2014 Loire: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in luck again

Domaine Henri Bourgeois: grapes waiting to be 

picked for a late harvest wine 

(above and below)  

Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and the other Central Vineyards have been fortunate again in 2014. Not only have they had a good vintage but they have had a generous vintage unlike other parts of the Loire, where many producers have their third successive short vintage. In Sancerre and Pouilly quality producers like Domaine Henri Bourgeois, Domaine Vacheron, Michel Redde and Masson Blondelet have harvested around 60 hl/ha this year and the quality is high. Here 2014 appears to be similar to a vintage such as 1990 where both the yields were high and so too unusually the quality.  

A big vintage in the Central Vineyards looks likely to widen again the wealth gap between Sancerre, for example, and the rest of the Loire. 

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Golden vines 

Jean-Marie 'Jany' Bourgeois

Vines and woods from above Chavignol

Sunset over Sancerre from East bank of Loire

Annie and Sophie: a match made in Amboise!

 Sophie Raimbault and Annie Rouxelin: Domaine d'Elles, Restigné
with their first wine starting its fermentation 

Late Thursday morning I met two Bourgueil débutantes vigneronnes – Sophie Raimbault and Annie Rouxelin of Domaine d'Elles in Restigné.  2014 is the first vintage of their joint venture – the 4.6 hectare Domaine d'Elles. They finished picking – all by hand – that morning. As well as Bourgueil they are making a Pet-Nat. 

Sophie and Anne are both in their early 30s and quite independently decided recently on a change of career. Annie had worked in industry – IT, logistics, export, while Sophie was in the furniture business. By chance they both signed up for a wine-making course at the Lycée Viticole at Amboise, which is where they met. At that time neither planned to become wine producers rather to use their skills to help producers sell and promote their wine. 

However, meeting each other soon changed their plans and they decided to become vigneronnes. Their organically farmed 4.6 hectares are spread across the three different types of Bourgueil's terroir – sand, gravel and the clay-limestone coteaux. Two hectares, so nearly 50%, are on the coteaux. 

I met Annie and Sophie at Christophe and Sandrine Deschamps' Domaine du Chêne Arrault, where they have made their first vintage. "It is very difficult to find a chai. However, it's been great," said Annie, "that Christophe and Sandrine have lent us space in their chai. We have also had a lot of help from a number of Bourgueil producers. Bertrand Galbrun has helped enormously in the vines and we have also had assistance from Sébastien David, Laurent Herlin, Xavier Courant and Thomas Pichet. We are very grateful!" 

It's a brave decision to completely change direction, especially choosing to become wine producers. Annie and Sophie have had the good fortune to start in 2014 with a decent vintage rather than beginning their adventure together in 2012 or 2013. 

À suivre!       

 

Domaine du Chêne Arrault: birthplace of 
Domaine d'Elles' first vintage

Christophe and Sandrine Deschamps

As well as making their own wine, the Deschamps sell grapes to Pithon-Paillé,

who make their Bourgueil at the Deschamps winery

Sophie and Annie are highly amused by some people's 

false assumption that they are a romantically involved couple

 Sophie

 Annie

Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil holding up despite rain early this week

A delighted Frédéric Mabileau listening to his 2014 Eclipse, 

Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

He is very excitied by the potential of his 2014 harvest 
Fred joins Eco-Luneau movement! 

The last three days – Wednesday through to today (Friday) – has seen us do a quick sweep through Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur and Saumur-Champigny, Savennières and parts of the Layon.

Despite the sometimes heavy rain last Saturday evening and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the Cabernet Franc seems to be holding up well as does the morale of the vignerons, although some are concerned at the third consecutive year of low yields.

Sorting@Lamé-Delisle-Boucard

 Philippe Boucard assessing the 2014 Bourgueil Rosé

Eric Degaugue on the sorting table

Stéphanie in the laboratory (Lamé-Delisle-Boucard)

Cabernet Franc@Château de Minière

Picking@Château de Minière

 Sorting tables@Domaine de la Chevalière (Famille Caslot)

(above and below)

 

 Sorting@Domaine de la Butte – very clean, healthy 2014 grapes

(above and below)

New sorting machine@Taluau-Foltzenlogel, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

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2014 Loire: Chinon looking promising

Cabernet Franc@Chinon 8.10.2014 

(above and below)

looking promising 

We spent several hours yesterday in the vineyards of Chinon looking at the grapes and dropping in on a number of producers. Although when we left Epeigné it was grey with little or no wind by the time we reached Chinon, the sun had come out and a good drying wind had got up.  

Although much of the afternoon was fine, late afternoon it clouded over and soon torrential rain set in.

 Annick Jourdan (Jourdan-Pichard) sorting 

through their Cabernet Franc

 Francis and Annick Jourdan 

Water is indispensable in wine-making 

Philippe Pichard cleaning picking buckets

 Entrance to the Baudry-Dutour winery@Panzoult

New extension under construction@Baudry-Dutour winery

Hod carriers@Domaine de la Noblaie, Ligré

Still cheerful despite the rain starting

 Cabernet Franc@Domaine de la Noblaie

 New amphore@Domaine de la Noire (Jean-Max Manceau)

Chenin Blanc (Chinon Blanc) fermenting in the amphore

 Domaine de la Noblaie: Cabernet Franc ready 

to be loading into the Pierre de Tuf vat

Jérôme Billard about to raise the bin of Cabernet Franc up to the limestone vat

François Billard  

 Grapes and juice flowing towards vat

The limestone vat

A torrential end to the day

D35@Bourgueil

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