Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur-Champigny, Vieilles Vignes

Classic Loire red. Medium to medium deep ruby, nice nose featuring red berries, earth, some tobacco. Smooth, supple mouthfeel, excellent balance, good acidity- red fruit - cranberries, red currants - and a nice perfume accents the finish- dry, very winey, very complete, I wish I had a case of this, it is a gem.

Just opaque, still looking quite youthful. Very attractive fruity nose, blackberries predominate. Lovely fruity attack, very soft tannins. quite ;long

Popped and poured. A fat nose of hearty farmyard, plus minor yeast extract and purple fruit. Serious fruit-sweetness, and (for the vintage and its age) v surprisingly dense, quite fine material; if ending with a little grip within the richness. Red sloes, occasionally running to blackcurrant. A flicker of cedar, but a distinct lack of pencil-lead; indeed this is generic, old-vines, modern wine, with brett on top; rather than speaking of the Loire at all. Bright, balanced, supple and intense, …

Medium garnet colour. Red fruit on the nose and palate. A bit of acidity and nice silky tannins. No heat on the finish. Well made, but I was expected more complexity and savory notes based on what I had heard. May'be this was an off bottle? Somewhat disappointing. This is not a rebuy.

Dark cherry core, watery rim. Complex, pronounced nose with real typicity: graphite, cedar, raspberry, sour cherry, spice. Similar palate with juicy acidity and light tannins. Medium bodied. Moderate alcohol. Moderate finish. High quality. Easy to like. Would make a nice introduction to Loire reds for uninitiated.

Retailer tasting, quick notes. Lots of tar on the nose, as well as tobacco and spice. The palate is dominated by tar, plus some tart cherry and plum. Dry, short finish.

Lovely sweet fragrance, flowers and fruit. Fruity with very soft tannins, just about at its peak but it'll stay there for a couple of years.