Vincent Pinard: 2013 Charlouise, Sancerre Rouge

 

2013 is probably the most difficult recent Loire vintage – a very cold spring with flowering delayed until towards mid to late June. A hot July and August averted disaster but picking even in the Pays Nantais didn't start until late September. 

It is difficult vintages that show who are the really good producers. Almost any fool can make a decent wine in 2018, especially regarding reds. In contrast to make a very fine red in 2013 is impressive. The 2013 Charlouise Sancerre Red from Vincent Pinard is a wonderful example of a domaine being on top of its game in a testing vintage. Not forgetting, of course, that in difficult vintages coaxing good quality out of Pinot Noir is much more of a challenge than it is for Sauvignon Blanc. 

The Pinot Noir vines from Charlouise are planted on clay limestone and are on average 50 years old with yields around 30 hl/ha. The grapes are picked by hand and the wine is aged in a mix of barrels and wooden conical vats. Time in wood varies between 11 and 18 months depending on the vintage. My guess is that the 2013 spent closer to 11 months in wood than 18. The 2013 Charlouise has that seductive, silky texture that makes Pinot Noir such as sought after magical wine at its best.

Very impressive given the vintage.    

2018 Loire – is this the birth of a legendary vintage?

 Pinot Noir awaiting sorting 

@Domaine Henri Bourgeois

On Friday Alphone Mellot snr was categorical: "This is a mythical vintage – 1947 but with quantity!" Alphonse Père was born in 1947 – obviously he will remember little of that year but says that he has never seen a vintage of this quality.

We will see but certainly overall the fruit from the vineyards we have so far visited –  Pays Nantais, Chinon, Montlouis, AC Touraine, Sancerre, Saint-Pourçain, Côte Roannaise and Côtes de Forez – has been very clean and healthy with almost no rot. For those producers equipped with sorting tables there has been little for the sorters to do apart from removing the odd leaf or grapes that have been shriveled by the sun. 

Gamay @Vincent Roussely

Alphonse Snr is not alone in never having seeing fruit like this. Vincent Roussely of Clos Roussely in Angé (AC Touraine): "This is my 19th vintage and I have never seen grapes like these." His Sauvignon Blanc is averaging 13.5% alcohol but still with good acidity plus a yield of 50 hl/ha when 30 hl/ha is his normal yield – Vincent farms organically.

In Bué (AC Sancerre) I tasted several juices – some that were just starting to ferment – with Florent Pinard. They were very clean, rich but with a freshness in the finish – surprising as for a number of days during the harvest temperatures were 30˚C and more. Fortunately many in Sancerre are equipped with liquid CO2 to cool down the grapes rapidly when they arrive at the winery. Also a number of producers, like François and Carine Crochet and Vincent and Adelaide Grall who pick by hand, started early in morning and finished at lunchtime. 

I also tasted a number of 2018 juices with Pascal Jolivet during a brief but very interesting visit. As at the Pinards the 2018 juices look very promising. It was good of Pascal to give up some of his valuable time, especially as his Italian winemaker had fallen that morning, hit her head and was in hospital. I wish her a swift recovery.  

After two difficult years due to frost producers in Pouilly-Fumé are happy both with the quality and quantity. "We had just 18 hl/ha in 2016," Loic Cailbourdin told me. 'The following year it was 28 hl/ha. This year we are averaging 60 hl/ha, although it is less in some parcels." 

Sauvignon Blanc@ Domaine Vacheron 

awaiting pressing        

There are as always exceptions and caveats:

Mildew has been a severe problem for certain producers, especially those practising organic viticulture and in certain appellations such as Montlouis. In Thursday post I mentioned that Jacky Blot had been very badly hit in some parcels but not in the 'grand terroirs'. When I saw Xavier Weisskopf on Wednesday he said his yield this year is 22 hl/ha. Xavier has had a real roller coaster over the last three years. Last year his yield was 55 hl/ha while in 2016 it was just 1 hl/ha due to the series of April frosts. He had to buy in grapes from Vouvray to make up the deficit. 

High degrees of alcohol may also prove to be a problem if only to make 2018 not a 'typical' Loire vintage – just as 1989 and 2003 produced wines that have characteristics of vineyards much further south in France. 14% alcohol levels are 'normal' this year, they head up into 15% and even in some rare cases 16% and above. 16.6% is the highest reported. Of course it will usually be possible to blend these powerful lots with those with lower alcohol. There is also the question whether juice at 15.5˚- 16˚+ will actually ferment dry. 

Philippe Gilbert (Menetou-Salon), who found the heat of the vintage particularly tiring, said: "My concern is that the 2018 wines will not be typical of the Loire rather they will have the characteristics of wines from much further south." I suggested to Philippe that this was also the case in 1989 and 2003, for instance. Philippe was relieved that his pH readings were in the right range. 

Of the producers I have seen all have been satisfied – in some cases relieved – that the pH in their juice are correct – most around 3.15-3.30. There are some unconfirmed rumours that the pH levels for some other producers are considerably higher but I didn't come across any producer worried about high pH levels. 

One of the positive weather factors this year was the wet and humid end of May and early June. This meant that there was a reserve of water available for the very dry months that followed. However, young vines on well drained soils have suffered as their root systems are not as well developed as older vines. 

Later today we are headed to Bourgueil, Chinon and Saint Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Here I think picking started during last week, so it will be interesting to catch up on what has been happening.  

Sorting @Domaine Vincent Delaporte  

before going through their new
automatic tilted
plate press

     

      

Loire 2018 – round up of harvest news

Since we arrived in the Loire we have seen producers from Muscadet Sèvre et Maine to the Côtes de Forez – just about from one Loire vinous extremity to the other.

In Touraine Vincent Ricard started picking on Monday 3rd September. He is happy as he has avoided any serious attack of mildew but at the cost of treating his vines 14 or 15 times. His Sauvignon is coming in at between 12.5˚ potential with the acidity averaging 5.2. Yields at 50-55 hl/ha. He expects to finish harvesting the middle of next week.

Vincent Roussely (Angé) started picking on Monday 10th September. Due to the heat they are only picking in the morning. I saw some Sauvignon Rosé that they had picked – the grapes very healthy and clean.

Luc Poullain, Domaine des Echardières – also in Angé – like Vincent Roussely also started on Monday but picking Chardonnay. He warned that vines on clay were coping well with the drought – just 10mm of rain in two months – but other on easy draining soils were suffering with maturation blocked especially if they were young vines.

In Montlouis Jacky Blot started on Thursday (6th) – earlier than he had originally thought but with the grapes ripening rapidly he didn't want the alcohol levels to shoot up and the acidity to fall away, especially as he picks by hand – three teams of pickers in action.

In certain parcels he has been badly hit by mildew with very small yields. However, the incidence is very irregular with his best parcels like the Clos Mosny and Clos Michet resisting well.

Jacky and a team started picking his top Vouvray (Vin de France) from the Clos de Venise on Thursday 13th September.

On our way to the Côte Roannaise last Thursday (13th) we dropped in quickly to see the Pinards  – Vincent, Florent and Clément – in Bué and then Domaine Fouassier in Sancerre itself. The Pinards started picking their Pinot Noir on Thursday 6th and have subsequently picked some of their Sauvignon Blanc. They are very happy with the results to date with the Pinot coming in at 12.4˚ to 13.5˚ potential with acidity averaging around 5. Florent and Clément thought that the 2018 reds will be easy to drink and easily digestible.

2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre)

2018 Pinot Noir (Sancerre)

Benoît Fouassier was also very happy with their 2018s. They started on 5th and have been picking both Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot, which they have nearly finished, coming in at up to 14˚, while the Sauvignon Blanc is between 12.5˚ and 13.5˚ and an acidity on 4-4.5.

From Sancerre we headed south to the small town of Renaison in the heart of the Côte Roannaise where we stayed at the Hotel Central, which is in town square. The hotel is very reasonably priced and is run by the very welcoming Arlette, who appears to have boundless energy as she is on the go from the early morning until late at night.

The Côte Roannaise we saw Carine, Stéphane and Robert Sérol (Domaine Robert Sérol). Their chai and some of their vineyards are up above Renaison and is one of the appellations top domaines. They started picking at the end of the previous week –  Gamay for their pétillant rosé naturel – Turbullent. Picking Gamay for their reds had started this morning.

2018 Gamay, Domaine des Pothiers, Côte Roannaise

Early on the Friday we also saw Romain Paire (Domaine des Pothiers) – another top Roannaise estate. Romain had started that morning – kicking off with his Pinot Gris (13˚ potential) before moving onto his Gamay. The juice tasted very clean and promising. Indeed everywhere the fruit in the Roannaise and the Forez looked very clean and healthy with apparently much less mildew than you can find in parts of Touraine. We also saw Simon Hawkins, an English guy who with his French wife bought the Domaine de Fontenay in 1991 and started making wine leaving the textile business behind.
We had left the car in Renaison and instead explored the Roannaise on our e-bikes. Along with the Côtes de Forez and Sancerre I think that the Côte Roannaise is one of the three most picturesque Loire appellations. The vines are planted on the lower slopes of the granite hills that quickly rise to 1000 metres or more – so an electric bike is certainly a good investment, especially if you are of pensionable age. There are plenty of quiet roads both through the charming little villages and up higher in the hills.

Gilles and his team sorting Gamay @Domaine de la Madone
– little sorting needed this year

Friday we headed the just over 50 kilometres south to Champdieu and Gilles Bonnefoy Domaine de la Madone. Gilles was generally  happy with the way the harvest was progressing, although he had some parcels of vines that were suffering from the drought. We tasted some Gamay that he had picked the day before which had already taken on good colour even after one day but without much tannin in the skins. Gilles was happy with the potential degrees – between 11.5˚ and 12.5˚ – as his clientele appreciates wines with relatively low alcohol levels.

Max @Verdier Logel, Côtes de Forez

Leaving Domaine de la Madone we stopped off briefly at the Cave Verdier-Logel and saw Odile, Max and Jacky. They were preparing to start picking yesterday  (17th September). Max was hoping that there would be no rain despite the drought because any rain was now too late to be beneficial. Instead rain was all too likely to provoke rot.

Jean Teissèdre (left) with his Portuguese worker 

On our way back to Touraine we made a first visit to Domaine des Bérioles in Saint-Pourçain in the hamlet of Cesset, to the west of the town of Saint-Pourçain, Bérioles has been rightly building a reputation since Jean Teissèdre took over the domaine in 2011, when it had 7 hectares. He was later joined by his sister Sophie and her husband – Jérôme Roux. The domaine has now more than doubled in size with 15 hectares in production and two more planted.

On the Friday when we visited they were picking Chardonnay, which was very clean and healthy. The nearby Pinot Noir looked equally healthy with no sign of rot. During the visit it was very interesting to see a parcel of ripening Tressalier, the local grape which will be picked last.

Tressalier grape also known as Sacy outside Saint-Pourçain
– note pinkish tinge @Domaine des Bérioles

Due to the artificial constraints imposed by the appellation rules – 100% Tressalier and 100% Pinot Noir are banned - a very significant part of their production is sold as IGP. "This makes no difference to our sales" says Jean "as we now have established a reputation but it is a pity for the appellation."

Coldharbour's English fizz stirs memories

Acre Lane from Clapham leads onto Coldharbour Lane,

which heads through to Loughborough Junction

A bottle of 'Coldharbour' Classic Cuvée NV (West Sussex) enjoyed a week ago last Friday on the evening of our return to London after our long stay in Scotland stirred old memories.  

For a couple of years back at the end of the 1960s and very early 1970s I lived on Acre Lane in Brixton. The eastern end of Acre Lane finishes at Brixton Town Hall in the centre of the borough at the junction with Brixton Road.    

Memories of Coldharbour were reactivated in 1997 with the debut album from Alabama 3 that featured the fine Exile on Coldharbour Lane. Back in the days when I lived in Acre Lane, an evening stroll down Coldharbour Lane usually produced an invitation from the shadows to buy a wrapped up piece of dope. 

As I never accepted these kind invitations I can't say whether the proffered dope was anything like as well balanced as Coldharbour's quite austere Classic Cuvée – a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier as are the majority of Champagnes. The winemaker is Dermot Sugrue, whose Sugrue Pierre, we have greatly enjoyed on several occasions at The Harrow in Little Bedwyn.

Coteaux du Giennois celebrates 20 years of appellation status

Appellation Coteaux du Giennois is celebrating its first 20 years this year. In 1998 it was promoted from VDQS to full appellation contrôlée status. The VDQS category was created in 1949 and was intended as an in-between status between vin de pays and full appellation. Giennois became a VDQS in 1954. VDQS came to end on 31st December 2011. Most VDQSs were promoted to full appellation status. In the Loire this was eventually the case: all the previous VDQSs were promoted to full appellation status.  

Coteaux du Giennois produces wine in all three colours – Sauvignon Blanc for the whites and Gamay and Pinot Noir for the reds and rosés. Prior to promotion to AC status it was possible to make 100% Pinot Noir and from my tastings these were the most successful reds. Unfortunately the INAO insisted that all the Loire VDQSs, who had Gamay and Pinot Noir, had to agree not to make 100% Pinot Noir. Instead if a producer used Pinot Noir it had to be blended with Gamay. This demand has always appeared to be political rather then following any tradition. In contrast 100% Gamay is permitted. 

Currently there are 194 hectares producing Coteaux du Giennois, this is slightly down on on 2016 when there were 204 hectares. Annual production averages at 7721 hectolitres from 37 producers. In 2016 83% of Giennois' sales were in France with just 17% exported. 

The majority of the reds are easy drinking with most to be drunk in their first few years. The best are those with a very high proportion of Pinot Noir..... The whites are attractively fresh and lemony. Unfortunately the appellation has been considerably hit by frost in both 2016 and 2017.

2006 Sancerre Rosé, Henry Natter

 2006 Sancerre Rosé, Henry Natter

Yes you read that correctly – a 2006 Sancerre Rosé. It wasn't a typo – I didn't intend to type 2016. Somehow this 2006 Rosé got overlooked – certainly wasn't deliberate as I am impressed and like the whole range of Henry Natter's wines. 

Anyway I got round to opening it last night to see how it was faring at 11 years old, when the customary advice is to drink rosés within a year of vintage. The 2006 had naturally lost its youthful immediate fruit but these have been replaced by evolved aromas of roses along with an attractive texture and complexity in the finish. 

This is really a rosé to drink with food. Drinking it with a baked chicken leg with a concentrated orange, ginger, shallot and preserved lemon sauce showed it advantage. The sauce brought back the wine's acidity in the finish. Given the richness and citric character of the sauce, the 2006 Sancerre worked better than an Anjou Rouge.       

New Zealand new release tasting: 1st November 2017

The now well-established New Zealand Wine new releases tasting was on Tuesday 1st November. As usual it was held in the Penthouse of New Zealand House, which has one of the most spectacular views in Central London.

In total there were some 135 wines to taste – many from the 2017 vintage for the whites and 2016 for the reds but also examples from previous vintages going back to 2013. Unlike previous occasions Sauvignon Blanc was not the grape variety with the most examples to taste. This time Pinot Noir headed the list with 40 examples, while there were 37 for Sauvignon Blanc.

The 40 Pinot Noirs showed a big range from bright red fruit, easy drinking  pleasers to seriously complex and structured wines, especially the range from Felton Road.  

The other most popular styles were Chardonnay with 12 and sparkling wines with 11. 

There was a short section (four examples) of 'smaller planting (other whites)' – an Albariño and a Grüner Veltiner from the Awatere Valley (Marlborough), a Sauvignon Gris from Marlborough, and a Verdelho from Hawke's Bay. With just four examples and all different grape varieties it is naturally impossible to come to any conclusions over what of these varieties might have a New Zealand future. For what it is worth I found the Grüner Veltiner and the Verdelho the most interesting. I thought that tasted blind the Sauvignon Gris would be indistinguishable from a Sauvignon Blanc. 

Smaller plantings of other whites:             

 Hawke's Bay Verdelho 2017 Esk Valley

 Awatere Valley Grüner Veltliner 2016 The Crossings 

 Marlborough, Sauvignon Gris 2017, Brancott Estate

Awatere Valley, Albariño 2016, Stanley Estates 

Bon Laboureur@Chenonceaux – another fine lunch

2014 Négrette, Le Rocher des Violettes, Xavier Weisskopf

We enjoyed another excellent lunch today at Le Bon Laboureur in Chenonceaux – again taking the 32€ menu – three course but lots of extras – making it really excellent value. To drink we had as an apéro Xavier Weisskopf's lovely 2014 Montlouis Négrette, which comes from a parcel of vines that are at least 80 years old. Négrette here is the parcel of vines not the grape variety that is found in Fronton as well as the Fiefs Vendéens. The 2014 is wonderfully clean with a touch of roundness to it. 

With the first course we opted for the stylish 2015 Menetou-Salon from Isabelle and Pierre Clément – nicely ripe, crisp citric Sauvignon Blanc. For the mains we stayed in the Central Vineyards taking the 2014 Sancerre Rouge from Domaine Vacheron, which worked well with both the fish and the lamb: delicate enough for the sea bream while having sufficient body for the lamb.       

Fricassé of cèpes 

 

Salad of white beans and rillons

Vegetable tart

2015 Menetou-Salon, Isabelle et Pierre Clément, Châtenoy

72-hour slow cooked lamb 

Sea bream

2014 Sancerre, Domaine Vacheron 

Pre-dessert mandarins on a chocolate biscuit

 

Chocolate mousse

Loire 2017 harvest – some more photos from previous harvests

Chenin Blanc in the Layon October 2005 vintage 

showing the grapes at their golden stage 

(above and below)

Cabernet Franc in Saumur – October 2005 

Boxes of Pinot Noir at Domaine Fouassier, Sancerre 

2009

 Picking in Le Puy Notre Dame 

2010

2012 two hod carriers in Sancerre

Busy harvest scene@Sancerre 2012

2014 Cuvée André, Reuilly (Rouge), Claude Lafond

2014 Cuvée André, Reuilly (100% Pinot Noir)

Claude Lafond 

Cuvée André commemorates André Lafond, the father of the late Claude Lafond and grandfather of Nathalie who now runs the domaine. In the 1960s André, who worked in the vineyards, saved up and bought a few hectares in Reuilly. At that time Reuilly, like nearby Quincy, was close to disappearing entirely. 

Due to the efforts and vision of Claude, who took over when his father died in 1977, the fortunes of Reuilly were turned around. From around 48 hectares then, when Claude was instrumental in transforming Reuilly, to today with 225 hectares in production with a much more vibrant and optimistic appellation – albeit still small in the grand scheme of things. 

Sadly Claude died suddenly of a heart attack in October 2015. 

Cuvée André is mid-weight with the typical Pinot Noir red fruits and characteristic Loire freshness in the finish.    

 

The late Claude Lafond 

 

 Natalie Lafond

The Claude Lafond winery in Reuilly