2017 Loire Vintage – sorting Chenin @Château Yvonne, Parnay (Saumur)

 Sign for Château Yvonne, Parnay

We made a number of visits around Saumur on Thursday 21st September. One of them was to Château Yvonne in Parnay owned by Mathieu and Stéphanie Vallée since 2007.

They and their team were busy sorting Chenin Blanc. They planned to start on the Cabernet Franc next Monday (25th). Late April frosts cost them 25% of the potential crop in 2017.      

 

 View of the courtyard and the sorting table 

 Chenin Blanc

 The team sorting Chenin – above and below 

 Matthieu Vallée – second right

Brief pause... 

 Stéphanie Vallée above the press

(above and below)

Two fine bottles – 12 YO Oloroso + 2011 Saumur Champigny

 Williams & Humbert Collection Oloroso 12 YO

The Willliams & Humbert is a fine and complex oloroso – the half bottle sells for £8.99 in Waitrose. If I have a criticism it is that it lacks the austerity in the finish that I enjoy in a good dry Oloroso. However, this is easily outweighed by the pleasure of seeing good and interesting Sherries stocked in supermarkets. The half bottle proved to be an ideal size providing an apéro for three people.

 2011 Saumur-Champigny, La Folie, Château Yvonne 

Due to a near catastrophic failure in the provision's department this is the first Loire red we have enjoyed in 2017. Anyway the 2011 La Folie from Château Yvonne is a decidedly good start, having the softness and ready to drink character of the 2011s allied to a good concentration of black fruits. The 2011 highlights the fine work that Matthieu Vallée is doing at Yvonne. 

  Matthieu Vallée

2014 Millésime Bio: photos from Day 2 (28th January 2014)

fred Niger Van Herck calculating how many more amphores 

he can buy... 'probably squeeze one into Guy's bathroom...

Photos of some Loire producers from Day 2 of Millésime Bio (28th January):

Breton-born fred Niger Van Herck (just call him fred it's easier) is rapidly turning into a super-vedette bringing colour and dynamism to the Pays Nantais. It was  impressive the number of vistors who were almost constantly clustered around the stand he shared with Laura Semeria (Cheverny/Cour-Cheverny). Increasingly heavily into amphores of various sizes for both fermentation and maturation.      

fred doing his Aristide Bruant impression

 Grégoire du Bouexic and Thomas Carsin: 

Clos de l'Elu, Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné

 Jean-Pierre Guedon, Domaine les Hautes Noëlles, 

Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu 

From the Pays Nantais and a successful businessman Jean-Pierre Guedon bought the 25-hectare Domaine les Hautes Noëlles in Saint-Léger-les-Vignes from Serge Batard in 2010. He had sold his transport business in 2008 and as he had always been a keen wine lover, he decided to buy the domaine when it became available, especially as it is the closest vineyard to his house in Pornic some 30 kilometres away.   

Matthieu Vallée, Château Yvonne in Parnay, Saumur/Saumur-Champigny 

2011 Le Gory, Saumur Blanc showing particularly well

Cutting edge lift

While in Montpellier I stayed in the Hotel Oceania, right in the centre of Montpellier. As you can see they have recently installed a new lift. The hotel is slightly faded but comfortable. I had a good big room with plenty of space to work.