2017 harvest in Pays Nantais – first impressions

 Melon de Bourgogne @Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin 

Still a little green – will be picked later this week 

or early next week 

We arrived in the Pays Nantais this morning after a night in a cheap hotel close to Saumur. It is clear that many producers were badly hit this year by the frosts at end of April. Unfortunately April 2016 also saw bad frosts – again at the end of April. Ironically 2017 is very promising in terms of quality – such a pity that the frost was so damaging. 

Today we visited Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin, Fred Niger (both in Le Landreau) and the Lieubeau family in Château-Thébaud. Fred is undoubtedly the worst hit as he has lost 98% of the crop – not funny as he lost 90% in 2016 and 85% in 2012. Fortunately he is part of 11 organic vignerons across France who help each other out by selling grapes/must when frost or hail strikes. Nevertheless it is very far from easy – very dispiriting when you get another vintage destroyed by frost over night.

For Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau only their Butte de la Roche is yielding a normal harvest, while the Lieubeau family has a 40% loss from their 70 hectares.  

Understandably there are now projects underway to install frost protection systems. Clearly producers cannot survive such losses for very long.  

Marie Luneau, CRM and Eric Narioo (Les Caves de Pyrene) 

as well as wine @Vino di Anna 

on Mount Etna (Sicily)

Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau (Domaine Luneau-Papin)

 Pierre Luneau with the new Stockinger wooden vats

 Monique Luneau – le grand chef with 

vegetables from the garden

 In the cellar of Fred Niger van Amphore 

Three of the Lieubeau family, who work on the domaine 

Right to left – Chantal, Marie her daughter 

and Vincent, her younger son

 Local priest to give blessing? 

With François Lieubeau, Vincent's elder brother

The local priests did bless the vignoble 

but unfortunately it was in late May/earlyJune.

In 2018 it will need to be in late March 

before the threat of April frosts

Lieubeau – Melon for their 2017 Cru Château-Thébaud

Arrival of the Lieubeau's 1st load of Gros Plant 

Le Ban des Vendanges was issued today.

Playing around with the ISO speeds

 

@ 20000 ISO

 

@ H2 – 102,400 ISO

2014 Cuvée Prestige Château de la Bourdinière (Famille Lieubeau) – another fine Muscadet

2014 Cuvée Prestige, AOP Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie
Château de la Bourdinière

Yet another example of a fine Muscadet and another example from the impressive Lieubeau stable. From old vines planted in Château Thebaud on granite followed by 12 months sur lie. 

This vibrant, racy wine with good texture, balance and length was ideal with baked fresh haddock with a egg, anchovy, parsley white sauce – good comfort food for the dog days of December! 

2012 Château-Thébaud – stunning Muscadet

2012 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Château Thébaud, Lieubeau

If you still think that all Muscadet are thin and acidity, then you urgently need to try this lovely, rich and elegant 2012 Muscadet from the Lieubeau family. Seductively textured with a long finish this would be great with grilled sole or turbot or indeed a richly sauced fish. 

The secret to this seductively weighty Muscadet? Three years on its lees before bottling. 

Muscadet is now one of the great Loire bargains!