Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Field Observatory Building,
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Clark Air Base, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Clark, Pampanga: (045) 499-6200
Mobile/SMS: 0977-837-9012
Ordering: 0977-837-9012 / 0917-520-4393
Manila: (632) 8637-5019

Wines Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in Loire Valley of France

September 24, 2010

Touraine Part 2

It is essential when exploring the towns of Chinon and Bourgueil that you try your best to flood your hotel. The town of Chinon is pleasant enough, and holds some happy memories; Bourgueil is much smaller, a few dusty streets with a church and a post office, if I recall correctly (I probably don’t). Blink and you will miss St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. But whatever your opinion of these three towns and their respective appellations, which are home to the Loire’s most classic, unique, identifiable and occasionally delicious red wines, there is no doubt that a visit here is spiced up no end by a quick hotel-based flood.

It wasn’t my fault, of course. Back in the 1980s I had no experience of this sort of shower cubicle, and when I splashed around in the puddle of water at my feet it was with delight, not with trepidation at what lay outside the shower doors. How was I to know the shower was blocked? I only realised, with horror, when I walked out of the shower; the splashing that had gone on inside, did not stop outside. A large pool of water slowly seeped across the floor of my room.

The natural response was obvious; it was a warm day, so open the window. My next thought concerned the people below me; were they now enjoying an impromptu shower? A quick recce of the floor below revealed my room was directly above the kitchens. At least I thought so; the winding staircase and strangely angled corners made it difficult to determine with any modicum of confidence. Nevertheless I was reassured; the heat of the kitchens might help to dry out my room, and what I could see of the kitchen ceiling looked intact. The next and obviously correct step in this course of action would be to inform the hotel staff of the blockage, so that it could be fixed, but my priorities lay elsewhere. I struck out to taste some wine instead.

Chinon

Chinon is a town on the banks of the Vienne which joins the Loire downstream very close to Fontevraud L’Abbaye, where King Henry II, his betrothed Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son, Richard the Lion Heart, are all buried. These three royals were undoubtedly intimately familiar with the town of Chinon, and its impressive fortress which still stands today, parts of which date back to the 10th Century. This grand castle (part of which is pictured right, circa 2007) sits on the bank of the Vienne, peppered above it and around it are Chinon’s most central vineyards, although there are many more further out of the town. There are in fact eighteen communes within the delimited area for this appellation, running along both sides of the Vienne as far as its union with the Loire itself. The appellation actually allows for white (from Chenin Blanc) and rosé, but it is the red wines, in general exclusively Cabernet Franc although up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is permitted (with an overall rendement de base of 55 hl/ha), that are the most distinguished. And it is the terroir that determines the style, there being broadly three types. The most highly regarded terroir is the tuffeau, the Turonian (late Cretaceous) limestone slopes and hills that characterise the communes along the very edge of the Vienne, such as Cravant-les-Coteaux, Anché, Rivière and Chinon itself. This terroir produces the wines with the most structure and body, those that, especially in the greatest vintages, will age so well. Then there are the clay terroirs, the existence of which many tend to overlook. These are of Senonian (also late Cretaceous) and Tertiary origin, the latter are located particularly in Véron, to the northwest of Chinon. These soils tend to produce intermediate wines between those of the tuffeau and the third group, from the alluvial sand and gravel soils of the Plio-Quaternary era, around Cravant-les-Coteaux and Panzoult. This third terroir tends to produce the lighter Chinons.

Such a diverse array of possible styles, even within an individual vigneron’s portfolio, combined with marked vintage influence, can make getting acquainted with the wines of Chinon rather difficult. But it is without doubt worth persevering. The tuffeau throws forth a wine for which we should be thankful, an affordable and ageworthy red wine, usually of 100% Cabernet Franc, perhaps Bordeaux’s most interesting grape when placed in isolation? I have very fond memories of the 1989 Couly-Dutheil Clos de l’Echo, purchased at the domaine, which sadly I finished drinking many years ago. A legendary Chinon from a singular site and a great vintage, which has kept me returning to Chinon ever since, searching for – and occasionally finding – that depth and complexity so readily displayed by that wine in the mid 1990s. Oh, that I had some more to drink today!

Bourgueil & St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

Head northwest out of Chinon, past the huge golf ball-like structure of the EDF Centre Nucléaire, across the Loire and you will quickly arrive in Bourgueil. After Chinon, this is the Touraine’s second great red wine appellation, together with St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil just down the road. These two appellations do hide in the shadow of their near neighbour, I suspect partly because the pronunciation of Chinon is more readily obvious. The wines here can be excellent.

The two appellations lie over eight communes, all of which are eligible for Bourgueil, although St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil applies only to the commune of that name. It may sound rather lazy of me to say so, but many aspects of these two wines are as for Chinon. The wines, red or rose (no white), are exclusively Cabernet Franc, and the rendement de base is set the same, at 55 hl/ha. The terroir is very similar, with areas of tuffeau as well as sandy, gravelly zones; this is true even of the commune of St-Nicolas. Some wines, therefore, perform well in the cellar, whereas others are lighter and more intended for early, fruit-fuelled drinking.

The difference between Chinon and Bourgueil is thus difficult to elucidate. Each of the appellations, which were all legally defined in 1937, produces a similar set of wines with similar flavour profiles and similar markets. Tasted blind, I do not pretend to be able to distinguish one from the other, especially with the diversity offered by the matrix of terroir, vintage and a myriad of individual vignerons. It might be correct to describe the wines of Bourgueil as more rustic, but this is not universally true, and it is only once the label is revealed that all really becomes clear. In Bourgueil the top names include Jacky Blot of Domaine de la Butte, Yannick Amirault, Pierre-Jacques Druet, Catherine & Pierre Breton and Frederic Mabileau. I have also been impressed by the occasional wine from Cognard-Taluau. Other names that might be worth looking out for include Joël Taluau, Domaine de la Lande, Clos de l’Abbaye (I have fond memories of visiting the small vineyard here, rented out by the Sisters of Saint-Martin) and Audebert et Fils (specifically for the domaine rather than the négoce wines).

The Touraines

Chinon and Bourgueil do not mark the end as far as the red wines of Touraine are considered, just as Vouvray and Montlouis are just a drop in the ocean of white wine here; as the map above shows, there are huge swathes of vineyards not yet described. Many of these are on land that qualifies for the Touraine appellation, or one of its daughters, namely Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine-Amboise, Touraine-Mesland and Touraine-Noble-Joué. These regions all have an appellation for red, white (of all levels of sweetness), rosé and sparkling wines. The subregions, such as Azay-le-Rideau are generally where the best wines are found. Conveniently, touring these appellations will also bring you to some of the Loire’s most admired grand chateaux such as Chateau Azay-le-Rideau (above, circa 2004), so it makes for a convenient combination of sightseeing, culture and wine.

The regulations permit a wide variety of grapes, including Cabernet Franc, Cot and Gamay, even Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir for the reds, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin for the whites, perhaps with Chardonnay, from 143 communes in Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher. The rendement de base is 60 hl/ha for the reds and rosés and 65 hl/ha for the whites. Clearly these appellations offer an incredibly diverse selection of wines. There are a few producers with reputations that suggest they are worth looking out for, although in truth I have little experience of many of the domaines in these appellations. There is an estate located in the 16th and 18th Century cellars at the beautiful Chateau de Chenonceau (pictured, again circa 1993) that turns out decent wines for current drinking; they are signposted from the path as you walk towards the chateau. The Confrérie des Vignerons de Oisly et Thésée also has a good reputation. Other producers are no doubt of merit and I would suggest investigation and experimentation; these are hardly wines that will break the bank!

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices.  Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world.  As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years.  Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

For inquires and reservations, <a title=”Click here to contact us” href=”http://www.clarkwinecenter.com/?page_id=14″ target=”_blank”>contact us here</a>

Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building

Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,

Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars

Manila Sales Office

3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,

Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

(632) 637-5019   0917-520-4393  ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.


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