for the Michons.
The family now have 42 Hectares under vines spread across a 12 km stretch of coast. Whilst schist dominates the soil, there is subtle variation from one vineyard to the next.
A quirk of the Fiefs Vendeens appellation is that all wines carrying the appellation name must be a blend of grape varieties. Thierry bucks this trend and releases straight chenin and pinot based wines. He joked that these wines are blends, for example, of pinot and noir.
So what are the wines like? To my palate, the wines are good to excellent. The highlights for me are the chenin blancs and the pinot noirs. Both these wines spoke of the place from where they were produced as well as the vintage conditions in which the grapes were grown. I was also fascinated to try two wines made from the red grape negrette. This was the first time I had seen this grape and found a lot to like.
You will notice that I have not assigned points to the wines. I did this for two reasons. Firstly this was an open tasting with the winemaker, so it was hard to be totally objective. Secondly, with wines like the negrette, I did not have a benchmark to compare them to. The 2007 Le Poire could be the best negrette in the world, but without trying more, all I can say is that it is a good drink and worth seeking out if you want to try something a bit different.
Thierry was accompanied by his son and daughter who are off to New Zealand to work with Felton Rd for the next six months. They were only in Australia for 24 hours whilst in transit, so I am very grateful that they fought off the jet lag to present their wines.
A special thanks must go to my hosts on the day. Sue Dyson and Roger McShane from Living Wines are the Australian importers of these wines. Please see their website for details of their stockist etc. www.livingwines.com.au
Reviewed
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay/Groslot Gris – Fiefs Vendeens – Les Clous – 2011. Gold tinged colour. Subtle nose with creamy lees notes. Builds apricot and peach fruit aromas with air. There is honeyed fruit with more of the stonefruit characters on a palate that is quite neutral, yet has excellent length and builds presence in the mouth. The vines for this were planted in 1980, only naturally occurring yeasts are used for the ferment and the wine spends time on lees. An excellent food wine. (50/40/10 blend).
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Gamay – Gammes en May – 2010. A beautiful deep purple colour, though this is still lighter than a cabernet for example. Made like a burgundy rather than using carbonic maceration. There is a lovely perfume on the nose with hints of raspberry and fennel. The palate is fresh, light and interesting, with cherry and spice to close. Quite a neutral wine that could be served slightly cool or at room temperature.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Pinot Noir/Cabernet Franc/Gamay/Negrette – Relefts Rouge – 2011 – Pinot dominant nose that has attractive cherry fruit with good complexity. Quite a meaty wine in both flavour and structure. Spice and pepper really carry the finish, with a touch of grip at the close. Made in large format oak that adds texture rather than flavour. (40/20/20/20 Blend).
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chardonnay – Cuvee Maria – 2005. A light, golden colour that has plenty of life. Superb nose that has similarities with white burgundy, but has some “new-world” ripeness of fruit. Peaches to the fore, with a touch of nectarine-like structure, with flint, spice and nutty (bitter almond) complexity to close. Excellent length and persistence, this full-bodied wine is still very youthful. The wine spends 18 months in older oak. A wine to be enjoyed on its own or with lighter foods.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Negrette – Le Poire – 2008. The first Negrette that I have tried. An interesting and compelling nose, showing an amalgam of cherry, plum and spice. Firm in the mouth, the fruit is lighter bodied and supple. With good length and texture, this is another wine that would work best with food.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Negrette – Le Poire – 2007. Denser fruit on the nose compared to the 2008. The colour is also more purple tinged and darker. More earthy fruit characters, with hints of truffle, forest floor and even a hint of leather. Rich and dense fruit on the front palate with souring acidity to close. I would really like to see this again in 5 years.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Pinot Noir – La Grande Piece – 2006. Very dense colour that Thierry puts down to the small grapes, soil type (Schist) and the use of copper and nettles in the vineyards as part of the biodynamic management. This is an interesting wine in that it is a blend of new and old-world characters. Dense and earthy, yet there is a core of lovely ripe fruit aromas. In the mouth, there is sour cherry and earth over red fruits. You can almost taste the salty ocean tang on the minerally finish. The length is excellent and the mouth-feel spot on. The wine was macerated on skins for 2-3 weeks though apparently, the colour is set in as little as three days.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Pinot Noir – La Grande Piece – 2005. Interestingly, this has a fresher red colour compared to the 2006. Earthier overtones on the nose and palate with excellent length and aftertaste. The fruit really builds in the mouth, with the savoury, earthy characters running right through to the finish.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Pinot Noir – La Grande Piece – 2004. Starting to show hints of age on the colour. This is relatively subdued on the palate with herbal fruit characters reflecting the cooler vintage conditions. The wine has life and vitality, with lovely line on the palate. Leaner and more acidic, this will carry food well.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Pinot Noir – Plante Gate – 2006. I like this a lot. The fruit is vibrant, with cherry, spice and delicate perfume over quality oak highlights. (0.5 hectare total planting). The oak and bright fruit make this very youthful indeed. There is also savoury nuances over the red fruits (berries). There is souring acid to close which really carries the palate. The assembled tasters thought that this had some similarity to Chianti on the nose. Like the other pinots here, this sees 100% new oak. In many ways, this is my favourite of the pinots, though the 04 La Grande Piece is perhaps better drinking today.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chenin Blanc – Les Haut des Clous – 2008. The lovely, complex honeyed fruit on the nose suits the golden colour very well. Rich, honeyed and mouth-filling, the palate has to be tried to be believed. Long and viscous, the merest hint of residual sugar (3gm/l) complements this wine beautifully. With lovely minerals and spice on the finish, this is a meal in itself. A superb wine that is very long and complex. The wine spends 18 months in 600 litre oak barrels prior to bottling.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chenin Blanc – Les Haut des Clous – 2007. More minerals and spice than the 2008. Has more nutty (cashew nut) type aromas and flavours than the honeyed 2008. The line and length belie the higher alcohol. The acid is holding the palate together well. A more elegant style, that is lovely drinking, but less compelling than the 08. At over 14% alcohol, this is a lot riper than the others, but in no way hot or overblown.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chenin Blanc – Les Haut des Clous – 2006. Darker colour than the 07 and more developed on the nose. Reserved and subdued, this would be a great match with food. The palate is long and textured, this wine relying on structure and minerality to make its presence felt, while the lemony fruit adds vibrancy. An interesting contrast.
Domaine Saint Nicholas – Chenin Blanc – Soleil de Chine – 2007. Deep golden colour, with apricot and honey on the nose. Nutty complexity on a palate that is long, gently sweet (15gm/l) and finishes with refreshing acidity. A subtle, supple wine.