Loire 2019 – Saumur, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Bourgueil

Picking @Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil

Some photos and reports from harvest in Saumur, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Bourgueil on 3rd October.

2019 Cabernet Franc in vineyard along Montée de l'Angle Cher, Saumur 
Above and below
(Saumur-Chempigny)

 

Picture perfect Cabernet Franc

We made a number of visits on Thursday 3rd October to vignerons to see how the 2019 harvest was progressing. The overall message is that 2019 is another quality vintage, that it is a very good vintage for whites with a better balance and freshness than 2018. However, unlike the generous 2018 vintage, 2019 is a small vintage due to a combination of factors – spring frosts, coulure and millerandage during flowering due to wet conditions in early June, drought and grapes being grilled by the sun.

In last week's post I raised the frequency of grapes being frazzled by the heat spikes at the end of June and during July. It would appear that the spike at the end of July caused the most damage. It also seems that Chenin Blanc was more affected by the heat of the sun than Cabernet Franc.  Raising the height of the canopy is one way of providing more protection through increasing the amount of shade compared to vines with a low canopy.

As is often the case there were some who were only just starting – Anthony and Cedric Bonneau (Domaine de la Bonnelière – Saumur and Saumur-Champigny.  They had started that day on picking Cabernet for their rosé and would also be picking their Chenin Blanc for their Saumur Blanc. They had picked grapes destined for their Crémant de Loire between the 22nd and 24th September. However, they would only start picking their Cabernet Franc for Saumur Rouge and Saumur Champigny at the beginning of this week beginning 7th October. In contrast Antoine Sanzay, Jean-Pierre Chevallier (Ch de Villeneuve), Frédéric Mabileau, Yannick Amirault and Philippe Boucard (Lamé Delisle Boucard) were all close to finishing.

Higher trained vines not only provide more foliage
but also increased shade give further protection against sunburnt grapes

 

Example of higher foliage providing more shade
+ vine suffering from Esca

 

Chenin Blanc grapes grilled by the sun, Saumur

Picking @Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil

Frédéric Mabileau– 2019 Cabernet Franc
again picture perfect fruit

Jean-Paul Mabileau (doesn't want to wait for the 2019 wine to be made
– he wants to enjoy the grapes now!

 

2019 Cabernet Franc macerating, Domaine Yannick Amirault
Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil

 

Barrels and amphores @Domaine Yannick Amirault

Frédéric Mabileau and his small egg
containing Chenin Blanc with pips and skins

 

•••

Antoine Sanzay's renovated cave 

The entrance to the complex of caves

During our visit to see how 2019 was progressing at Antoine Sanzay (Varrains), he quickly showed his renovated cave. The complex of cellars, part of which was once a dwelling, has for many years existed but now they have been renovated to provide wine storage space. The major work was concreting the floor to make an easy and convenient surface.

Antoine has installed a lift for easy access for his wine

 

The lift housing 

Fête des Vins de Bourgueil Tours tomorrow (23rd March 2019)

Tomorrow is the 17th Fête des Vins de Bourgueil at Tours. This annual event is always very worth attending. It should be particularly good as it will be an early chance for wine lovers to taste some examples of the very good 2018 vintage. 

The Fête starts at 10 am and finishes at 6pm and is held along the Boulevard Heurteloup is the centre of Tours and very close to Tours Station. 

Sadly I won't be there this year as I will be in London on the enormous march for a People's Vote on Brexit or even better just to Revoke our request to leave. 

Charles Sydney Loire Benchmark Tasting, London + Loire's @2019Millésime Bio

 2018 Gamay in the Côte Roannaise

Last Thursday (24th January) was the annual Charles Sydney Wines Loire Benchmark tasting in London. Charles Sydney Wines, offering a courtier service, was set up by Charles and Philippa Sydney in 1989. They have now retired and Chris Hardy, previously of Majestic Wines has taken over. Chris has now been joined by Alex Meunier.

Although I did taste the 2018 wines at Domaine Belargus and some at the sparsely attended French Wine Discoveries (15th January) where the ripe and concentrated 2018 Muscadets from Alexandre Déramé stood out, the Sydney tasting was my first chance to taste more than 100 of these wines following their fermentation. 

My overall impression – bearing in mind these white wines (Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc forming a substantial majority) are still very young and many of them were quite cold – is that they are very clean and precise wines. I suspect that they will tend to take on considerably more weight over the next few months. Chris Hardy emphasised that growers should take their time before bottling this vintage to give it a chance to reveal its potential. Of course if you are short of stock following frost in 2016 and 2017 this may well not be easy. Tasting at Millésime Bio (Montpellier) today it is clear that a number producers, who are very short of stock following the successive frosts of 2016 and 2017, have already started bottling some of their 2019, especially some whites and rosés. Fortunately 2018 is a generous vintage and it may only be necessary to bottle a small amount of stock now. 

Tasting whites today at Millésime Bio they seemed more generous than in London probably due to being mainly tasted at slightly warmer temperature. It also be that the wines when in London were adversely affected by the misery of Brexit.... Amongst the 2018 whites I tasted today I was impressed by Bonnet-Huteau – their Muscadet but also a Gros Plant in very limited quantity – only 1500 bottles.

Vincent Pineau, who has joined his 
Domaine de la Roche with Bonnet-Huteau

For the first time I met and tasted with Michel Delhommeau, Les Vignes Saint Vincent and was impressed by his 2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, especially the Clos Amand from old vines. It was good to taste with Denis Jamain (Reuilly) – fine 2018s in all three colours including a richly textured Reuilly Rouge (Pinot Noir).  

There are some lovely ripe, rich Loire reds in 2018 – most, of course are not in bottle yet. I have yet to taste many 2018 Cabernet Francs. One of the few I tasted today was the 2018 Clos de Bienboire, Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve – ripe concentration of delicious black fruits – very recently bottled. In London I was impressed by the Saumur Champigny from Domaine des Sanzay and and the Chinon from Noblaie. I have now tasted rather more 2018 Gamay than Francs including some wonderfully seductive  Gamays from Touraine – Domaines Sauvété and Domaine L'Aumonier – and the Côte Roannaise – Domaines Sérol and des Pothiers. 

Back in London I tasted a few sweet wines from 2018 – from this limited evidence there could well be some great sweet wines to enjoy. 

Note to myself – I must drink more sweet Loire Chenins in 2019! 

One half of Hall B2 

Millésime Bio continues to expand:

This year there are some 1100 organic/biodynamic producers exhibiting at the 2019 edition with four large halls now in use to cope with this expansion. It shows the marked increase in the number of domaines, who are now either organic or biodynamic. As all regions and countries are mixed up it is now a considerable feat of organisation to get to see producers in the most efficient way possible. I guess that from one end of Millésime Bio to the other is not far off the distance from Rablay-sur-Layon to Champs-sur-Layon. 

Doubtless one of the shows' sponsors is Fitbit......   
 

      


   

2018 Loire – brief report from Anjou + making a Grand Cru credible

 

Chenin Blanc destined for a single cuvée of moelleux 

at Domaine de Juchepie

 

Picker's hat held in place by a local stone

We spent last Wednesday and Thursday in Anjou on a quick visit to see how the harvest has been going here. Overall the message is much the same as in other parts of the Loire. Several producers commented that they had never seen grapes like these before – giving both quality and quantity.

Of the producers we saw many started in early September – Damien Laureau (4th September and finishing by 10th September), sisters Anne and Marie Guégniard, Domaine de la Bergerie (6th September) and Vincent, Catherine and Emmanuel Ogereau also on 6th.

I tasted juice/fermenting wine at all three domaines and I found them all clean and precise often with potential complexity depending on the particular parcel and age of vine.

Visiting Claude and Réné Papin at late Wednesday afternoon, Claude was critical of producers who he thought had picked to early and suggested that many 2018 wines would be simple, fruit driven without complexity because the grapes had been picked before they were physiologically ripe. The counter argument to this is that picking started in early September to avoid alcohol degrees shooting up to ridiculous heights due to the very warm conditions. Some of Damien Laureau's cuvées are at 14.5% despite starting and finishing early.

It will be exciting to taste these wines when they are finished. Perhaps we will be able to see who got it right....... may be!

Once again the one sour note in 2018 is mildew with some very badly affected. We dropped in to see Eddy et Mylène Oosterlinck-Bracke(Domaine de Juchepie). Sadly they have been badly hit by mildew this year which has affected their morale as they have lost around two thirds of their crop. This means that instead of making a thrilling range of different sweet wines they will probably just make one. From the limited first pressing, however, it is already at 22% potential alcohol.

 

Cabernet Franc for Petra Alba, Anjou-Villages Brissac,
Domaine de Bablut

•••

Quarts de Chaume – the Loire's only Grand Cru – must be credible

 

Approved in November 2011 the appellation Quarts de Chaume (some 43 hectares) remains the only Grand Cru in the Loire and seems likely to remain the valley's solitary Grand Cru for some time to come. Its rules are strict and precise with clear indications of how these rules should be monitored. This is as it should be as Quarts de Chaume can be one of the world's great sweet wines.

 

 

Very promising bunch – clearly showing
Chenin's typical variable ripening pattern

 

At least 12 bunches on this vine

Maximum yield per vine fixed at 1.7 kilos or 

2.5 kilos for any vignes larges 

(low density plantatings)

 

 

 

12 or 13 bunches on this vine perhaps more
– weighing just 1.7 kilos in total?

On Thursday morning I spent about an hour walking around the eastern part of the Quarts de Chaume appellation – the part to the east of the hamlet of Chaume. The previous afternoon I had spent a little time in the western part – unfortunately during one of the rare times during this harvest when it was raining. Here Baumard's vines had been picked – probably recently, so I cannot comment on their condition except that in his parcel on the plateau the grapes are often amongst the most advanced in terms of ripeness and incidence of botrytis. Whether the fact that these are vignes larges (low density vines) is a factor is an interesting question.

The fruit that I saw on Thursday morning were in variable states of ripeness – a characteristic of Chenin Blanc. On the whole the vines had a limited crop with the notable exception of a parcel of vines immediately east of the Château Echarderie – see photos above. It may be that the owner of this parcel is not intending this year to make Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru from this parcel. If so, this would be the correct decision, as unless these bunches are remarkably light, they appear likely to weigh considerably more than the maximum 1.7 kilos per vine allowed in the legislation of 22nd November 2011.

It would, however, be a little strange if the owner of this parcel is not intending to make 2018 Quarts de Chaume from these vines as the price point for Quarts de Chaume is naturally higher than any other labelling options. In which case, the 'control sur terrain' should have ruled this parcel ineligible for the appellation Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru until the crop had been reduced in line with the regulations. Given that this is a small prestigious appellation it should be easy to carry out the necessary checks and, if some parcels have an excessive crop, the rules (22.11.2011) make it clear that they should not benefit from Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru appellation. The particular over-loaded parcel was right by one of the main unmetalled tracks through the appellation and certainly not tucked away in a hard to find spot.

Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru is proudly promoted by the Loire as an exceptional wine. Claude Papin, president of the Quarts de Chaume producers, is rightly concerned that all bottles of Quarts to Chaume are up to standard. Wine buyers have the right to be assured that all growers in the Quarts de Chaume respect the rules and that the premium these wines can rightly command is justified.

I made some similar points on Jim's Loire around this time last year on vines that had a noticeably low weight of crop.

2018 Loire harvest: Cabernet Franc

Bunch of 2018 Cabernet Franc

A generous harvest:
2018 is remarkable in that overall there is both quality and quantity

– echoes of 1990

Jean-Philippe Blot emptying hand-picked Cabernet Franc @La Butte, Bourgueil

Sorting table @La Butte, Bourgueil
so little rot there is little to do unless
you were badly hit by mildew 

Last Tuesday we took a day-trip across from the Cher Valley to see how the 2018 vintage is shaping up in Bourgueil, Chinon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. In general here it is the same as elsewhere throughout the Loire with producers marvelling at the quality of the grapes. Since we arrived in the Loire on Wednesday 5th September there has been virtually no rain, apart from the odd storm when we were down in the Côte Roannaise, and on most days we have had sunshine and quite often high temperature – at times up to 30˚C. Now as we head into October it is cooler and some nights in Touraine are decidedly fresh.

Last Tuesday picking in Bourgueil and, especially, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil was well underway, although the settled weather was allowing producers to wait for what they judged to be the best time to pick a particular parcel. Some producers were concerned about potential alcohol degrees rising too far – a risk increased by a drying east to north-east wind. Picking in Chinon was less well advanced than in the other two Western Touraine appellations.

2018 starting to ferment @Yannick Amirault

Frédéric Mabileau's new love:
a small wooden vat

Philippe Pichard (Jourdan-Pichard, Chinon) inside a vat emptying
out grapes after maceration has finished – Philippe's boots can be just made out

Starting to empty a vat after maceration – skins etc. will be pressed

2006 Saumur Champigny, Château de Villeneuve

2006 Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve

If you listened to some received ideas you would imagine that this 2006 straight Saumur-Champigny from Château de Villeveuve would be well past its best. Not at all! In glass it still looks youthful – no sign of brickiness. Similarly on the palate it has the roundness, soft texture and structure that is associated with the 2006 vintage. Tasted blind I am sure it would be difficult to say that this wine is nearly 12 years ago.

Impressive as this is Jean-Pierre Chevallier's straight Saumur-Champigny and not either the Vieilles Vignes or Grand Clos. 

2015 Clos de l'Echo, Chinon, Couly-Dutheil

2015 Clos de l'Echo, Chinon, Couly-Dutheil 

Just across from and to the west of the medieval fortress of the Château de Chinon, the Clos de l'Echo is one of the most famous and long-established single vineyards in the Loire. This is 100% Cabernet Franc. Echo was once owned by François Rabelais' family. In 1952 it was bought by René and Madelaine Couly.

The 2015 Clos de l'Echo has impressively ripe concentrated black fruits. Almost pure fruit, its concentration currently hides the wine's structure. This is an example of how forward even the top 2015 Loire reds are.     

2017 Anjou Rouge Domaine Ogereau – very drinkable

 

A delightfully drinkable, soft 2017 Anjou Rouge (100% Cabernet Franc) from Domaine Ogereau – one to enjoy now with its fresh, youthful black fruits rather than keep to see how it develops. Better to age the 2017 Anjou Villages, when it is released and which on this evidence should be very promising. 

If I was the Ogereaus I would bottle this in a screwcap as it is ideal to take on a picnic, so that there is no problem if you forget the corkscrew.