Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Monday 13 October 2014

2014 Loire vintage – round up of the last few days (Part 2 – Anjou)

Early morning view from Moulin de Beaupréau

2nd passage grapes in Clos le Grand Beaupréau (Savennières):  

Last Thursday we stayed overnight in the comfortable and welcoming Moulin de Beaupréau in Savennières, whose attractions include an indoor pool and a sauna. The Moulin overlooks the vines of Clos le Grand Beaupréau, whose vines are shared by Château de Pierre-Bise, Domaine de la Bergerie and Domaine Ogereau. By coincidence the Papins and Guégniards were picking there on the Friday morning, so we started our quick swing through Anjou here. The Ogereaus had already finished.

Anne Guégniard told us that this was their last sweep through the Clos and that after the recent rains they needed to be selective in their picking. They had made their first tri in the Clos last week and had finished their other Savennières vineyard – La Croix Picot a week last Wednesday. So far yields for their whites were OK, while the Cabernet was 'un peu juste'. 

In contrast the Papins were carrying out a tri in their vines and planned to come back later for a final picking.  

Most of the Anjou producers we saw had finished or nearly finished their dry whites but were waiting for this week to tackle their Cabernets. 

Like Touraine Anjou had had rain last week, although the weather station at Beaucouzé (Angers) recorded considerably less rather than the station at Tours – 51.3mm compared to 67.3mm.
 
   

Anne Guégniard (Domaine de la Bergerie) checking a bunch


Christophe Papin hard@work
(above and below)


 So, too, Joëlle Papin

René Papin

Two new amphores@Damien Laureau

 Design@Pithon-Paillé, Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay

Emmanuel Ogerau – the new 'boss'@Domaine Ogereau
with some 2014 Savennières juice

Eddy & Milene Oosterlinck-Bracke
Domaine de Juchepie

Domaine de Juchepie: the obligatory pause for a harvest lunch
starting with an apéro 

More text and photos to follow
 

 





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