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




Sunday 13 October 2013

2013 Loire vintage: an appointment with the doctor and a quick look@Vouvray and Montlouis

Control tower@Tours Airport

Last Sunday afternoon (6th) we met Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor, off the brief flight from London Stansted to Tours. This was the start of an intense few days as we tried to cover as much of the 2013 Loire vintage as we could in the brief time Chris had available – he flew back on Friday.

 Vouvray: stormy skies looking across to the Clos Baudoin

 Vouvray: just a few grapes here 

A promising bunch!

Less good!

As Chris' flight arrived at 17.15 we headed straight for the vineyards of Vouvray; stopping to look at the vines around Vouvray's cemetery, which is just adjacent to the Clos du Bourg on the première côte, one of the appellation's sectors hit by the hail of the early morning of 17th June 2013. Here there were few bunches – mainly grapillons which will not be ripe enough to use. 

 François Chidaine's new winery


Then we headed across La Loire and on to Montlouis, where we saw François Chidaine's new winery in use - some of his AC Touraine grapes as he hadn't started picking Montlouis. Then a brief look at some vines before heading to Epeigné via Château de Chenonceau, where the caught the sunset.  

 Depending on weather could go either way (above and below)
Grapes are tasting more noble than unpleasant but rarely any concentration

   
Chenonceau: last of the sun's rays on the château 


Sunset on the Cher
   

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