The French Loire Valley, aka the valley of Kings, has been the land of origin of great wines. Robust Chinons, sweet Muscadets, dry whites of Saumur and Pouilly Fumé, and the rosés of Anjou that the world adores. But what puts envy in the hearts of many are their crisp, refreshing, minerally sparkling wines. Bouvet Ladubay, one of the oldest houses, and definitely the much celebrated one, marked its presence in Delhi for the launch of their new blends. Vijay Mallya’s UB Group today owns and manages the house, which was once under the flagship of the Champagne house Taittanger.
Loire Valley is one of the coldest areas for winemaking in France. It’s proximity to the ocean allows the grapes to retain their acidity and slow growth period ensures complex flavour development, secret to great wines. The soil and the cool waves add an element of crispness, minerality, and a structure duplicated nowhere else in the world.
Bouvet Ladubay was established in 1851 and released their first sparkling wine in the 1890s. Since then the house has been challenging the Champagne houses in blind tastings and has defeated many. Their accolades and awards speak volumes about their dedication and meticulous winemaking techniques followed for decades. The house also owns one of world’s most high-tech winemaking facilities and have been exploiting to the best of the results which shows in their wine quality and intensity of production. This family-run endeavour is presently in its fifth generation and is under the management of the father-daughter duo, Mr. Peatrice Monmousseau, Chairman, MD, and the Chief winemaker since 1972, and his daughter Juliette, Deputy MD, Export and Publicity Manager. Juliette now dedicates most of her time heading the Sales and Marketing team in France and the export markets in Asia and the neighbouring countries. What is interesting is Juliette’s approach to the business. Heading a company marked for its history and close-knitted tradition is not an easy task. She mixes her new-gen élan to the business and brings a fresh appeal to the company’s image. And this is what she likes and also is visible in her work and words. With her love towards books, sports, and cinema she’s made Bouvet Ladubay the first choice for many prestigious events. The most-recently celebrated India’s win at the cricket world cup was also marked by Bouvet sparkling wines.
With much excitement Wi-Not tasted some of their wines available in India and here’s our review:Bouvet Brut Multi-Vintage: Chenin Blanc + Chardonnay (White):Pale straw appearance. Fresh fruity nose with a youthful touch. Crisp dry palate with notes of green fruit skin, minerality, hints of white pepper, unripe green apples, and tropical notes. Refreshing acidity and admirable balance. Small persistent bubbles. An easily approachable and amicable wineSaumur Blanc: Chenin Blanc (White):Young pale straw colour with a green hue. Aromas of white fruits, peaches, lemon, and ginseng are intense. Light dry wine with refreshing high acidity, light alcohol, and notes of capsicum, lemongrass, musk to follow. A great summer wine, enjoy young.Bouvet Chinon Rouge: Cabernet Franc (Red):Impressive deep ruby colour. Aromas of fresh berries and cherry juice. Dry balanced palate with notes of violet, tad inky, ripe red fruits, touch of spices, and earthiness. Tannins are young, still ripe, moderate alcohol and acidity. What’s appealing is the velvety aftertaste. A nice easy-drinking wines.
Bouvet Rosé Brut: Cabernet Franc (Rosé):Young Salmon rove with copper-tinged rims. Fruity nose with touch of chalkiness. Creamy and butter on the palate with an array of floral notes. Very crisp, tad tangy, high acidity, moderate alcohol. A good bubbly with marked roundness and balance.
Once a controversial hub for the Champagne producers for sourcing the base wine is today a budding land of opportunities for its native producers. Bouvet Ladubay has grown vigorously from its initial setup and today sees India as an emerging market that shall dominate Asia in the near future. With a rather affordable tag and quality no short of Champagnes their projections shall be eying the top spot. To the love of such wines, Sante!