"Modesty is the cover of talent," said Aurélien Scholl. Modesty and talent are what Philippe Foreau and Antonio Molina have in common. Acknowledged but moderate successes "because" of the modest Loire Valley, of the little-known Flamenco? One brings out of his case a Vouvray "Goutte d'Or" 2011, the other a magical interpretation of "Adios a España." Armand Foreau, the grandfather owned a few vineyards and established the reputation of the house (first to bottle its wines in Vouvray at the time) by starting to dig the cellar in 1910, which was completed in 1970. The father, André, took over the estate in 1969, the same year, in "Galas del Sabado", Antonio, descendant of a humble family from Andalusia, revealed "Adios a España", a Spanish lyrical song telling the story of a Spaniard sad to immigrate.
Tradition: a compass
In 1983, Philippe continued the family tradition: "Like my grandfather and my father, I remain attached to traditional methods and an organic approach to cultivating our 12 hectares located on the first slope and aged on average 37 years," he explained recently. As for Antonio, he dazzles Spain with his inimitable Andalusian style and his crystal-clear voice. During his tours (theater, cinema, song), he travels the roads in a car given to him by Franco. Philippe also travels through his vineyards with his tractor, but it is by hand that the harvest is done, by voice that the song is expressed.
21 years spring later
And even if the vagaries of the weather bother Philippe, he remains steadfast: "Dry years are guaranteed to be a great vintage, we win all round. Wet years encourage gray rot and we have to fight in the vineyard to produce something decent," he assures. 2011, a cold, dry winter and a warm, dry spring. After 1947 and 1990, the tour de force of the estate's emblematic cuvée, the "Goutte d'Or," has arrived.
The stratosphere
I decant MY "Goutte d'Or" 2011 (opened suddenly after a pitiful Condrieu 2015 from a producer whose name I will not mention and at the insistence of a tasting friend). It comes at the end of a high-flying sweet trilogy: Alsace Domaine Zind-Humbrecht "Clos Jebsal" Pinot Gris VT 2010, Vouvray Domaine Huet "Constance" 2003. Zind very good, Constance excellent, Goutte d'Or ... a superlative that the words extraordinary, exceptional, magical, monumental, unforgettable or immense cannot adequately sum up. "Adios a España" has the same fate, heard and devoured by chance, over the course of my musical discoveries.
Volume
The color is golden like a "Drop of Gold". The nose is a little closed due to this early opening but the exoticism of the Loire is there, accompanied by a scent of foie gras, like Sauternes exudes mustard (yes yes it's true). On the palate, it is silky, syrupy, a big substance coats me and caresses my palate: "Bonita, alegre y graciosa como una rosa de abril" as Antonio sings. "Kisse" is what my mouth tries to deposit on each of these drops of gold which "perfuma mi corazón" with its aromas of rhubarb, strawberry, mango, apples, ripe fruits, and foie gras.
The table of the greats
An "oración" would be salutary in the hope of drinking this nectar worthy of the gods again. "La Grande Pièce" is the plot planted in 1970 at the top of the Clos Naudin plateau (which is nothing like a Clos) and which produces the finest wines. It is also where prestigious and divine dinners take place, because it is indeed at the table of the gods that this marvel must be tasted, alongside Yquem or Egon-Muller. Its producer would undoubtedly agree: "Philippe Foreau knows how to convey in his wines the joy he takes in projecting them into the one and only space that rightfully belongs to them: the finest tables," writes the RVF.
The sublime dish
In 1954, Antonio wrote the play "Hechizo" (I Bewitch). His sweet, crystalline voice is like Philip's magic potion: a spell is cast on me. "One of the missions of wine is to satisfy thirst and accompany food as an additional delicacy. There is no true gastronomy without the taste of wine," he declares. As usual, I enjoy this elixir with a "homemade" dessert from my favorite chef made with rhubarb, strawberries, speculoos, and whipped cream. A kind of apotheosis?
All that glitters is not gold?
Philippe proclaims: "1947 was a remarkable year for sweet wines. My grandfather had set aside all his final presses, because they represented the quintessence of wine. The gold color gave its name to the cuvée." He continues about 1990: "My best plot benefited from high-quality botrytis. After waiting until the end of October, I decided to harvest everything at once, without sorting, and to carry out a very slow press. The juice that flowed was an incredible deep yellow." A Golden Year, Juanito Valderrama presents Antonio with a platinum disc. Gold, platinum, their colors can only be luxuriant.
The “kilometer” length
This grain of voice, the same grain of quality that Philippe extracts from this famous botrytis (he waits until noble rot has established itself from 40% to 100% on the grapes) so that then the richest sort is used for the "GO". The 2011 vintage of 7000 bottles is "preciosa". "Great wines must imperatively respond to an immutable triptych: finesse, digestibility and great length in the mouth" asserts Philippe. And what length! Not drunk since the Meursault "Les Narvaux" 1995 from Leroy. The 240g of residual sugar have the "chewing gum" effect on the palate: sticky on the palate with freshness, persistence and complexity to boot. The length is kilometer-long and as ethereal as Antonio's final and lyrical flight of 20 "caudalies" which coats the room and my ears with its pure grain. Well, in 1942, he was an upholsterer in Madrid. On these clay-siliceous soils, the terroir is called "perruche." I would call it "parrot wine": which says a lot.
Youth, a fruit full of sugar to be picked
The prolific Philippe affirms: "We must not be afraid of acidity." Fiery tension, controlled acidity, intoxicating youth, I agree with this "truth." The future is promising and, like Antonio, when you have the elegance of the "mar serena," the finesse of the "brisa," the balance of the "tierra," and the majestic air of the "sol," you can face time with pride and confidence. "Drinking wine, beyond the swallowed sip, is to question the mysteries of its taste, it is to understand its origin, its grape variety, its land, it is to understand the climatic conditions it has received, it is also to understand its potential," declares Philippe. Knowing where you come from, where you are, and where you are going. "I want to leave the port, I am at the age of conquests, Leaving is a celebration, Staying would be death." " sang Jacques Brel.
GO 1921, in search of lost time
"Uncultivated land" and "undergrowth" are the Gallic definitions of vober that gave its name to the AOC Vouvray created in 1936. "Great wines have in common with great minds that they make you intelligent," writes the RVF about the wines of Clos. The circle is complete, the mouth never. In 1989, pulmonary fibrosis took hold of Antonio and wreaked havoc in 1992. Nobility of soul was enough to make his lungs invincible. As a nod, in 1997, a great sweet year in the Loire, Antonio's "Adios a España" was reissued on CD. As for MY second “Goutte d'Or” 2011, it will wait patiently in the cellar, and by then I hope to taste the 2015, the 1990, the 1947 or even the 1921, not stamped GO but vinified in the same way...
My sincere gratitude,
Hugo Serres
