#2016 Loire harvest: two vendange princesses star in Marchais' family Crémant récolte

 Louise and Noémie 

(above and below)

Louise

Today in Epeigné-les-Bois the Marchais family held their traditional family Saturday picking of their Cabernet Franc destined for Crémant de Loire. Naturally Louise and Noémie had starring roles. 

L'equipe Marchais 

 L'equipe au travail

 James Marchais

Not a big crop but good looking Cabernet

Last year's harvest here on 19th September 2015 – 19 days earlier than 2016. 

2016 Loire harvest – Chardonnay @Epeigné-les-Bois

Harvesting the Chardonnay for Crémant de Loire 

Before heading the Pays Nantais to get an impression of 2016 in Muscadet, we stopped off quickly to see James Marchais and his equipe picking the Chardonnay for Crémant de Loire.

Unfortunately as in many places in the Loire this year James was hit by frost at the end of April, so this is a decidedly small harvest. Each vine has only two or three bunches – if you are lucky.

 Some good quality grapes but few 

and far between – tiny yield

 James picking

 Matching shoes and trousers

    

2014 Loire Vintage: picking Cabernet Franc@Epeigné-les-Bois

 2014 Cabernet Franc@Epeigné-les-Bois 

Photos from this morning's picking in James Marchais' vineyard@Chossay featuring a small elite equipe de vendangeurs. 

 Small team of elite pickers including Denis in James Marchais' vineyard

 James Marchais@work

 

Picking into small cases

 Small crop of healthy grapes 

 

Picking under a radiant sky

 

 Mark Robertson in the neighbouring Clos Chossay 

looking at his netted reds. The Côt and Cabernet 

will be picked on Saturday.

Small yield due to unfavourable weather@flowering

Epeigné-les-Bois: more tree clearing in the allotments

James Marchais in action

Sunday saw more work going on in the allotments of Epeigné-les-Bois. Cutting down old trees and clearing the ground.

 Fire in the background

Some of the Italian table grape vines

 Serge 'le roi des légumes' in his vegetable plot