Loire 2017: very meagre harvest in parts of Muscadet

Christelle Guibert and Vincent Caillé pruning in the 

Terre de Gneiss parcel in early February 2017

Today I heard about the 2017 harvest from Christelle Guibert, one of the partners in Terre de Gneiss that comes from a small vineyard in the commune of Monnières. 

In 2016 the harvest from this parcel was tiny – hit by frost and then badly affected by the worst outbreak of mildew in the Loire in many people's living memory. 

Unfortunately the late April frost struck here again this year (2017) seriously affecting yields. The Terre de Gneiss parcel was harvested on Tuesday (5th September) yielding only a miserable 7 hectares per hectare. This means that there are not enough grapes to go into their egg fermentation vat this year. 

I will be in the Pays Nantais on Monday for a couple of days, so will report further on how the 2017 vintage is going. 

Vincent Caillé's reaction 

to the 2017 April frosts    

April 2017 – frost in the Loire: Vincent Caillé (Muscadet) sums it up

For the second successive year the Loire has been hit by a series of late April frosts. It is still too early to be precise about the scale of the damage. Unfortunately producers may face another potential frost early tomorrow morning, although Méteo France suggests otherwise.

There will be time in a later post to report more fully on the effects of these frosts. For the moment Vincent Caillé's Facebook post sums it up perfectly!

My thoughts are with producers in the Loire, Bordeaux, part of Germany – indeed anywhere threatened by the frosts. 

Vincent Caillé during the 2013 vintage

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

Vincent with Christelle Guibert pruning

in Terre d'Gneiss: February 2017

Pruning a Muscadet 'Grand Cru': Terre de Gneiss

Christelle Guilbert (Decanter magazine) and Vincent Caillé, 

her partner in the Terre de Gneiss project, 

deep in a pruning discussion

This morning we dropped in on the first day of pruning at the famous Terre de Gneiss in the small Nantais village of Monnières. Pruning vines is far from the sexiest job in the vineyard, although it is certainly the longest and one of the most crucial. The annual pruning will determine not only how your vines will grow in this year but also next year and perhaps further on. Pruning old vines is especially delicate, so no wonder there were intense but friendly discussions over what to cut and what to leave on the more problematic vines. 

Christelle – time to make the cut

Vincent trying the dessicated 2016 grapillions

(3rd generation grapes which are left on the vine 

at harvest because they are not ripe)

Ben Llewelyn given carte blanche to prune

The loneliness of the long distance pruner

 

More intense discussions 

Tension mounts .......as time to make the crucial cut nears.... 

Ben with Mick O'Connell

 Pruner using electric secateurs – expensive but 

saves the joints from rheumatism but they have to be handled carefully!

The de rigueur Vendée Globe pruning jacket.....

La Pause.... time to drink a cru Muscadet

2016 Loire harvest – when will Muscadet start?

 2010 harvest in Muscadet 

Frost and severe attacks of mildew 

likely to make 2016 less joyous

Melon de Bourgogne 

August has shaded into September, so it is time to start making plans for covering the 2016 Loire harvest. Of course in some years like 2003 and 2011 picking would have already started. However, we knew already that as this year's flowering didn't happen until well into June that picking wouldn't start until well into September.  

July and August have been very hot and dry in the Pays Nantais, which may have allowed the grapes to catch up a little. However, if it gets too hot the vines tend to shut down, so grape maturation can actually slow. 

Weather stats from Météo France (Nantes)

July 

Maximum temperatures:

Average: 25.2˚C compared to 24.8˚C norm (1990 to 2010)  

Highest max temperature: 36.6 (19th July)

Rainfall:

5.8 mm compared to 45.9 mm norm (1990 to 2010)  

Record lowest – 5.5 mm (1967)

Sunshine hours:

248.6 hours compared to 213.7 hours norm (1990 to 2010)

Record highest: 2003 with 295.5 hours in 2003

August 

Maximum temperatures: 

27.5˚ compared to 24.8 norm (1990 to 2010)  

Rainfall: 

11.6 mm compared to 44.1 mm norm (1990 to 2010)  

Record lowest: 0.4 mm (1955)

Sunshine hours:

299.3 hours compared to 226.8 hours norm (1990 to 2010)

Previous record 292.3 hours (2003)     

•••

Expected harvest dates:

Christelle Guibert/ Vincent Caillé: Vine Revival – Terre de Gneiss 

Christelle expects that they will start picking around 22nd September 

Sabine – Domaine Luneau-Papin: no definite date yet but towards the end of September.     

  

 

2016 RAW (London) – some photos from Sunday

 The famous varietal Laurent Herlin (Bourgueil)

(above and below) 

Baseball Bourgueil......

Eric (Pascal et Beatrice Lambert) says "It's time to taste Chinon!"

Vine Revival: Vincent Caillé et Christelle Guibert 

A relaxed Fred Niger (Domaine de l'Ecu) 

Wendy Paillé

Sylvain Fadat (Domaine D'Aupilhac)

Fabio Bartolomei

Vincent Wallard – showing a Chinon his first French wine 

 Brett Jones going cabin-luggage to Vienna?

 Setting up the Victualler/RAW shop

 The Little Bread Pedlar

Chez Bruce: a tough day at the office with Keith Prothero, Nicolette Waterford and others

Nicolette Waterford: Keith's guest of honour 
Nicolette looks after PR for The Chenin Blanc Association 
and a number of other accounts 

Yesterday was definitely one of those tough days at the office – lunch at Chez Bruce stretching from around midday to 17.30. A small group of us – Christelle Guibert, Neil Beckett, Jamie Goode, Nigel Platts-Martin, Neleen Strauss and Greg Sherwood – invited by Keith Prothero – the luncheon legend plus director and shareholder in The Sampler – to welcome Nicolette Waterford, who runs the PR for The Chenin Blanc Association and various other PR accounts, to London.

Most of the party were welcomed with the 1996 Bollinger RD Extra Brut Champagne from magnum. However, as I'm not drinking Champagne because of their shameful treatment of 'Champagne Jayne' and Champagne is far from his favourite beverage, Keith kindly allowed me bring a bottle of 2004 Les Cormiers Saumur Blanc Château de Villeneuve for our apéro. 

 Young Keith Prothero considering

 the 2004 Saumur Blanc 

   
Keith Prothero

 

 

Greg Sherwood (Handford Wines)

Dr Neil Beckett (editor of World of Fine Wine) @work

 

Is Neil about to take the pledge ....

Neleen Strauss – High Timber. London 

Nigel Platts-Martin, London's leading restaurateur 

giving the flight of red Burgundy serious thought 

Dr Jamie Goode, sans anorak! 

Christelle Guibert

Limbering up for the off ...

(above and below)

First flight: 
 

2004 Meursault J-F Coche-Dury 

wonderfully expressive with complex nose, vibrant wine 

One of my top wines of the lunch   

2008 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Domaine Leflaive

currently less expressive than the Meursault

2007 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Bonneau de Martray 

Initially closed but opened up in glass showing 

increased complexity and length

Accompanied by: crab tartlet with thinly sliced scallop salad, 

bisque vinaigrette and chives  

Second flight:  

 The red Burgundy flight 

2001 Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils

– bricky with lovely delicacy

2001 Musigny Grand Cru Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier; 

2001 Clos St Denis Grand Cru Domaine Dujac

1942 Castillo d'Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Bodegas Murrieta (served blind)

Musigny – silky texture and increasingly seductive as it opened up 

Clos St D: silky concentration 
Blind – d'Ygay: bricky to orange colour but markedly more 
dense than the 2001s, this vibrant 1942 
still had lovely texture with tones of balsamic. What a treat!
if bought young there is no way HMRC would 
agree that this 72-year-old is a 'wasting asset' 
ie a life of less than 50 years       

Accompanied by: Rare-roast venison loin with rocket, 

truffle, Coolea and hazelnuts   

Third flight:    

 1978 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Graves; 1982 Château Haut Brion, Graves;

(today these two would be Pessac-Leognan an AC that started in 1987)

1986 Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (served blind)

(1982 La Mission – corked) 

1986 Mouton noticeably more youthful than 1978 and 1982

Though aging enjoyed the delicacy of the 1978 La Mission

Accompanied by: Roast veal and sweetbread with 

lyonnaise fondant potato and wild mushrooms 

Fourth flight: 

1986 Château d'Yquem, Luc-Saluces, Sauternes 

 (Unfortunately I failed to take a pic of the bottle!) 

 1989 Le Marigny Selection de Grands Nobles, Vouvray

Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet 

Bernard Fouquet's 1989 showed brilliantly with its 

passerilage fruit and character to the fore

rich concentration but marvellously vibrant and long

Keith and some others thought it superior to the d'Yquem

though to be fair 1989 is the superior vintage, 

while the Fouquet was only a small fraction of the price of the Yquem 

Accompanied by: vanilla mille-feuille with Yorkshire rhubarb, 

blood orange sorbet and lemon curd

Undoubtedly a great occasion, very privileged to be there and very spoilt by Keith's generosity. The food was just excellent – not flashy but of a very high quality. My thanks to Sara Bichiorri, Chez Bruce's sommelier and her staff, who looked after us so well. 

Quote of the lunch (Nigel Platts-Martin):

"I don't want wines that want to be my best friend!" 

and what was off the record? That would be telling....! 

Keith making sure he doesn't neglect the essentials