Hail hits part of Burgundy for 3rd year running

Vouvray: 23rd September 2014: still unrepaired 

damage from 17th June 2013 storm

To date Loire vineyards have fortunately escaped 

serious hail damage this year.

Here is a very moving report from scott paul wines on yesterday's violent storm that hit Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, and Beaune. All the more devastating as the 2014 crop had been looking very good:

'Violent hail in the vineyards – a report from Volnay
Yesterday afternoon at 5:15pm, the Côte de Beaune was hit with a violent hailstorm, destroying 50-90% of the potentially beautiful crop that was hanging in the vineyards in Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, and Beaune. This was the third year in a row that these villages were hit with a devastating storm. As if that were not bad enough, this will now be the fifth year in a row with a very tiny crop, as 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 all produced a fraction of what a “normal” year would bring. Over those four years, they produced about two years worth of wine. As you can well imagine, the effects of this will be beyond devastating for many of Burgundy’s producers of all sizes.'

Read the rest here. 

So tough to face a series of natural disasters resulting in several very short vintages and all the financial implications this brings. It was noticeable during June in the Loire how the spirits and morale of the producers rose as they could see that they had cleared two major hurdles during the growing season – no frost despite a very early budbreak and a successful flowering in ideal conditions during June. One could literally see them breathe more easily! 

Of course there is a long way to go yet, so fingers firmly crossed!   

 

Vouvray: good news so far no hail

We dropped in early this morning to Vouvray's Espace du Vin to check whether there had been any hail damage in the vines over the last 24 hours or so during the Météo France Orange Storm Alert. Fortunately there had not been any reported damage, which confirmed the impression I had from checking on Twitter and Facebook. 

Vouvray, however, was not far off the hail corridor as Ballan Miré was hit yesterday evening around 8pm:

'Pendant trois minutes, hier soir, la commune de Ballan-Miré a été touchée de plein fouet par un violent orage de grêlons, gros comme des balles de golf.

Il est un peu plus de 20 h, hier soir. Le ciel se fait menaçant au-dessus de la commune de Ballan-Miré. Soudain, le déluge.' 

Read the rest: La Nouvelle République 10.6.14

Also very early morning yesterday Chambon in the Creuse Valley just north of La Roche-Posay was also hit by hail:

'Le violent orage qui a éclaté à 5 h, hier, n’aurait causé de dommages qu’à Chambon (sud Lochois). La grêle a endommagé une centaine de toitures.'

Read the rest: La Nouvelle République 10.6.14 

Parts of Vouvray were severely hit by on June 17th 2013, so it is good news that so far they have escaped. The weather today is still unsettled with more rain and lightning but much lower in intensity than yesterday. Hopefully this afternoon will be calm, so allowing the flowering to be quick and successful. On a quick check flowering has yet to start in Vouvray.

Further south in Bordeaux and Cognac around 1000 hectares of vines have been affected. See report from Chris Kissack here on Château Preuillac in the northen Médoc. In Germany at least six people were killed in violent storms.  

Epeigné-les-Bois: peonies

Yesterday evening with storms forecast for the next 24/48 hours I made sure I took some shots of our peonies in the garden, which have been a delight for the last ten days or so. Not sure how they will look tomorrow morning after the latest storm passes through – so far we have been luckly with not much heavy rain and no hail. For the moment the worst appears either not to be happening or skirting round us. But during the night this may all change – certainly lots of flashes and menacing clouds now... 

The Loire frost-free in 2014?

Frost protection in Noble-Joué

Although budbreak was very early in 2014 it looks as though the Loire has very fortunately escaped frost this year. I know this is tempting fate but the Meteo France forecast shows no indication of temperatures over the next week to 10 days anywhere close to freezing. This is excellent news as a serious frost would not only wipe out part of the 2014 crop but also probably wipe out a number of producers, struggling financially with two short vintages – 2012 and 2013. It has doubtless been a long and anxious wait for producers since budbreak at the end of March/early April but they should now be able to breathe more easily, except fingers crossed that there is no hail!   

Vouvray 2013: the official view

 It wasn't just vines that suffered damage early on 17th June – 

houses too. This one still not repaired in late September

The official round up of the 2013 Vintage in Vouvray:

'Communiqué de presse du 12 novembre 2013

Marqué par un orage de grêle particulièrement dévastateur le 17 juin dernier, le millésime 2013 est aujourd’hui vendangé à Vouvray. En effet on a pu déplorer des dégâts sur plus de la moitié du vignoble de l’appellation (2200 hectares) dont la majorité anéantie à plus de 80%.

Fort heureusement, la part du vignoble indemne ou faiblement impactée ce jour-là, permet une production de Vouvray 2013 qui présentera néanmoins un déficit de récolte. Face à cette situation exceptionnelle, une dérogation a été accordée aux producteurs les plus sinistrés pour s’approvisionner auprès de leurs collègues de l’appellation épargnés par la nature. Le rendement a été abaissé pour l’ensemble de l’appellation et chaque dépassement a du faire l’objet d’une demande individuelle de la part des vignerons.

La chaleur de l’été a fait un beau travail sur les vignes sinistrées et ce phénomène a permis de rattraper le retard pris en début de saison sur les vignes indemnes. Malgré des conditions de récolte rendues difficiles par une météo chaude et humide, les vignerons ont été tout à l’attention de ces raisins rescapés et leur savoir-faire permettra de présenter un millésime 2013 de qualité, majoritairement élaboré en fines bulles avec de belles cuvées de Vouvray tranquille sec ou demi-sec.

L’épisode de grêle du millésime 2013 marquera l’histoire de l’appellation comme 1930 ou 1982. On se souviendra de ce millésime, certains vignerons fortement touchés rencontreront des difficultés après cette année 2013, consécutive à 2012 qui était déjà déficitaire du fait du gel.

A l’issue des vendanges, on peut conclure que tous les vignerons se sont mobilisés pour passer le cap et ont mis tout en oeuvre pour pérenniser leur exploitation et leur appellation, ils pensent déjà au millésime 2014…'

The percentage of sparkling wine made in Vouvray is always very significant in Vouvray, it is very likely that in 2013 that the perecentage of bubbles made will be even higher than usual. 

Vouvray hit by hail early this morning + Chinon

Vouvray appears to be prone to violent storms  
– damage from 31.5.2008 van crushed by fallen trees

Reports are coming in of a brief but violent hailstorm early this morning (around 5.30) hitting the Vouvray appellation, especially between Vouvray and Reugny. There are quotes of damage in certain parcels running between 30%-100%. However, it is probably too early to know precisely the level of damage. Certainly for those affected this is bad news, especially following the very short crop in 2012.   

Reports here, here and here. Also The Wine Doctor.

Update: 18.15
Press release from the French Ministry of Agriculture. Confirmation of severe damage in Vouvray with two thirds of the vineyard severely hit. Also considerable damage in Cravant-les-Coteaux (AC Chinon) with 200 hectares damaged out of the 800 in this commune. Around 40% of the vines of AC Chinon are within the commune of Cravant-les-Coteaux, which was also hit by the April frost last year plus reports of damage in Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil – now estimated at between 5-10%.  

(The irony is that if Professeur Michel Reynaud is successful in banning comment on wine on the social media I presumably would not be supposed to be passing on this information from the Ministry!!)   

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE: Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l'Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt

Intempéries en Région Centre, Stéphane Le FOLL mobilisé auprès des producteurs

Suite aux violents orages de grêle de cette nuit en Indre et Loire, les services de l'Etat ont établi un premier état de la situation.

La viticulture est la principale filière touchée, avec notamment :

- des dégâts considérables sur l'appellation d'origine protégée VOUVRAY : les 2/3 du vignoble sont très fortement touchés ;

- des dégâts importants sur la commune de Cravant-les-Coteaux, limitrophe de la forêt de Chinon (appellation CHINON) : 200 ha endommagés sur les 800 que compte la commune ;

- dans une moindre mesure, des dégâts sont signalés sur les appellations d'origine protégée BOURGUEIL et ST NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL.

En ce qui concerne les grandes cultures, des parcelles de tournesol, et dans une moindre mesure, de maïs semence ont également été endommagées. A cette heure, d'éventuels dégâts en arboriculture et en maraîchage n'ont pas encore été signalés.

Les pertes de récolte en viticulture et en grandes culture résultant de la grêle sont assurables et, de ce fait, ne relèvent pas du régime des calamités agricoles.

Le régime des calamités agricoles est toutefois mobilisable, le cas échéant, en cas de pertes de fonds.

Le ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt ainsi que les services de l'Etat dans le département (direction départementale des territoires) sont fortement mobilisés pour consolider dans les meilleurs délais, en concertation avec les représentants professionnels concernés, un bilan des dégâts occasionnés, ce qui permettra d'évaluer les conséquences sur les exploitations agricoles touches et de calibrer des mesures d'urgence.

Update: 19.30 from Guillaume Lapaque (Directeur at Vins de Bourgueil and Directeur at Fédération des Associations Viticoles d'Indre-et-Loire et de la Sarthe):

À Bourgueil et St Nicolas ça va : 5 à 10 % de dégâts. À Chinon, 200 ha, sur 2200, touchés : dégâts 35 à 80 %. À Vouvray, c'est catastrophique : 2/3 de l'aoc avec 80 % de degats.

Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu: hail storm Monday 22nd August

Eric Chevalier, Domaine de l'Aujardière, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu

The southern sector of Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu around the communes of Corcoué-sur-Logne, La Limouzinière and Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu was hit by a hailstorm on Monday night. I understand that Eric Chevalier was unfortunately amongst the producers affected.

As well as Muscadet this sector also produces vin de pays. The damage wrought by the hail has brought the harvest for the white grapes forward by about a week with picking starting this week. Unfortunately as the red grapes are not yet ripe, it is not possible to pick them now. Instead just hope that the damaged grapes do not turn rotten.    

More details here.

Eric Chevalier during the 2010 vintage

Photos showing the devastating power of hail

Hail damage in Cher Valley August 2009 (above and below)

Although over the years parts of the Loire have suffered from serious hail damage I have never seen quite such devastation as these photos of vineyards in Slovenia show. They come from the Cabot and Co blog and show damage from a recent hail storm both in the vineyards and on other agricultural crops.

I hope that this year the Loire avoids substantial hail damage. The only plus side is that hail damage is normally more localised and less widespread than frost but that is little consolation to producers who have been hit by hail.

Severe hail damage in Sauternes

Hail damage in Monthou, Cher Valley 2009

'Un violent orage de grêle détruit le Sauternes

Un violent orage de grêle a fortement touché le vignoble de Sauternes, qui produit des vins liquoreux d'excellence, touchant "au moins 40% de l'appellation", a-t-on appris mercredi auprès des responsables de châteaux classés grands crus qui évoquent des "ravages".'

Read the rest here. 

A violent hailstorm hit Sauternes early evening on Monday. The communes of Bommes and Sauternes were particularly affected. Hail can be very destructive. Parts of the Cher Valley, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon were very badly affected by hail in 2009. Fortunately hail is usually quite localised but those affected can lose virtually their whole crop.


See video of damage here on Bill Blatch's Bordeaux Gold.

Now at the end of April the threat of frost is lessening in the Loire, while the danger of hail increases especially as the vines are so in advance of normal this year. We had a little bit of hail last Sunday in Epeigné but as far as I know not enough to do any real damage.

25th May: more hail damage in Menetou-Salon

Already hit by hail in early May, parts of AC Menetou-Salon were hit again by a violent hail storm during the evening of Monday 25th May. Some 150 hectares in the western part of the appellation were affected. Le Berry has a video interview with Olivier Luneau of Domaine Teillier showing the damage in the vineyard – with some shoots completely severed by the hail.

This year Menetou-Salon celebrates its 50 years as an appellation – two severe hail storms in a month is not how the vignerons would have wanted to celebrate their anniversary.

Some hail damage in Central Vineyards

August 2008 – Hail damage in Saint-Andelain (Pouilly) from storm 24th June 08

Parts of the Central Vineyards were hit by a hail storm during the night of 7th/8th May. It is too early to estimate the extent of any damage. "The hail was more widespread than usual," says Benoît Roumet, director of the Bureau du Centre. Morogues (Menetou-Salon) was badly hit. Also there was hail at the Bois Guibault (Pouilly) and various parts of Sancerre. It is too early to know how much damage the hail has caused. We will have to wait until the flowering to see."

Benoît Roumet, director of the Bureau du Centre, in the vineyards of Pouilly

Hail is always a risk and it is rare for the Loire to escape some hail damage somewhere in the vineyard each year. France Meteo is forecasting localised storms for Sunday evening.

•••

Unfortunately parts of Bordeaux appear to have been more seriously hit with hail than the Loire.

Serge Dagueneau et Filles

Sign on the bridge at Pouilly-sur-Loire

(12 August 2008: Pouilly-sur-Loire)
To get to Domaine Serge Dagueneau et Filles in Saint-Andelain we took the truss bridge (built in 1902) across the Loire into Pouilly-sur-Loire. The bridge marks the halfway point in the Loire’s long almost 1000 km journey from the Mont Gerbier de Jonc in lower part of the Massif Central and only a little over 100 km from the Mediterranean. On the eastern side of the bridge there is a small plaque that indicates that there are 496 km upstream to the source and 496 km to the Atlantic.

It is rare for women to be prominent in family wine businesses in the Loire. Yet it is often the women who keep the show on the road, frequently unheralded. Often they keep the books, receive visitors and organise the pickers without getting official recognition. Here at Serge Dagueneau the women – his wife and their two daughters – are centre stage and, in a patchy appellation, this is a domaine I’m happy to recommend.

Florence Dagueneau

Florence Dagueneau met us – she has been working here full-time since 1987. We started with the soft and lightly grapy 2007 Pouilly-sur-Loire made from a small half hectare plot of Chasselas handed down from her great grandmother. The vines were planted just after phylloxera. Once the main grape of Pouilly – albeit largely as a table grape – there are now only just over 30 ha left compared to 1205 ha of Sauvignon Blanc. Although Florence told us that both Thierry Redde (Michel Redde et Fils) and Sophie Guyollot (Landrat–Guyollot) have recently replanted some Chasselas – perhaps to ensure that part of Pouilly’s history does not die out. In addition to their small parcel of Chasselas, the Dagueneau family has 17 ha of Sauvignon Blanc for their Pouilly-Fumé plus an additional couple of hectares in the VDP Coteaux-Charitois, a little to the north east of the market town of La Charité. These are planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Beurrot – a local name for Pinot Gris.

Like some other parts of the Loire (Muscadet’s crop was reduced by some 50% by the frost of 7th April), Pouilly has not been treated kindly by the weather this year. On 24th June a violent hailstorm tore through parts of the appellation causing severe damage. Unfortunately the Dagueneaus were amongst those hit. Florence took us out into the vineyard by the winery to show us some of the damage.

Vine canes lacerated by hail

“About a quarter of Pouilly’s vineyards were damaged. We have lost some of the crop, although we have a few grapes left here. Many of the canes have been lacerated by the hail and this will make it difficult to prune this winter – finding suitable canes that are not damaged.”

Back to the tasting – starting with the straight grassy 2007 Pouilly-Fumé, which makes up 90% of their production. The 2006 is richer and more perfumed. In the terroir series, Clos des Chaudoux comes from vines close to the winery of Michel Redde et Fils on clay limestone marne kimmeridgean soils with their characteristics fossilised shellfish. There is an arc of marne kimmeridgean that starts in the Aube (Southern Champagne region) appears in Chablis and reappears here in Pouilly-sur-Loire, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon. It ends in Quincy and Reuilly but is submerged here under the alluvial soils brought down by the Cher from the Massif Central. (See James E, Wilson: Terroir, Mitchell-Beazley pages 244-256.) The 2006 Chaudoux has some attractive weight and minerality from yields of 40-45 hl/ha. However I preferred the concentrated and rich 2006 La Leontine from limestone soils. Vinified in barriques of three wines it has a light touch of wood, some yellow plum, butter and an attractive touch of bitterness at the end. We ended with the very ripe, apricotty Les Filles 2005 on flint and from grapes grown on flint and harvested two weeks after the rest.

Then a quick look at the Coteaux Charitois with the soft and spicy 2006 Pinot Beurrot being the most interesting, although the light coloured Pinot Noir was agreeable as was the sparkling made from a cocktail of the rest of the varieties that aren’t planted in sufficient quantity to vinify separately.

The Dagueneau vines in the Coteaux Charitois. (Pic: Florence Dagueneau)

We had time to grab a quick omelette and chips at the rather run down Bon Accueil on the northern end of the main drag through the centre of Pouilly before heading up to Saint Andelain for our 2pm appointment with Didier Dagueneau.

Serge Dagueneau et Filles, Les Berthiers, 58150 Saint Andelain. Tel: 03.86.39.11.18
www.s-dagueneau-filles.fr