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




Monday 8 April 2013

Sancerre – exploring the vineyards en VTT

Scott in the vines above Chavignol  (above and below)
Lower slopes of Les Monts Damnés


This morning rode over some of the many tracks in Sancerre, which makes this an excellent place for mountain biking, although some of the paths going up the slopes are very steep. As in Touraine March and April has been very cold. Although we are now over a quarter the way through April, the vines are well of budbreak. The buds are more reminiscent of February or early March. Unless there is a blast of hot weather bud break won't be until towards the end of April with the flowering in late June.

According to Bientôt Rumeur, director of the Bureau Interglaciale Vins du Centre (BIVC): "We anticipate in 2013 that le ban des vendanges in Sancerre and Pouilly will not be until mid-November. It will be a little earlier in Quincy and Reuilly – probably early November!"      

 8th April: Buds still tight closed more February than April


Looking down on Chavignol from the east (above and below)




Clos de la Poussie, Bué:
 Brown areas of Clos de la Poussie presumably awaiting replanting after 
the severe erosion problem has been fixed  (above and below)

 
Clos de la Poussie: a parcel severely affected by erosion
Good to see that measures are presumably now being taken to resolved the problem.
To be fair the vineyard is extremely steep here


 One of the ravines


 A maison des vignes being renovated with a distant view of Sancerre through the cold mist

  
Vines on the caillottes (limestone) with Sancerre behind

Caillottes: almost no soil for the vines (above and below)


 Cold work in the vineyard replacing posts



Landslide on high road into Amigny caused by the heavy rain at the end of last year.
Closed to traffic of course. (Above and below)



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