Even more notes from La Dive Bouteille (Olivier Cousin, Catherine & Pierre Breton, Richard Leroy)

Sometimes at these events all the wines blend into each other bit not at this one. That is why I will post a tasting note on every table/grower who made an impression and there were alot. Just kind of picked these three out of a hat but most of their offerings were delicious and on the normal side of natural and not the hipster/philosophical side of natural. First up the charming and yes, sexy Catherine Breton.


2007 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Dilettante was okay but not really in my style. Full of fruit and fiun and I can see some people liking this but it was not me on this day.

2007 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch! was great and full of red and dark blue fruits. Some earth and elegance with round ripe tannins. Good depth.

2006 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Senechal was a rockstar on this day. Huge, dark, tannic, funky and rich. Great pure, palate staining fruit. Obviously young but what potential. As good as the 2005.

2005 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Perrieres was incredibly ripe and juicy with the typical brett/earth/funk this cuvee usually has. Very long finish suggests this has years of giving ahead of it.

2004 Catherine & Pierre Breton Chinon "Les Picasses" was showing tight, earthy and minerally but had a lovely core of dark fruit. There was a long detailed finish and astonishing purity to this wine. Great sweet, ripe tannin. Love '04 in Chinon.

Next up was Olivier Cousin who I have had limited experience with. Just had the cuvee with the fly on the label and liked it so I was excited to taste in depth with Olivier himself.


2007 Olivier Cousin Grolleau Vieilles Vignes was full of red quaffable fruit and very ripe. This was in an easy drinking style but still had stellar concentration. A juicy and very fun wine.

2007 Olivier Cousin Anjou "pur Breton" was also very ripe with flavors of tiny red berries on the background of some earth. Good if uncomplicated wine. Is this the one with the fly on the label? If so I have tasted better vintages.

2007 Olivier Cousin Cuvee des Fauches was pure Gamay and was a wonderful wine. Structured, elegant, earthy, mineral with tremendous ripeness and density. So harmonious and long. The best one yet.

2007 Olivier Cousin Cabernet Franc Vieilles Vignes was a deep, very intense and very structured wine. Lots of sap on the palate with some lovely herbal notes. Really flavorful stuff. Many different fruits. I really liked this.

2006 Olvier Cousin Anjou "pur Breton" had a weird nose of mineral and car tire. There were also some more familiar notes of wet earth. This was very tannic but the tannins coated the mouth easily. It was firm and intense with great acids but needs one or two years to come together into a more coherent form.

NV Olivier Cousin "Cousin de Martigre" Vin de Table Notes are not clear except I loved it. Mix of five vintage of old vine Cabernet Franc. Tannic and very floral with good spice and lovely ripeness. Really intense and long. Toothsome as Jacqueline Friedrich would say.

Olivier Cousin 2005 Cabernet Franc Vieilles Vignes was a great wine and maybe the best at this table on this particular day. A rich, ripe wine with a lovely, pure herbal character. Deep presence on on the palate with outstanding length.

Olivier Cousin NV Chenin Petitillant was a fun wine. Very appley. Good ripenesss with a very nutty almondy finish, Cannot compete with the Foreau's or Pinon's of the world but if priced right this is a great quaffing sparkler.

Richard Leroy is someone I have always wanted to meet as I have heard he loves German Riesling. We talked about his love of Mosel wines and particularly Clemens Busch with his minimal use of sulfur for dry and sweet wines. He's a passionate guy and makes great wines and is interesting to taste them as they do have certain teutonic quality to them. Chiseled yet with friendly acids and wonderful minerality.


2006 Richard Leroy Anjou Clos des Rouliers had a clean minerally nose with just the slightest hint of oak. Delicare nose. The palate was grippy and almost tannic with lovely chenin fruit and a formidable spice component. Brown baking spices. Very long. Needsa time but great material here. From schist soils.

2006 Richard Leroy Anjou Les Noëls de Montbenault which comes from calcaire-volcanic soils is the essence of pure minerals with wonderfully vivid oak-tinged almond flavors and pears galore. Showing alot of baby fat with wonderful purity. Just incredible. A great showing for both the Leroy 2006's.

There are so many notes from this trip as I look at my notebook so expect many more blog posts from La Dive Bouteille as well as from all my visits in Burgundy, Beaujolais and Germany. Oh yeah and a giant tasting with Texier. Great 2006's there.