Domaine des Bleuces, Portes Ouvertes 14th & 15th April

Open day at the Domaine des Bleuces at Courcourson-sur-Layon – in the upper Layon Valley – on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th April. The domaine of 50 hectares has wines from Anjou as well as from Saumur including Saumur-Champigny.

Translayon 2012: 8th-10th June – still a few places for walkers left

The start of the 2011 Translayon in Cléré-sur-Layon

There are still a few places left for those who want to take part in the annual three-day walk down the Layon, although all the places for the horse and carriage event are now taken. The dates are Friday 8th June to Sunday 10th and you cover some 85-90 kilometres, so around 30 a day, so you need to be reasonably fit. It is well worth doing, especially the latter part which is more scenic. The 2011 edition started in Cléré-sur-Layon and ended at Chalonnes where the Layon flows into La Loire.  

Details are here.

2011 the finish@Chalonnes

Across the Layon to Château du Breuil

Looking across the Layon Valley northwards towards Château du Breuil (white building on top of ridge)

Murder in the Layon?!

The church of Saint-Lambert in the distance

Ouest-France reports on the case of the young grape picker found hanging in a lean-to (un appentis de vigneron) in a vineyard in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay. 28-year-old Aurélien was found on 19th October 2008.

It was originally assumed to be suicide but Aurélien has a number of serious wounds, so it was suspected that the hanging was designed to disguise a murder. Four people were subsequently arrested and are facing trial. Full report here in Ouest-France.

Vincent and Catherine Ogereau, Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay

I caught up briefly with Vincent and Catherine on the phone this morning for a progress report on 2008.

Vincent: Overall the vintage isn’t too bad. We have been very surprised by how little there is – lack of juice in the grapes and small berries. However, the quality across the board – Rosé de Loire, Cabernet d’Anjou, Anjou Blanc Sec and the reds – is good. We finished the Cabernet Franc last Saturday. As it was completely ready we picked all of it in a day with a big team of 20-25, including university friends of Emmanuel (Catherine and Vincent’s son). The Franc had 13% potential and the acidity had come down to 4.8 gms – 10 days ago the it had been up at 7.5-8 gms. But the yield is only 20 hl/ha!

“On Thursday we finished the Cabernet Sauvignon in the Côte de la Houssaye – potential 13.7%. As far as the sweet wines are concerned we have hardly started – just two small passages through the vines with the grapes around 18% potential. The Chenin is now about ready to pick but it’s damp this morning and unfortunately rain is forecast for Monday and Tuesday. The pity is that if we had fine weather there is only about a week’s picking left.”

Vincent and Catherine with 2007 Coteaux du Layon
at the start of its fermentation (early Nov 2007)