Last Updated on May 17, 2022

Loire Valley wines at 28-50 Marylebone

Who wouldn’t want to try a taste of the Loire in London?  I was lucky enough to be invited to 28-50’s Marylebone Wine Workshop and Kitchen for a delicious lunch with paired wines from across the Loire Valley expertly hosted by Laurent Onillon from Langlois-Chateau. The tasting took us on a journey through the Loire Valley, which stretches 350km from the Muscadet vineyards near Nante in the west to Pouilly Fumé in the East. We were introduced to several lovely wines from Langlois-Chateau’s range taking in sparkling Crémants and whites – Muscadet, Saumur Blanc and Sancerre – as well as a lone red, a Saumur-Champigny Rouge. 

Domaine Langlois-Chateau was formed in 1885 upon the marriage of Edouard Langlois and Jeanne Chateau and so has been making wine for more than 130 years. The company they founded now oversees 95 hectares of vineyards along the Loire Valley and produces sparkling wines under the Appellation Crémant de Loire as well as several still wines. Since 1973 the majority share of Langlois-Chateau has been held by the Bollinger family of Champagne fame. This has led to investment in the vineyards and cellars as well as giving an opportunity to share knowledge of the Methode Traditionelle in the development of Langlois-Chateau’s sparkling wines.

Langlois-Chateau’s Cremants are their flagship wines and we were greeted in 28-50’s stylish private dining room with a glass of Crémant Brut NV. This elegant sparkling wine made for an excellent pre-lunch aperitif. 

Laurent Onillon guided us through the tasting, talking us through the history of Langlois-Chateau and its wines. An aspect of this event I enjoyed very much was tasting and comparing two wines with one dish so we could gain a greater understanding of the pairings. 

For example, with our starter of scallops tartare with apple, gherkin aioli and beetroot gel we tried both the 2020 Muscadet and the Saumur Blanc 2019. The Muscadet’s acidity and freshness made it an excellent match, cutting through the surprising creaminess lent to the dish by the aioli. We then moved on to the Saumur Blanc 2019, which is 100 per cent Chenin (and was the last vintage of Langlois-Chateau’s Saumur not to be certified organic). The Saumur’s minerality went well with the creamy scallop but the smoother Muscadet came out on top for me. 

Typical foods of the Loire Valley region include beurre blanc and fish so it was appropriate that our next course was sea bream with fennel, spring greens and caper beurre blanc. Again we had two wines to taste with our food – Sancerre Chateau Fontaine-Audon 2020 and Sancerre Chateau Thauvenay 2020, both 100 per cent Sauvignon. However, we learned that these two wines come from different soils. The Fontaine-Audon comes from flinty soil, which gives a very fine, mineral wine. The Thauvenay, on the other hand, comes from chalk, resulting in more structure and creaminess. Fontaine is generally recommended for scallops and smoked fish while the Thauvenay goes better with the bream.

I knew before the lunch that I was a big fan of Sancerre but it’s always good to discover something new about oneself. I now know that I am a ‘chalky Sancerre’ person. I would happily drink the flinty Fontaine but the chalky Thauvenay was my winner.

No French meal feels quite complete without cheese. We were presented with Gruyère d’Alpage that had been aged for 24 months paired with Saumur-Champigny Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2017. This very spicy and beautifully earthy red was an excellent pairing with the delicious gruyere and oatcakes.

The finale was a white chocolate cheesecake and strawberry sorbet paired with vintage bubbles – the Crémant Brut Quadrille 2012. This amazing extra dry sparkling wine was a strong note on which to end. It was delicious with dessert and would work equally well as an aperitif or special occasion party wine.  

Langlois-Chateau: www.langlois-chateau.fr/en/

28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen, Marylebone 

www.2850.co.uk

15-17 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NE