Cousin-Florent: compare and contrast

Olivier Cousin: Pur Breton  (vin de France)

Paysan angevin: Vin d'ici

This is lovely juicy, deep coloured, softly black fruited pure Cabernet Franc from Olivier Cousin. Although it isn't complex, this is certainly a wine to share with friends. This bottle was supplied by Les Caves de Pyrène. 

Olivier Cousin@The Real Wine Fair 2013

Olivier will be at the RAW wine fair  on Sunday 19th and Monday 20th May. He is one of the producers to bring their wine over from France by sailing boat (Mil'Pat), which is due to arrive on Thursday afternoon at St Katherine's Dock.

Cousin-Florent

On October 2nd 2013 Olivier Cousin will be before a court in Angers facing trial in a case brought by the French fraud authorities for having put Anjou Pur Breton on a vin de table label. Undoubtedly a heinous crime and one that if it goes unpunished has the potential to entirely undermine the French appellation system!

It is instructive to compare the zeal with which Olivier Cousin has been pursued by the French authorities, who doubtless find Cousin 'a pain in the arse' and their failure to mount any investigation into the miraculous 79 hectolitres of 2012 'Quarts de Chaume' made by Florent Baumard (Domaine des Baumard). Presumably it is all down to connections! See Florent's frozen miracle here. 

Domaine des Baumard, Quarts de Chaume 2012: grapes on Baumard's vignes larges 

planted on the terraces overlooking the Layon (above and below)

Photos taken on afternoon of 9th October. Baumard's first picking 15th/16th October, 

final tri 25th October

Florent Baumard took objection to my frozen miracle post and replied with What can i say. In his response Florent likened the decision of when to pick to that of a talented chef: 

'The photos posted on his blog purporting to show unripe grapes cannot be conclusive evidence of the average maturity of the parcels in question. The factors that go into the decision to harvest and selectively pick – at least in our vineyards – does not rest solely on theoretical calculations but also more delicate tools: look, taste, local knowledge, observion, and instinct.

This decision is not an easy one to make, and is comparable to when a talented chef instinctively knows to take something out of the oven or start cooking the next part of the meal.'

Declarations of 2012 Quarts de ChaumeDomaine des Baumard: 79 hls from under 5ha (Florent Baumard has declined to answer questions on the precise area declared)  

Château de Varière: 10hls from 1.25ha-1.30ha (picked on 8th November)
Pierre Aguilas: none declared
Patrick Baudouin: none declared
Château Bellerive: none declared (not possible due to weather conditions)
Domaine de la Bergerie: none declared
Domaine FL: none declared 
Vignobles Laffourcade: none declared
Château de la Mulonnière (Guy Saget): none declared 
Domaine du Petit Metris (Joseph Renou et fils): none declared 
Château Pierre-Bise:none declared
Pithon-Paillé: none declared 
Château de Plaisance (Guy Rochais): none declared
Château de Suronde: none declared

What can I say?