#2015Loire picking in Alphonse Mellot's Les Pénitents

In the mid-2000s (checking the date) Alphonse Mellot acquired the 18 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the collapsed Cave des Hauts de Seyr in the Côtes de la Charité. The Pinot Noir vineyards are close to the little village of Saint Lay, while the Chardonnay is planted on a pretty spectacular slope above the small village of Chasnay.

The Pinot Noir was being picked first before gathering in the Chardonnay – both varieties looked very healthy.

Some of Alphonse's team of pickers who were very welcoming with most happy to have their photos taken, while picking Pinot Noir at Saint-Lay.

 Someone not at all sure about the photographer...

 Here quite the reverse... 

A couple of 2009 Loire treats

A couple of bottles from 2009 that I have recently really enjoyed, while being slightly surprised but pleased by their quality: a Touraine Sauvignon from Lionel Gosseaume and a Pinot Beurrot from the Charitois' vineyards of Serge Dagueneau et Fils. 

Firstly Lionel Gosseaume's 2009 Les Sauterelles Touraine Sauvignon. Often the advice given for Touraine Sauvignon is to drink the youngest vintage available. Although it depends upon how you like your Sauvignon to taste but, like the Sauvignon Blancs from the Central Vineyards, those from the best producers keep well. Les Sauterelles from Lionel Gosseaume is a good example. Showing the typical richness of a 2009 it has retained attractive freshness in the finish and the extra bottle age has brought addition complexity.    

Domaine Didier Dagueneau is rightly famous and acclaimed but this is a reminder, along with their wines from Pouilly, that there is a another Dagueneau domaine – that of Serge Dagueneau et Filles – of merit. Pinot Beurrot is a synomym for Pinot Gris, while Côtes de La Charité IGT used to be called the Coteaux Charitois.   

The vineyards of the Côtes de La Charité lie to the north east of La Charité, an attractive small town on the Loire between Pouilly-sur-Loire and Nevers. This Pinot Beurott is very much a Pinot Gris made in the style of Alsace – opulently rich with an attractive touch of evolution in the long finish – rather than most Italian Pinot Grigios. I started off drinking it as an excellent apéro. Then tried it with a piece of smoked haddock poached in milk. Doubtless an interesting experiment but too rich for the delicacy of the haddock. 

Although not a major Loire variety Pinot Gris/Pinot Beurrot crops up in various parts of the valley playing different roles. In Reuilly it makes a delicate and pale rosé. It is one of the three Pinots that goes into Noble Joué (just to the south of Tours) – the other two are Noir and Meunier. In The Coteaux d'Ancenis, at the gates of the Pays Nantais, it is known as Malvoisie where it is mainly used to make sweet wine, which ages well. In this guise it also pops up in eastern Touraine but rarely made in commercial quantities rather for consommation personnelle.        

 

Recently tasted: 2009 Les Montées de Saint Lay, Pinot Noir

2009 Les Montées de Saint Lay, Pinot Noir, Côtes de la Charité, Serge Dagueneau & filles

This is a juicy, attractively easy drinking Pinot Noir from the Côtes de la Charité, which used to be called the Coteaux Charitois. It has enough soft fruit – the opulence of 2009 – to be drunk by itself and is best served a little cool. It should keep easily for a couple of years but I think probably best drunk now to enjoy the youthful fruit. Another example of how consistent the wines from Serge Dagueneau & filles are.  

2010 Pouilly (part 2): Serge Dagueneau et Filles

 Florence Dagueneau in August 2008

We dropped into to see Valerie Dagueneau (Serge Dagueneau et Filles, Les Berthiers, Saint-Andelain) and she kindly invited us to stay for lunch. This was the first time that I had visited the domaine since the very sad and sudden death of Florence Dagueneau in mid-February. It was clear that Florence has left a big hole in this close knit family and I imagine that her absence is being particularly keenly felt at vintage time. 

Over a simple harvest lunch, which included a delicious home-made pork and rabbit terrine made by Rémy from rabbit shot by Serge, we tasted their current range. This included a 2009 Pinot Noir from the Côtes de la Charité (formerly called Coteaux Charitois). Medium weight with attractive black fruits with length and freshness in the finish. "C'était Flo's truc," said Valerie.  

"We started last Tuesday," said Valerie, "beginning picking by hand the young and old vines. The old vines came in at 13% and 5.5 acidity. Fruit coming in from those parcels we machine-pick is at nearly 12% with a little under 6.0 acidity. Our Pinot Noir from Saint-lay has been picked and has a potential of 12.3%. We are about halfway through picking."

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Landrat-Guyollot
We also dropped in to see Sophie Guyollot (Landrat-Guyollot also in Les Berthiers). Sophie reported that they had started last Wednesday with the grapes coming in at between 11.0%-11.5% with 6 acidity. "We have five days of harvesting left and we need now to pick as quickly as possible."

Michel Redde et Fils
I also stopped off at Michel Redde and saw Sébastien, Thierry Redde's son. "This year we are picking 50% by hand and 50% by machine – essentially it is our Petit Fumé which is machine harvested. However, the objective is to move to 100% hand picking into 10-12 kilo cagettes. We started picking last Monday (27th September) and we should finish on Thursday or Friday. The fruit is between 12%-12.5% with around 5.8 acidity. I think 2010 will probably be similar to 2007 and 2002."