Patrick Baudouin: a question of yields

Ripening Chenin Blanc in a low yielding vineyard in Anjou:Oct 2009

Interesting article on Patrick's blog on historic grape yields in Anjou citing Le Vigneron Angevin by Dr P. Maisonneuve published in 1928. Yields even on the most fertile of vineyards didn't exceed 35 hl/ha and on the more infertile slopes never more than 12-16 hl/ha and often much less. In 1921, for example the yields were between five and ten hl/ha.

Patrick notes that it was the arrival chemical fertilizers in the 1970s that changed this natural balance and permitted a big increase in yields – the current rules for AC Anjou Blanc permit a base yield of 60 hl/ha. He argues that it was this increase in yields that robbed wines of their authentcity and notes the more recent move by quality minded producers away from the use of artificial fertilizers.

I note that Patrick's copy of Maisonneuve's has a few splashes of wine on its cover – an Anjou Rouge perhaps?

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Also a good piece here by Bertrand Celce on Tim Johnston's Juveniles wine bar in Paris. I recently saw Tim at the Salon des Vins de Loire making his annual Monday trip to the fair looking for interesting new things.