2017 harvest in Pays Nantais – first impressions

 Melon de Bourgogne @Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin 

Still a little green – will be picked later this week 

or early next week 

We arrived in the Pays Nantais this morning after a night in a cheap hotel close to Saumur. It is clear that many producers were badly hit this year by the frosts at end of April. Unfortunately April 2016 also saw bad frosts – again at the end of April. Ironically 2017 is very promising in terms of quality – such a pity that the frost was so damaging. 

Today we visited Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin, Fred Niger (both in Le Landreau) and the Lieubeau family in Château-Thébaud. Fred is undoubtedly the worst hit as he has lost 98% of the crop – not funny as he lost 90% in 2016 and 85% in 2012. Fortunately he is part of 11 organic vignerons across France who help each other out by selling grapes/must when frost or hail strikes. Nevertheless it is very far from easy – very dispiriting when you get another vintage destroyed by frost over night.

For Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau only their Butte de la Roche is yielding a normal harvest, while the Lieubeau family has a 40% loss from their 70 hectares.  

Understandably there are now projects underway to install frost protection systems. Clearly producers cannot survive such losses for very long.  

Marie Luneau, CRM and Eric Narioo (Les Caves de Pyrene) 

as well as wine @Vino di Anna 

on Mount Etna (Sicily)

Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau (Domaine Luneau-Papin)

 Pierre Luneau with the new Stockinger wooden vats

 Monique Luneau – le grand chef with 

vegetables from the garden

 In the cellar of Fred Niger van Amphore 

Three of the Lieubeau family, who work on the domaine 

Right to left – Chantal, Marie her daughter 

and Vincent, her younger son

 Local priest to give blessing? 

With François Lieubeau, Vincent's elder brother

The local priests did bless the vignoble 

but unfortunately it was in late May/earlyJune.

In 2018 it will need to be in late March 

before the threat of April frosts

Lieubeau – Melon for their 2017 Cru Château-Thébaud

Arrival of the Lieubeau's 1st load of Gros Plant 

Le Ban des Vendanges was issued today.

Playing around with the ISO speeds

 

@ 20000 ISO

 

@ H2 – 102,400 ISO

2009 stunning Muscadet Château-Thébaud from Lieubeau family

2009 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Château-Thébaud

Château de l'Aulnaye, Famille Lieubeau

This is another excellent Muscadet from the Lieubeau family. The 2009 is intended as a precursor of the Château-Thebaud which should soon be one of several new crus communaux that await the swish of the French minister's pen.

Ths 2009 spends three years on its lees which gives this Muscadet unusual richness accentuated by 2009 being a hot and rich vintage. The 2009 has lovely opulence and is utterly delicious. Initially we had it as an apéro and then it went beautifully with grilled salmon steaks. Unfortunately the bottle disappeared all too quickly between the two of us!  

Tasted blind my guess is that few would pick this opulent and delicious wine as a Muscadet. These longer aged Muscadet's are adding a new expression to the wines of the Pays Nantais. Furthermore they are still a remarkable bargain.