Fotos: lookin' back@2014 (pt2)

2014 – good year for flowers  

 

Late April/early May: the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards@new venue

Tobacco Dock

(above and below)

Mid May: Circle of Wine Writers AGM

Proud to have been appointed chair of CWW

with Stuart Walton (outgoing chair) and Steven Spurrier (president) 

 Mid-May annual Jet-Set visit – 2014 it was Torquay

 

Dinner@The Elephant, Torquay

 2014 Vitiloire, Tours

Jean-Max Manceau (Chinon) with Serge Babary, 

the new maire of Tours,

who defeated Jean Germain

Touraine Chenonceaux stand@Vitiloire

Fotos lookin' back@2014 (part 1)

2014 Loire vintage: reasonably OK so far

2014 Vitiloire

Going to Vitiloire yesterday gave me the chance to chat to a number of producers about how the vines were coming along this year, especially important as I haven't been in the Loire since early April. True I do get a daily email from Météo France giving me the five-day forecast. Very useful, of course, but not quite the same as being here.

When I left the Loire on 8th April the vines were very advanced and there was a real fear that just as in 2012 there would be a severe April frost. Although it was apparently touch and go around the Easter weekend, this year the Loire has very largely avoided spring frosts.

As everything was so advanced when I left in early April I quite thought that, just as in 2011, the fllowering would be over when I got back last Thursday. Not at all. Cold nights and some heavy rain during May has slowed everything down and the vines are yet to flower. Warm weather over this weekend is likely to bring on the flowering pretty quickly. Céline Sanzay (Domaine des Sanzay, Saumur) told me that the first signs of flowering were now appearing in Les Poyeux.

Hopefully the flowering will start fairly soon and have favourable weather – warm and dry so that it is over quickly and effectively without coulure, which is provoked by cold, wet weather. The Loire vignerons have had a frost-free April; now they want a successful flowering. There is potentially a good crop of Cabernet Franc, while the Chenin vines have fewer potential grapes and very irregularly distributed. Some plants have a good crop, while others have virtually nothing, so it will be particularly important that the weather is favourable when the Chenin is flowering. 

Although many producers complained about heavy rain in May and consequent increased risk of attacks of mildew, this isn't really borne out by weather stats, at least in the area of Tours. Rainfall for May is a little up on the average – 70.2mm compared to a norm of 62.3mm but is a long way off 137.8mm – a record set in May 1985. Tours weather station recorded heavy rain on 1st May, 20th (14.1mm) and 21st (17.4mm) but 14 days without rain. The average daily maximum temperature at 17.5˚C is below the average of 19.1˚C but well above the lowest 14.5˚C in 1984.  

To sum up – largely OK so far but need good weather for the flowering, after which the potential will be a little clearer.         

  

#2014Vitiloire – some photos from Saturday 31st May

 The stands of Vitiloire start just in front of Tours station

 Christophe Baudry (Baudry-Dutour and Maire of Cravant) 

with their new sparkling rosé

Pierre Morgeau, Domaine La Tour Beaumont, Haut-Poitou

 Hervé Tijou, Château de Bellevue

Red and white Touraine from Clos de la Divinière, the birthplace of Rabelais

 Lunchtime scenes 

 Gare de Tours in the background

 Representative from the brewery in Cormery

Luc Poulain, Domaine des Echardières, Pouillé – 

AC Touraine and Touraine-Chenonceaux

Laurent Benoist, Domaine de Viel Orme, Saint Julien de Chedon

 Pierre Aguilas: 2011 Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru and 2010 Quarts de Chaume 

Cause for celebration: the first edition of Vitiloire 

where these two new appellations have not been under legal threat

Jean de Saint Venant
Château de Valmer, Vouvray 

 Serge Babary, the new Mayor of Tours

(above and below) 

Jean-Max Manceau, recently retired president 

of the Chinon appellation with Serge Barbary

Vitiloire: reminder this weekend in Tours

Vitiloire in the centre of Tours this weekend: 31st May and 1st June. Details here. 150 Loire vignerons present.

Date for your diary: VitiLoire 2014 – 31st May - 1st June @Tours

The 14th edition of VitiLoire will be held in the centre of Tours on Saturday 31st May (10.00-19.00) and Sunday 1st June (10.00-18.00). VitiLoire is well worth going to if you are in the area. It is held just in front of Tours central station at the Place de la Gare - Boulevard Heurteloup - Jardin de la Préfecture. Full details are here.  

Some photos from previous editions:

A glass of sparkling anyone?

'Fabulous Crémant-de-Loire' 

 

Musicians

 

Charles Pain, Chinon

Francis Jourdan, Chinon

 One of the entrances to VitiLoire

 Philippe Boucard, Bourgueil – wine and poultry

Time for lunch near La Gare de Tours