2008 Loire harvest underway

11 September was the official ban des vendanges in Muscadet. This is when the wine authorities fire the starting pistol for the harvest, although if your grapes are sufficient ripe it is possible to get a dispensation to allow you to start before.

Pierre-Luneau of Domaine Luneau Papin (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine): “We started on Tuesday (16 September) with the section of the vineyard that is harvested manually with a team of 50 pickers (very carefully selected by Pierre). Although the summer has been bien moyenne, there is too much of a rush to pick and we aren’t picking today – due to restart Monday. I expects that the harvest will last another 10 days or so.

Pierre Luneau at the Salon des Vins de Loire 2006

Jérôme Choblet, Domaine des Herbauges, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu: “We haven't started yet. We did a little trial last Monday (15th) but the grapes are properly ripe yet – around 10.5% pot alc but between 6-7 g/l acidity. We are waiting for the grapes to be phonologically ripe and will start next Monday. Waiting is very stressful for us as many of our neighbours are busy picking. However, our grapes are healthy and we know we will make better wine if we wait. Once we start we will be picking quickly and I expect the harvest will be over in 10-15 days."

Catherine Roussel of Clos Roche Blanche, Touraine: “We will be starting Monday (22nd) with a parcel of Sauvignon Blanc. We’ll see how it goes. We are happy with the alcohol degrees but the acidities last weekend were still quite high – 6-7 gram per litre. If they are still high we’ll stop and wait.”

Jean-Marie Bourgeois, Henri Bourgeois: “We expect to start around 29 September in Sancerre. We are not in a rush. The weather is fine and the nights are very cool. It’s a bit like the Marlborough (NZ) climate – the acidity levels don’t drop. With climate change we are more worried by declining acidity rather than whether the grapes we will be able to get the grapes properly ripe. The grapes are very healthy and are ripening gently.”

Ban des Vendanges dates:
Reuilly – Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Monday 22 September
Reuilly – Pinot Noir Wednesday 24 September
Quincy – Friday 26 September

The dates for Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Pouilly have yet to be fixed, although a reliable source indicates that it may well be Monday 29 September.

I understand that the Sauvignon Blanc is looking promising, although the acidity needs to drop a little. The Pinot Noir, however, is more delicate with a question mark over the amount of colour in the skins. Fortunately the forecast for the Loire over the weekend and for next week is good.

Saumur – Le Puy-Notre-Dame
Two messages from Micaela Frow (www.lagrandemaison.net)

Wednesday 17th: Good sunny conditions for the last week and into next so fingers crossed. Some due to start harvesting for the Crémant next week has been a tricky season with rot and coulure. A couple of weeks ago we had very misty mornings cleared by sun in the afternoon but way too early for Coteaux du Layon type weather very odd!
Friday 19th: Hand harvest started today around Le Puy area for the Crémant.

Christophe Daviau

Anjou – Brissac
Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut: “I’m planning to start the Chardonnay for the Crémant on Tuesday (23rd) and then a parcel of Grolleau for Topette (Christophe’s easy drinking screwcapped red using macération carbonique). Both will be picked by hand. The Sauvignon, which is about 11.5% potential now, will either be Friday or the beginning of the following week. The Cabernet and the Chenin are coming along, although they are about a degree lower in potential alcohol than they were at this stage last year."