Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 28 September 2012

2012 Loire: vintage@Château du Cléray

Pierre Sauvion, winemaker@Château du Cléray

Château du Cléray (now part of Grands Chais de France)

The 2012 vintage at Château du Cléray, Vallet (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine), is very similar to other estates in the region. Pierre Sauvion, the winemaker, said on Wednesday: "We started on Monday. We are taking it gently this week but will accelerate next week. The yields are low: between 12hl/ha and 35hl/ha. The dry weather of August and September has concentrated both the sugars and the acidity, so we have around 12.8 potential alcohol and 5.4-5.5 g/l acidity. Once we finish we may end up with an average yield of 30hl/ha. Although the quantity is small the quality is good." 

Certainly tasting the juice there was good concentration, some acidity and, as elsewhere, very clean.  

   
Pierre Sauvion with 2012 juice

 Melon grapes@Cléray

 Close up of Melon de Bourgogne  with evidence of millerandage (hen and chicken)


 Cléray through the vines




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