Marc Bredif Vouvray tasting – April 7, 2022
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 8:07 pm
G’day
When I was first discovering wine in the early 1990s, I picked up one or two of James Halliday’s books. In at least two of them, Marc Bredif was singled out as a producer of note in the home of Chenin Blanc, France’s Loire Valley. For reasons unknown, the name stuck, and, as time went by, I picked up a bottle every now and then.
It was only in recent years that I have sought out older bottles, and managed to amass a collection of ten or so vintages. Further contributions from attendees at this event meant that we had 14 vintages of Bredif’s Vouvray Classic spanning 2020 back to 2001.
The Vouvray Classic is an off-dry style of Chenin Blanc, carrying (I believe) 10-15 g/L residual sugar. Bredif also produces a (more expensive) Grand Annee, which carries higher levels of residual sugar, and this wine allegedly has ageing potential up to a century. We had two relatively young examples (i.e. from the 1980s) to sample.
The wines are effectively unoaked and retain some texture from lees contact. There’s a couple of factors that were common across all of the wines:
• The level of residual sugar remained fairly consistent across the range of vintages. Apparently the level of RS was higher in decades past, but was reduced to meet public tastes.
• Natural acids are high in these wines, and this contributes to freshness and longevity.
• There’s a slight viscosity to most wines, probably as a result of the lees contact.
• Honeysuckle flavours are evident, even on the younger wines. They become more honeyed with age. Frequently, there’s citrus and floral notes as well.
• Alcohol levels were fairly consistent, between 12.5% and rarely reaching 13.5%.
• The colour of the wines changed imperceptibly from vintage to vintage. The younger wines started at pale yellow, and trended to only a moderate yellow after 20 years. Even the 1980s wines were medium yellow, and barely tending to gold.
Bredif also makes a sparkling brut, and we sampled this prior to starting the tasting in earnest. This is a dry and very well made wine, and provides an interesting alternative to champagne.
All wines were (not surprisingly) under cork. The cork gods intervened on two of the wines. As usual, we tasted from youngest to oldest.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2020: Lots happening on the nose, with honeysuckle, preserved lemon, or lemon curd, white blossoms, green capsicum and nashi pear. The palate has the expected residual sugar, with pear, pink peach and more honeysuckle. Acid is almost bracing, and this was the most forward of the young wines. There’s palate weight, slight viscosity and a touch of smoke or ash.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2019: Moderate honeysuckle on the nose, with glace` ginger and grapefruit. Slightly softer acid than the 2020, and the palate shows honeysuckle, pear and pear skin. Less palate weight than the 2020.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2018: Honeysuckle, jarrah honey, citrus and musk on the nose. Somewhat less residual sugar (or this was the perception, anyway) and higher acid, with lemon and ginger on the palate. If anything, the fruit finishes short, leaving an acid-driven finish.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2017: This is more floral and less honeysuckle on the nose. Glace` ginger, honeydew melon and a touch of chlorine are present also. Higher apparent RS than previous wines, with grapefruit and honey in support on the palate.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2016: Pears and ripe red apple on the nose, along with preserved lemon, glace` ginger and the omnipresent honeysuckle. The palate is tangy, with lemon sherbet, salted lemon, apricot, lemon barley, lime and red apple on the nose. This was the most delicate wine so far. Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2015: Lemon, florals, honey and musk on the nose. A mouthfilling palate with tangy acid, grilled peach, candied fruits, unripe pear, strawberry and “sour pear drops”. There’s signs of toastiness for the first time ,too, indicating the start of age development.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2013: Complex nose with honeyed citrus characters, pear, grapefruit, beeswax and wet wool / lanolin. Manuka honey on the palate, balanced by lemon and acidity. There’s a touch of strawberry too. Greater palate weight than most previous wines, and well regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2012: We’re starting to see more of candied or cordial fruit on the nose, indicating development. There’s honey, florals and pineapple as well. The palate shows the usual pears and honey, but seems less acidic and less citric, and maybe less RS. A touch of honeydew melon, and viscosity to the point of cloying.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2010: Wet wool, mangop, honeysuckle, beeswax, glace` pineapple, and tropical fruits on the nose. The palate is lighter and fresher than a couple of earlier vintages, with high acid, peach skin, hints of lanolin and a long finish.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2009: Corked, and not assessed. Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2008: Muted nose, with tinned lychee and fruit salad, along with apple pie. High RS and high acid on the palate, with honey, lemon, mandarin and lychee. This seems a little less complex than previous wines, and finishes short and cloying.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic: 2007: Back to a more typical Bredif nose, along with lychee and beeswax. Peach, pear and honeysuckle on the palate, which is also showing signs of development. Some grapefruit on the back palate.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2006: Pear, florals, lanolin on the nose along with soft lemon and marzipan or almond. Lots happening on the palate, with pear, apricot, good acid, lingering honey, green apples and strawberry. There’s also cloves and cinnamon similar to a mulled wine. The balance between acid, fruit sweetness, and development is just right, and the wine finishes long. Well regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2001: Initially, toast and gunsmoke, which blew off to reveal honeysuckle, preserved salter lemon, dried lavender and lanolin. The palate is has lots happening, with the usual honey, honeysuckle, along with flint, wax, poached pears and some petroleum products. The developed characters sit just under the RS, with supporting acid and viscosity adding texture and richness. Well regarded by the group. The final bracket contained the Grand Annees:
Marc Bredif Vouvray Grand Annee 1989: The only wine to show slight gold tinges. The 1985 is lighter than the 1989 in colour. The nose starts with gunpowder or firecrackers, then settles down to nougat, ginger, burnt orange, lanolin and touches of petrochemicals. There’s a lovely sweetness on the palate, with honeycomb, caramel, lime cordial or Limoncello, and toasted marshmallow adding to flavour and texture. There’s also a touch of botrytis (which is apparently not uncommon in the Grand Annees). Very long finish without being heavy. Highly regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Grand Annee 1985: Corked, and not assessed. A big disappointment, as this was intended to be the grand finale for this tasting.
What a sensational and educational tasting! It was a wonderful experience to explore a range of Bredifs, and my thanks go to those who contributed wines and comments. Wine of the night (not surprisingly) was the 1989 Grand Annee, whereas the 2013 was the pick of the Vouvray Classics, closely followed by the 2001.
Cheers
Allan
When I was first discovering wine in the early 1990s, I picked up one or two of James Halliday’s books. In at least two of them, Marc Bredif was singled out as a producer of note in the home of Chenin Blanc, France’s Loire Valley. For reasons unknown, the name stuck, and, as time went by, I picked up a bottle every now and then.
It was only in recent years that I have sought out older bottles, and managed to amass a collection of ten or so vintages. Further contributions from attendees at this event meant that we had 14 vintages of Bredif’s Vouvray Classic spanning 2020 back to 2001.
The Vouvray Classic is an off-dry style of Chenin Blanc, carrying (I believe) 10-15 g/L residual sugar. Bredif also produces a (more expensive) Grand Annee, which carries higher levels of residual sugar, and this wine allegedly has ageing potential up to a century. We had two relatively young examples (i.e. from the 1980s) to sample.
The wines are effectively unoaked and retain some texture from lees contact. There’s a couple of factors that were common across all of the wines:
• The level of residual sugar remained fairly consistent across the range of vintages. Apparently the level of RS was higher in decades past, but was reduced to meet public tastes.
• Natural acids are high in these wines, and this contributes to freshness and longevity.
• There’s a slight viscosity to most wines, probably as a result of the lees contact.
• Honeysuckle flavours are evident, even on the younger wines. They become more honeyed with age. Frequently, there’s citrus and floral notes as well.
• Alcohol levels were fairly consistent, between 12.5% and rarely reaching 13.5%.
• The colour of the wines changed imperceptibly from vintage to vintage. The younger wines started at pale yellow, and trended to only a moderate yellow after 20 years. Even the 1980s wines were medium yellow, and barely tending to gold.
Bredif also makes a sparkling brut, and we sampled this prior to starting the tasting in earnest. This is a dry and very well made wine, and provides an interesting alternative to champagne.
All wines were (not surprisingly) under cork. The cork gods intervened on two of the wines. As usual, we tasted from youngest to oldest.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2020: Lots happening on the nose, with honeysuckle, preserved lemon, or lemon curd, white blossoms, green capsicum and nashi pear. The palate has the expected residual sugar, with pear, pink peach and more honeysuckle. Acid is almost bracing, and this was the most forward of the young wines. There’s palate weight, slight viscosity and a touch of smoke or ash.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2019: Moderate honeysuckle on the nose, with glace` ginger and grapefruit. Slightly softer acid than the 2020, and the palate shows honeysuckle, pear and pear skin. Less palate weight than the 2020.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2018: Honeysuckle, jarrah honey, citrus and musk on the nose. Somewhat less residual sugar (or this was the perception, anyway) and higher acid, with lemon and ginger on the palate. If anything, the fruit finishes short, leaving an acid-driven finish.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2017: This is more floral and less honeysuckle on the nose. Glace` ginger, honeydew melon and a touch of chlorine are present also. Higher apparent RS than previous wines, with grapefruit and honey in support on the palate.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2016: Pears and ripe red apple on the nose, along with preserved lemon, glace` ginger and the omnipresent honeysuckle. The palate is tangy, with lemon sherbet, salted lemon, apricot, lemon barley, lime and red apple on the nose. This was the most delicate wine so far. Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2015: Lemon, florals, honey and musk on the nose. A mouthfilling palate with tangy acid, grilled peach, candied fruits, unripe pear, strawberry and “sour pear drops”. There’s signs of toastiness for the first time ,too, indicating the start of age development.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2013: Complex nose with honeyed citrus characters, pear, grapefruit, beeswax and wet wool / lanolin. Manuka honey on the palate, balanced by lemon and acidity. There’s a touch of strawberry too. Greater palate weight than most previous wines, and well regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2012: We’re starting to see more of candied or cordial fruit on the nose, indicating development. There’s honey, florals and pineapple as well. The palate shows the usual pears and honey, but seems less acidic and less citric, and maybe less RS. A touch of honeydew melon, and viscosity to the point of cloying.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2010: Wet wool, mangop, honeysuckle, beeswax, glace` pineapple, and tropical fruits on the nose. The palate is lighter and fresher than a couple of earlier vintages, with high acid, peach skin, hints of lanolin and a long finish.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2009: Corked, and not assessed. Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2008: Muted nose, with tinned lychee and fruit salad, along with apple pie. High RS and high acid on the palate, with honey, lemon, mandarin and lychee. This seems a little less complex than previous wines, and finishes short and cloying.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic: 2007: Back to a more typical Bredif nose, along with lychee and beeswax. Peach, pear and honeysuckle on the palate, which is also showing signs of development. Some grapefruit on the back palate.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2006: Pear, florals, lanolin on the nose along with soft lemon and marzipan or almond. Lots happening on the palate, with pear, apricot, good acid, lingering honey, green apples and strawberry. There’s also cloves and cinnamon similar to a mulled wine. The balance between acid, fruit sweetness, and development is just right, and the wine finishes long. Well regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Classic 2001: Initially, toast and gunsmoke, which blew off to reveal honeysuckle, preserved salter lemon, dried lavender and lanolin. The palate is has lots happening, with the usual honey, honeysuckle, along with flint, wax, poached pears and some petroleum products. The developed characters sit just under the RS, with supporting acid and viscosity adding texture and richness. Well regarded by the group. The final bracket contained the Grand Annees:
Marc Bredif Vouvray Grand Annee 1989: The only wine to show slight gold tinges. The 1985 is lighter than the 1989 in colour. The nose starts with gunpowder or firecrackers, then settles down to nougat, ginger, burnt orange, lanolin and touches of petrochemicals. There’s a lovely sweetness on the palate, with honeycomb, caramel, lime cordial or Limoncello, and toasted marshmallow adding to flavour and texture. There’s also a touch of botrytis (which is apparently not uncommon in the Grand Annees). Very long finish without being heavy. Highly regarded by the group.
Marc Bredif Vouvray Grand Annee 1985: Corked, and not assessed. A big disappointment, as this was intended to be the grand finale for this tasting.
What a sensational and educational tasting! It was a wonderful experience to explore a range of Bredifs, and my thanks go to those who contributed wines and comments. Wine of the night (not surprisingly) was the 1989 Grand Annee, whereas the 2013 was the pick of the Vouvray Classics, closely followed by the 2001.
Cheers
Allan