Bernard outside his cellar: January 2009

Notes on my visit to Bernard (Domaine des Aubuisières) are now complete.

Bernard outside his cellar: January 2009

Domaine Huet: tasting notes on 2008s added to report of 12th January.

The weather in Touraine has now changed. The thaw started on Monday. The snow has now gone to be replaced with milder, wet weather.

Domaine Huet: the new tasting room and offices, behind the red lorry

Tasting room below and offices above

Following my visit to Jacky Blot this morning, this afternoon was an opportunity to taste the 2008s at two of Vouvray's top producers – Domaine Huet and Bernard Fouquet.

After a brief look at the new tasting room and offices, currently under construction and due to be finished in the early part of 2009, I settled down to taste the 2008s with Jean-Bernard Berthomé, chef de culture and chef de cave. Noël Pinguet was busy undertaking an intensive English course. It is important to bear in mind that my comments and impressions are on unfinished wines, which will certainly change before they are bottled.

Jean-Bernard: “2008 was a small vintage in volume. We lost 50% of the crop because of the attack of mildew that followed the storm of the afternoon of Saturday 31st May*. I sprayed about half of our vines on the Friday and the Saturday morning then the storm arrived and we couldn’t get back onto the vineyards. There was virtually no mildew in the vines that had been protected, where they hadn’t been sprayed we lost nearly the whole crop.

“In the 10 ha that were fully protected – essentially Le Mont – we harvested 45 hl/ha. In another 10, including half of the Clos du Bourg, we made 20 hl/ha, while for the last 10 ha, mainly Le Haut Lieu we could make 5 hl/ha because of the mildew. However, in quality there is a very interesting balance between the sugar and the acidity.

Part of Le Clos du Bourg

(* During the afternoon of Saturday 31st May Vouvray suffered a very heavy storm with between 120 and 150 mms of rain falling in no more than 90 minutes. So intense was the rain that it destroyed several roads, flooded homes and cellars. It was then impossible to get tractors into the vineyards for the next ten days. The storm was very local – neighbouring Rochecorbon got hardly any rain.)

Jean-Bernard: “The fermentations have now finished and the wines have been kept cold since last Monday. We have made two cuvées of ‘sec’ this year – Le Clos du Bourg and Le Haut-Lieu. The level of alcohol at around 13.5%, acidity 6.5 gms and we have kept between 10-13 grams of residual sugar to mask the acidity. This is going to cause a problem for labeling as a sec can have no more than 9 gms of residual sugar.”

As usual the wines will be bottled early – in late-March/April – to keep their fruit. Of the two secs I preferred the more racier, more mineral Clos du Bourg with more finesse, although leaner than Le Haut-Lieu. There are two demi-secs – again one from Le Haut-Lieu, focussing on the fruit – citric and green apple, and Le Mont, which is more pineapple and grapefruit. Once again Le-Haut Lieu was less complex with a greater emphasis on the fruit, with Le Mont being finer and more delicate. Le Haut-Lieu has around 25-30 gms of residual sugar, while Le Mont has around 40. A precise analysis isn't yet available as the final blend is yet to be made.

There are three moelleux in 2008 – one from each of the famous parcels. First up Le Haut-Lieu with 45 gms of residual sugar with some attractive touches of honey, citric flavours and quite marked acidity in the finish. With 60 gms residual Clos du Bourg is richer and riper with more dried fruits – fruits confits – as well as cooked apple. Will need more time than Le Haut-Lieu to show its paces.

Jean-Bernard: “We nearly always finish the vendange with Le Mont with its clay and flint soil. This has 65 gms of residual sugar, 6 gms of acidity and 12.5% alc.” This has lovely vivacity, freshness and a thrilling balance of fruit and acidity. “Plus tonique,” says Jean-Bernard of the acidity. “This is my coup de coeur of the vintage.” I can see what he means but to me the Clos du Bourg ‘sec’ and Le Mont demi-sec are also very promising.

We then moved onto to taste the 2007s with a couple of pétillants providing the transition. Firstly the lightly golden 2001 with acacia honey flavours, some bottle evolution and apple freshness in the finish. I was quite surprised when Jean-Bernard told me that this has 15 grams of residual sugar. The liqueur d’expedition coming from the Le Mont 2001. Then the more complex and finer Reserve 1998 with aromas of toast and brioche, honey on the palate and a long fresh finish. Both can be happily kept, especially the 1998, for a number a years. On New Year’s Eve we drank our last bottle of the 1999 pétillant – delicious. I have been fortunate to drink the 1959 and 1937 mousseux – both memorable experiences and with no reason to believe in either case that the wines was on its last legs, although the 1937 was only lightly sparkling.

We tasted the three 2007 secs. My favourite was the well–balanced Clos du Bourg (13% alc, 7 gms rs and 5.5 acidity) with its attractive weight and floral and honeyed hints. Jean-Bernard thought that this might be beginning to close up – it is certainly not expressive on the nose at the moment. Le Mont was more mineral – plus tonique, while Le Haut-Lieu more apple flavoured. The two demi-secs were lovely and both more open and expressive than the secs. Le Haut-Lieu with 21 gms of residual has attractive honey and pear flavours. The emphasis here is on the fruit, while Le Mont 2007 with acacia honey aromas is more mineral and again has more finesse.

The last 2007 was one of the few moelleux made in Vouvray that year – Le Clos du Bourg. It has 45 gms of sugar remaining with a lovely balance of honey and mineral. Jean-Bernard noticed hints of torrefaction. At a low level of sweetness for a moelleux this should be easier to match with a range of dishes than super-rich sweet wines from more generous vintages. Certainly as an aperitif, with blue cheeses but also with rich pork dishes – the classic pork and prunes combination from Tours – or chicken in a rich cream sauce.

Next we tasted the 2006 Moelleux Clos du Bourg 1er Tri with 65 gms of residual sugar, 12.5% alc and 4.5 acidity. Light gold colour, honeyed quite rich nose of orange peel and barley sugar, however, there is slight dilution in the finish. This is an indication that because of the weather broke in late-September, the 2006s were never able to fulfil their potential as the grapes had to be picked quickly before widespread rot set in.

Then Jean-Bernard produced a curiosity that he said had never been sold – a 1993 1er Tri Moelleux from Le Haut-Lieu. This was a fascinating wine from a moderate vintage – burnished gold colour, barley sugar, caramel, some oxidation and quite marked acidity in the finish.

We finished with the 1996 1er tri Moelleux Le Mont – entirely from passerillage (sun dried grapes). This is a lovely wine ¬– wonderful delicacy and finesse with honeyed and spicy flavours (Jean-Bernard noted ginger) and beautifully balanced.

Jean-Bernard: “the 1996s have matured quietly and steadily – a linear evolution: they have never closed up. “

We briefly discussed the 1990s – another vintage that has never closed up, although the wines rapidly took on a medium gold colour making them look much older than they are. “Over the last two or three years the colour of the 1990s hasn’t changed,” explained Jean-Bernard. “Gaston Huet used to say that of the 1947, which also rapidly became deep coloured and then didn’t change. Indeed their colour has almost diminished and become satiny.”

Bernard Fouquet

Bernard Fouquet: tasting in his cave

As I left Jean-Bernard he told me to say hello to Bernard, who he has known for years as they were in primary school together. Bernard’s cellars are in the Vallée de Nouy just up from the entrance to the Clos Baudoin.

Bernard was one of the lucky ones in 2008 as he sprayed his vines against mildew just before the storm of the 31st May, so he avoided the virulent outbreak of mildew that followed the storm.

Bernard: “I made 42 hl/ha this year, while those who hadn’t sprayed unfortunately saw their vines engulfed by mildew. It was very lucky that there was no hail with the storm – if there had been it would have been a disaster! We picked between 10th and 22nd October. There was a lot of tartaric acid but that is now dropping out significantly with the cold.”

We tasted in Bernard’s cellars. It was not easy making sure that aromas picked up during tasting were from the wine or from the cellar. As the wines all tasted clean, I ascribed any mustiness to the cellar and not to the wines. We tasted 2008 and 2007 in parallel.

The attractively soft Silex 2008, a sec, was the first – mineral with a hint of honey, precise and persistent. (It has 13.2% alc, 6 gms of residual and 5.0 total acidity.) The 2007 Silex (13% alc, 6 gms rs and 4.8 acidity) had good length but was less exciting than the 2008. Bernard detected petrol aromas.

Next a lovely 2008 Les Giraudières demi-sec –honeyed with crisp acidity with good length. It’s the thrilling mix of sweetness and austerity that makes top Vouvray so good and why a still demi-sec is the classic Vouvray style. Once again the 2007 Les Giraudières was less exciting than the unfinished 2008. Analytically very similar to the 2008 – 26 gms of residual against 25, almost identical acidity but at 12% half a degree of alcohol less. “The 2008s have more subtlety,” said Bernard. It may also be that some 2007s are closing up and there is the excitement of tasting the latest vintage.

Bernard: “Les Giraudières is in the same part of the première côte as Le Mont (Huet) and Philippe Foreau’s vines.” This is between the Rue de la la Croix Buisée in the west and La Vallée Chartier in the east.

We then backtracked in sweetness to Le Marigny sec, which is fermented in 400 litre barrels – 1/3 new, 1/3 one wine, 1/3 two wines – spending 10 months in wood before bottling in July. The 2007 has attractive weight and length with a touch of wood. Ideally needs another two or three years in bottle. The 2008 is still fermenting.

Last 2008 was a potentially lovely moelleux picked with a potential of 17.1% alc. It has 11.6% alc and 90 gms of residual. Currently it has flavours of grapefruit and honey and a precise mineral finish. At the end of picking the 2008s Bernard left a small parcel of grapes to see how they would develop but rain in early November ruined them.

Three older sweet wines to finish with starting with the 2002 Plan de Jean (100 gms rs, 6.5 acidity), a vineyard on clay and limestone and showed why 2002 is such a lovely vintage. Beautifully balanced with rich honeyed fruit and a vivid mineral finish. Bernard compared the 2002 with 1996, saying that it was better than the 1995. Then we looked at two from 2003. Le Marigny with 160 gms of rs had rich butterscotch flavours with good acidity for this heat wave year. “With grassed over vineyards you always get good acidity,” commented Bernard. Lastly the even more powerful Cuvée Alexandre – a big bruiser with 200 gms of rs – richer than Le Marigny yes but less interesting and less complex.

Bernard: “In 2003 we started picking the moelleux first and finished with the sec. It was so hot that I would leave the grapes in the coolness of the cellar overnight and then press the next morning.

Bernard said how much he liked the wines of Frantz Saumon and Xavier Weiskopff in Montlouis and the number of other new producers, like Stéphane Cossais, in that appellation also making exciting wine. I asked Bernard whether there are similar new discoveries to make in Vouvray. He confirmed my impression that it isn’t the same in Vouvray. He did, however, say I should taste the Vouvrays of Sébastien Brunet in Chançay. Brunet will be at the Salon des Vins de Loire in the main hall at stand L-M 306.

I have long counted Bernard Fouquet as one of Vouvray’s top producers. Robert Parker’s recently published 7th edition of the Wine Buyer’s Guide lists Bernard as an ‘outstanding’ producer along with Domaine Huet and Philippe Foreau. I’m not going to argue with that.

Anne-Françoise drawing a sample of 2008

Visit this morning to the Domaine de la Taille aux Loups to taste the 2008s, which are still fermenting gently. Tasted with Anne-Françoise, the daughter of Jacky and Joëlle who are currently sunning themselves in the West Indies, having sensibly fled the cold of the Loire for a brief holiday before getting ready for the Salon des Vins de Loire.

Although still babies, the 2008 Montlouis and Vouvrays here look very promising, although it is too early to write detailed notes on them as they are still fermenting. They have a similar precision and purity as 2007, although perhaps with a little more weight. However, as they are still fermenting it is really too early to say.

Anne-Françoise: 'There was a very big difference between the level of acidity when we started to pick in early October to when we finished on the 29th October: levels started at 7 g and we finished on 5.5. So we see a big difference between le 1er passage and le 2eme passage. In 2008 Rémus is the heart of our Montlouis harvest."

Jacky Blot believes that 2008 is a great vintage for dry Chenin. Today's tasting, even at this early stage, suggests that he may well be right.

Anne-Françoise joined her parents at the domaine in 2006 after working for 11 years as a librarian. She had a six-month stage in Edinburgh in 1994 and then from 1995 to 2006 at the Bibliothèque Universitaire de Tours as well as some time working in Paris. "But I was always involved in the wine and came back for the vendange," she says.

Loire Valley 2008 harvest report: The Golden Harvest’

To summarise this remarkable harvest, 2008 is just like 2007, only with both more and less of it! In fact we did think of calling this the ‘Grand Petit Millésime’...

The Sydneys are based in Chinon

Less, obviously, as a result of a dramatic spring frost in the Muscadet that cut yields by half – sometimes by much more – and of devastating summer hail that swept across swathes of Pouilly Fumé and the more unfortunate villages in Sancerre. But even vineyards that escaped these two scourges suffered from reduced yields, leaving the Loire as a whole 25% - 30% down on a normal year’s harvest.

More, though, because quite frankly 2008 is a bigger, better vintage than 2007 (as always, I’m talking about wines from those growers with the courage to gamble with the weather and wait for maturity), with wines that have more concentration of fruit and bigger breadth of structure.

In Muscadet, despite the tiny harvest, quality is high, although some growers (not ours!) were in such a hurry to harvest after the constant rain of end August and early September that their wines show signs of rot and the high acidity of unripe grapes. The better growers picked any parcelles that had started to show signs of rot, then waited – and were rewarded (as was the whole region) with fine sunny and cool weather right through September and October, allowing them to pick at a ripeness and acidity at least on a par with 2007.


For the dreadful summer had one big advantage here in the Loire – it slowed the maturity of the grapes to such an extent that when the sun did come out in the 2nd week of September, we still had those essential 3 weeks left before harvest.... Leading to harvesting in the glorious autumnal colours that have given the vintage its name of ‘The Golden Harvest’.

The Sauvignons of the Touraine, the southern Loire, of Sancerre and Pouilly are excellent - more precise, more aromatic and more concentrated than 2007, with comparable acidities. Again, better growers are comparing this to 1996 and 2002, but beware all the same – there were problems of mildew and therefore of a lack of maturity with growers unwilling or incapable of treating the vines properly. Interestingly, the best wines seem to come from growers who were happy to stop and start picking as and when each parcelle ripened – and it was notable that Pinard, Bourgeois and Dagueneau (where Didier’s son Benjamin looks to equal his father in his search for quality) were among the first to start picking and the last to finish!

Here in the middle of the Loire, the reds are altogether bigger wines than last year and the best Chinons, Bourgueils and Saumur-Champignys attained fine phenolic maturity, giving deep colour, pulpy ripe fruit and structure. The Malbecs of the Touraine and the Pinots of Sancerre and the central vineyards are also showing promise.

The only exception to this rule is with the Chenins, where the early promise of a truly great sweet wine vintage (you may have seen the photos of passerillage and the start of botrytis I sent out) was wrecked by a month’s rain that started end October just as the grapes were really starting to concentrate – giving some of the lowest degrees in 10 years! That said, and more importantly, the dry barrel-fermented Chenins of Anjou and Saumur have more fruit and purity even than the excellent 07s. And Jacky Blot, our star in the Touraine, rates 2008 as a great vintage for the dry Chenins of Vouvray and Montlouis.

Finally, whatever happens to prices in the UK, this is not the growers’ fault. The vast majority of our producers have again held prices and any increases are due to the combination of a voluntarily low £ to euro exchange rate and to iniquitous increases in duty that make for 44% tax on a £4.99 bottle – and just 16% on a bottle worth £49.99!

Whatever - it’s a good vintage.

Comments and caveats
Although it is tempting to bracket 2007 and 2008 together as both were saved by good weather in September and October, there are significant differences. Rainfall during the summer was generally much lower in 2008 than 2007. It was a ‘dreadful summer’ in Touraine because of it was cool and overcast. Frédéric Mabileau (Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil) reported in August that the dry weather was holding back the veraison.

The 2008 temperatures in September and October were lower than those in 2007. With the cool temperatures during the summer this led to a long, slow ripening for the grapes. One crucial factor in the success of wines from 2008 will be the acidity level and, as Charles and Philippa note, those who waited for ripeness and for the acidity levels to drop, should have made good wine. Additionally for the reds a long maceration may have not been a good idea as the grapes had little juice and a high tannin potential.

Although it is disappointing that the weather at the end of October made it difficult to fulfill the potential promise of the sweet wines, commercially it may not be too bad as it continues to be difficult to sell sweet wines and it is much more important to have a good dry white vintage.

Here are the dates for a series of fêtes that will celebrate the Loire in the summer of 2009. They start on 23rd June @Sully-sur-Loire. Next it will be the turn of Amboise on 27th June when there will be a giant picnic on the bridge. Saumur follows on 4th July and the fourth and final fête will be at Chalonnes-sur-Loire on 9th July. Let’s hope the organisers have better luck than they did this year when the Fête de la Loire at Tours had to be canceled due to the violent storm of 31st May.

Photo from Pierre, Monique and Pierre-Marie Luneau
(Domaine Luneau-Papin) taken during the 2008 harvest.
Pierre is the young man on the left of the photo

(13th December 2008)

Chenin Blanc: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups 11.10.2008

A quick visit to Jacky and Joëlle Blot in Huisseau to pick up a little Rémus 2007 and the recently degorged Triple Zero from the 2007 vintage. Lucklily I had reserved some Rémus 2007 because it sold out within a month of going on sale in October.

A bucket of 2008 Chenin Blanc – a clear illustration
of how variable Chenin's ripeness can be.

Before we tasted the recently released trio, Jacky talked enthusiastically about the quality of the 2008 vintage as well as the 10 new hectares Of Montlouis vineyard that he has acquired, bringing the Taille aux Loups holding up to 45 hectares. Not bad, seeing as Jacky and Joëlle started with seven. Although it is a small harvest, only 25 hl/ha if you strip out the new 10 hectares, which they acquired too late to influence production, so some parcels cropped at over 60 hl/ha. In Bourgeuil volume was even less – just 17 hl/ha.

Jacky: “As in previous years we were the last to pick and to finish picking. Alcoholic degrees varied between 12.8˚ for Pied de la Butte to over 14˚ for mi-pente. We have benefited from the long slow ripening and the cold nights during the summer and autumn.”

We tasted the 2007 version of Triple Zero and the 2006 in magnum – the 2007 richer and more expressive than the 2006.

An so to the trio of 2007s. Rémus is round, lemony with lovely balance, while Clos de la Bretonnière (Vouvray) has quince, a touch of honey and mineral length. However, the real star on the day was the Clos de Venise (Vouvray). From soils with a high proportion of flint, the Clos has weight and greater complexity than the other two. It was so good that we were forced to buy some of the Clos de Venise as well.

As Jacky is convinced that the 2008s dry whites are superior to the 2007s, I fear that next year could be expensive.

(Press release from Benoît Roumet, director of the Bureau du Centre representing the Loire's Central vineyards, on the 2008 vintage. Translation and, quite possibly, comment to follow.)

Parmi les vendanges les moins précoces de ces dix dernières années, 2008 nous offre des vins fruités, vifs et charnus grâce à un été frais mais sec et à une superbe arrière-saison.

La campagne viticole
Le cycle végétatif a commencé par un mois de mai chaud. Les températures ont ensuite été globalement inférieures aux normales saisonnières. Le printemps a été bien arrosé tandis qu’à partir de la formation des raisins, fin juin, les pluies sont devenues régulières mais globalement faibles.

Aussi, les dates des principaux stades végétatifs de la vigne nous ramènent aux années 1980: débourrement vers le 25 avril suivi d’une croissance ininterrompue et régulière, floraison au 20 juin qui se termine en trois jours, véraison entre le 20 et le 25 août. Grâce aux méthodes de suivi, notamment le réseau de parcelles de référence et la modélisation, le mildiou, pourtant très virulent, a été bien maîtrisé avec un nombre moyen d’interventions réduit.

A la vendange, les raisins étaient parfaitement sains. Une sortie de grappes modérée, des orages accompagnés de grêle et de la coulure sont à l’origine d’une récolte plus limitée que celles des années précédentes.

La maturation

C’est sous une rare et bénéfique sécheresse que toute la période de maturation s’est déroulée. Dans sa première phase, elle a été très lente. Puis, elle s’est accélérée avec l’arrivée des brumes et des bruines de début octobre. Les raisins étaient riches en sucres dont la concentration a atteint des valeurs parfois très élevées. Les nuits froides ont empêché la dégradation excessive de l’acide malique. Elles ont aussi permis une évolution favorable des arômes en blanc comme en rouge et renforcé l’accumulation de la couleur dans les rouges.

Les vendanges
Commencées le 22 septembre à Reuilly, les vendanges se sont surtout lancées le 29 septembre sur Quincy et à partir du 2 octobre à Sancerre, Pouilly-sur-Loire, Menetou-Salon, Coteaux du Giennois et Châteaumeillant. La majeure partie des raisins a été récoltée entre le 6 et le 15 octobre et les derniers coups de sécateur ont été donnés vers le 20 octobre. Généralement, les blancs ont été vendangés avant les rouges. Une fois de plus, on a pu constater la sagesse avec laquelle les vignerons ont su attendre l’optimum de chaque parcelle pour vendanger.

Les premières impressions du millésime
Distingués par leurs arômes, les vins ont beaucoup de présence en bouche. Ils montrent du volume et de la puissance. Leur potentiel d’évolution est très bon. Cette année encore, les blancs sont très aromatiques avec toute la gamme en fonction des terroirs. Les odeurs fruitées et florales sont mêlées de notes végétales sans excès, ce qui leur communique beaucoup de finesse. Avec une acidité franche, ils montrent un équilibre gustatif basé sur la fermeté. Grâce à la richesse des raisins, cette vivacité est harmonieusement balancée par une sucrosité et du gras qui emplissent bien la bouche.

On retrouve dans les vins rouges les arômes de fruits rouges et particulièrement de cerise qui étaient déjà marqués sur les moûts. Ils sont complétés par des touches épicées. Leur robe est d’une belle et profonde couleur rubis plus ou moins nuancée de reflets violets. Les tanins sont de qualité. Ils sont mesurés lorsque les extractions ont été douces pour les vins à consommer les premiers; pour les cuvées de grande garde, une macération prolongée conduit à des tanins denses.

Encore quelques mois d’attente et les amateurs pourront découvrir les qualités de ce beau millésime.

A quick phone call this afternoon to Noël Pinguet to catch up on how the vintage has been for him in both Vouvray and Tokaji*.

1999 Clos du Bourg demi-sec:

very early teens. Showing well
August 2008

Noël: “2008 is a small harvest for us in Vouvray – only 23/24 hl/ha. There weren’t many potential grapes to begin with and then, in May, we suffered badly from mildew. Acidity levels are quite high – between 6-8 grams per litre. The majority of our wine will be demi-sec, with a little bit of sec but no moelleux. I’m reminded of 1998 and 2002, although in 2002 we made moelleux. The sec wines will probably have around 10 grams of residual, while the demi-sec will be between 20-25 gms.”

1999 Huet Pétillant

Recently Noël was in Hungary for the end of the harvest in Tokaji and there things were more positive. Noël also revealed their biodynamic plans in Tokaji.

1964 Clos du Bourg Moelleux
Fine - like early 20s – August 2008

Noël: ‘Tokaji has had a good harvest – good grape quality and maturity. The whole range will be made: sec, demi-sec and aszu. Furthermore the volume is normal. Next year seven hectares will be converting to biodynamics. We’ll see how it goes before deciding to convert the rest of the estate. It is certainly the first estate in Tokaji to use biodynamics and may well be the first in Hungary.” How quickly the rest of Kiralyudvar will be converted to biodynamics is likley to depend in part on how the team there adapt to a new way of working.

(*Historical note: Following Gaston Huet’s death in 2002, the Huet family sold out in 2003 to Anthony Hwang, who took a controlling share, with 20% held by Noël Pinguet. Prior to the sale Noël had no share in the domaine, although he has been involved since 1976. The Kiralyudvar estate in Tokaji was revived in 1997 as a joint-venture between Istvan Szepsy and Anthony Hwang. The estate is at Tarcal, some nine kilometres west of the town of Tokaj. Szepsy is no longer involved and Noël now manages Kiralyudvar with Zoltán Demeter acting as technical director and executive winemaker.)

Jean-Martin@the Baudry-Dutour winery in Panzoult

Jean-Martin Dutour: “I’m very happy with the quality but our bank manager isn’t happy about the volume we’ve made this year. It doesn’t take long to do a tour of all the vats! Overall our average yield is 35 hl/ha – on parts of the plain around Cravant it is only 30. We lost 10 hl/ha from the early April frost and then 10 hl/ha like everyone else from other factors during the year such as the drying wind during September and October.

But the quality is very good, although for the moment the acidities are high – there’s a lot of malic. We will have to see what happens once the malolactic fermentation is finished. We started picking around the 4th/5th October and finished on 20th. The grapes’ potential varied between 12% and 14%. Once again this year there has been no need to chaptalise.”

Sign for the tasting room at Cravant-les-Coteaux

I ask Jean-Martin if there is another vintage that 2008 resembles. His response is commendably cautious. “It is really too early to say. It depends upon how far the acidity lessens and softens. High acidity means that the wines will age a long time but won’t necessarily get better as high acidity never softens – take 1986, for example. Certainly the reds are bigger than last year – more structured and with more substance, although I think the 2007s are delicious to drink young.”

Web: Baudry-Dutour

Bertrand Couly: Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly, Chinon

'2008 nous a révélé une très belle surprise, après un été maussade, les superbes mois de Septembre et Octobre avec vent asséchant d’Est et Nord Est ont concentré la récolte.

Le revers de la médaille : une toute petite récolte 30 à 35 hl/ha mais de très belle qualité. Les premières dégustations avant malo révèle des vins surprenants très droits et gourmands.'

The 2008 harvest was a wonderful surprise: after a miserable summer we had a superb September and October with a drying wind from the east – north-east, which concentrated the grapes.

The reverse of the coin is that we have a very small harvest of between 30-35 hl/ha but of very good quality. First impressions before the malo is that the wines are surprising – very precise and delicious.

Web: www.pb-couly.com

Frédéric Mabileau, St Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Bourgueil and Anjou

Thomas Meunier: February 2008

Thomas Meunier (commercial director): “The fine weather held right to the end of the harvest and the grapes were properly mature. We are very happy, although it is a small harvest. Overall the average yield is 37 hl/ha. This compares to 47 hl/ha last year. Unfortunately we will only have a third of normal of Les Rouillères.

The reds already taste round though they have yet to go through the malo and the press wine is delicious. We expect that this will be the first year since 2005 that we have made L’Éclipse, which has just gone into barrel.

As last year we picked the Chenin for the Saumur Blanc in two sweeps through the vineyard. During the first on Saturday 11th October we picked the golden coloured grapes that were around 13% potential. Then we picked again two weeks later we had about 30% with noble rot and between 14.2%-14.5% potential. We are vinifying the same way as last year with 25% in new wood and the rest in tank.”

Web: www.fredericmabileau.com

From the Clos des Molières (?), Jasnières
looking across La Chartre-sur-Loir

Vintage report from Eric Nicolas, Domaine de Bellivière (Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir) written 16th October. They started harvesting on 2nd October and are one of the few Loire producers to be happy with the size of the harvest this year.

'L'année 2008 fait partie des années sèches comme nous en connaissons souvent ces dernières années. Les rythmes s'avèrent désormais différents et les précipitations différemment réparties dans l'année. Il faut s'en méfier mais les prévisions effectuées par les services de météo France sont fiables et permettent de cadrer les travaux et de les planifier. Il en est également ainsi des vendanges. A l'heure plus calme où j'écris, nous venons de finir de rentrer la récolte juste avant l'épisode pluvieux que nous connaissons depuis quelques heures!

Il était temps car les raisins qui n'ont pas vu une goutte d'eau titraient tous entre 13 et 14.2 pour avoir la possibilité de concevoir des vins blancs secs et des rouges frais et fins. Les rouges ont la matière des grands millésimes de Loire, par le potentiel aromatique délicat et par la juste mesure de l'équilibre fraîcheur-tanins. Ils auront la matière pour tenir dans le temps.

Les sensations pour la vendange en blanc sont très proches de celles rencontrées en 2002 avec beaucoup de var+iations dans les aspects des grappes de chenin mûres. L'acidité est restée élevée pour la garde et les variations de maturité donneront des vins complexes.

2008 en volume est une bonne année, sans plus. Ce millésime millimétré, je l'espère, fera date; les premières éffluves fermentaires en cave, très fines, sont de très bon augure...'

Tiles at the Jasnières viewpoint@the top
of the coteaux near L'Homme

'2008 is one of those dry years that we have become used to over the last few years. However, the year’s circles were different and the rain was spread at different times from normal during the year. Unfortunately it is difficult to trust Meteo France’s forecasts enough to help plan our work. It is the same during the vintage. I’m now writing this at a calmer moment after we finished the harvest just before a band of rain that we only had a few hours advance notice.

The grapes had a potential alcohol between 13%-14,2% allowing us to make dry whites and vibrant and fine reds. The reds have the potential for a great Loire vintage with delicate aromas and a fine balance of freshness and tannin. They should age well.

The whites are very similar to 2002 with a lot of variation in the stages of maturity from the ripe Chenin. The acidity levels remain high allowing them to age well. And the variations of maturity will give complex wines.

As far as volume is concerned 2008 is good without being excessive. The juice is now fermenting and the first indications are promising.'

Report on the 2008 vintage from Bernard and Matthieu Baudry. I will provide a translation soon but they cover many of the same 2008 themes that other Loire producers have done. Interestingly they stress that total rainfall met the average for the last 40 years. There was significantly less rain in the Loire during the summer than in Bordeaux, where in mid-August the Médoc vineyards were saturated.

Cravant-les-Coteaux: view across the valley of the Vienne June 2006

Le millésime 2008
Les vendanges 2008 se sont terminées il y a 2 semaines et nous commençons à déguster les premiers jus de ce millésime capricieux…

Petit retour en arrière sur l'année viticole
L'hiver 2007-2008 n'a été ni froid, ni humide, en revanche, il s'est fait sentir jusqu'à la fin Mars. De ce fait, la végétation a démarré tardivement, vers le début du mois d'Avril.

Malheureusement le gel du printemps a affecté une partie du vignoble (10 à 15 %). Une faible sortie de raisins s'annonçait.

L'année se déroulait normalement avec un printemps doux et pluvieux, avec toujours du retard mais dans des conditions climatiques acceptables.

Ensuite nous avons connu un début d'Eté très humide, voire chaud, puis une période de très faible ensoleillement et de températures fraîches.

Les traitements se sont succédés à une cadence infernale pour prévenir et lutter contre le mildiou et l'oïdium, très menaçant dans de telles conditions.

Toutefois, la pluviométrie n'a pas été très importante. Elle représente la moyenne des cumuls climatiques des 40 dernières années mais avec un manque d'ensoleillement jusqu'à fin Août.

Mais le vieil adage du mois de Septembre qui "fait le vin" a bien fonctionné.

A partir du 15 septembre et jusqu'à aujourd'hui, la météo a été très agréable avec des journées quasi-estivales. Les raisins ont pris du sucre malgré des températures encore fraîches et le vent d'Est a concentré les baies.

Nous avons démarré la récolte le 6 Octobre, ce qui est très tardif par rapport aux 6 dernières années, mais nous ne le regrettons pas puisque le soleil ne nous a plus quitté.

Il est un peu tôt pour donner des commentaires de dégustation sur les cuvées 2008 mais elles nous paraissent plus concentrées que 2007, dans un style qui rappelle un peu 2002 dans la Loire…

Seul bémol, les quantités sont à nouveau faibles.

Sincères salutations,
Matthieu et Bernard Baudry

Golden Chenin in a Montlouis vineyard: 11th October 2008

The reports from Stéphane Cossais (posted 28th October), Philippe Germain and Jean-Hubert Lebreton (also posted 28th October) have now been translated. Plus new pic of Catherine Roussel (Clos Roche Blanche) in post of 26th October.

In AC Montlouis near Husseau. The different autumnal colours suggest
that this isn't all Chenin – perhaps some Gamay to make Touraine Rosé?
Also still green areas may have been 'treated' to chemical fertilisers.

Les vendanges sont désormais terminées depuis une semaine; et nous sommes agréablement surpris par la finesse et la richesse des raisins que nous avons pressurés. En effet après l'été en demi teinte que nous avons subi, nous étions peu optimistes. Mais le travail des vignes (effeuillage et ébourgeonnage serré) ainsi que les mois de Séptembre et Octobre ensoleillés, nous ont apporté une vendange saine avec un potentiel de richesse très intéressant: des degrés évoluant entre 12°5 pour les plus faibles et 17° à 17°5 pour les plus concentrés (très peu de pourriture noble mais une concentration importante par passerillage), également la structure ainsi que la texture des jus laissent présager des vins fruités avec un profil de vieillissement intéressant ( des 2002 en plus complexes pour faire un rapprochement avec un millésime récent). Je pense que cette année la gamme des Vouvray évoluera entre les secs tendres et les moelleux avec des profiles très délicats sur la fraicheur et le fruit (des vins de dentelles sans trop de sucrosité).

Didier Champalou: February 2006

We finished the harvest a week ago and are pleasantly surprised by the finesse and the richness of the grapes that we have pressed. After the poor summer we weren’t very optimistic. However, our work in the vines – deleafing and severe debudding as well as the sunny months of September and October gave us a healthy harvest with a very interesting potential: degrees from 12.5˚ at the lowest to 17˚-17.5˚ for the most concentrated. There was very little noble rot this year but had a significant concentration through passerillage (drying through sun and wind). The structure and the texture of the juice indicate that the wines will be fruity with an interesting potential to age. 2002 is the closest similar vintage with perhaps greater complexity. I think this year we will see the range of Vouvray will be from sec-tendre (off-dry) and sweets that are delicate with an emphasis on freshness and fruit – fine wines not too sugary.

2008: Harvesting Cabernet Franc:
photo Yannick Amirault

From: Yannick Amirault, Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas-de-Bourgeuil:

'Effectivement les vendanges se sont très bien passées. Nous avons eu un temps magnifique et le raisin était super.

Début octobre, j'étais inquiet par les acidités très élevées mais qui ont bien baissé à la récolte.
Si on prend uniquement en considération les courbes de degré et d'acidité, nous sommes sur des courbes proches de 1996 et 2002.'

Désormais les fermentations sont terminées et je laisse encore "infuser" sous marc une semaine avant tirage.

Yannick and his son 'unloading' Cabernet Franc
photo Yannick Amirault

Certainly the vintage went very well. We had magnificent weather and the grapes are superb.

At the beginning of October I was worried by the grapes' high acidity but they had dropped considerably by the time we harvested. If you look just at the graphs of alcohol and acidity, we are close to those of 1996 and 2002.

The alcoholic fermentations have finished and I am leaving the wine to 'infuse' on the skins for a week before drawing the wine off.

(8th October 2008)

Vines and the church@Montigny

The first time I met Henry and Cécile Natter was in the early 1990s. I forget the year – possibly 1994 – but it was a cold mid-January with visits in Sancerre with Tim Atkin MW and then I went on alone for a day and half in Pouilly. Henry, whose domaine is at Montigny at the far western end of the Sancerre appellation, was our first visit of the day. It was a cold, misty drive out from our hotel in Sancerre with hoar frost on the vines. The Natters had laid on a magnificent breakfast for us. Unfortunately we hadn’t been warned so we didn’t do the spread the justice it deserved we had already had a very undistinguished breakfast at our hotel. I remember being impressed with the purity and minerality of the wines, so it is strange that I hadn’t been back until this visit. Perhaps it is because the Natters are rather out on a limb in Montigny.

Vines and fields@Montigny

Invited on Monday to come back for lunch on Wednesday we imagined that it would be a simple meal with the harvest team but not a bit of it as, despite the harvest, we had a wonderful full five-course meal with the family – daughter: Matilde, sons: Auguste and Vincent.

The Natter family and their team of workers

Henry and Cécile Natter created the domaine in 1974. They now have 30 hectares including seven owned jointly by Auguste and Matilde. 90% of their production is exported with Europe as their main market. The Natter family are the only vignerons in the little village of Montigny that nestles at the foot of the ridge that carries the main road from Sancerre to Bourges. The Sancerre appellation touches that of Menetou-Salon here, with Menetou to the north of the main road and Sancerre to the south.

Vines on a steep slope@Montigny

Auguste, the eldest son, joined his parents full-time in 2004 having racked up considerable experience in various parts of the wine world: with Paul Culver in South Africa, Newton Vineyards in Napa and three years with Michel Rolland at Chateau Fontenil. Matilde looks after the marketing and communications, while Vincent, who is here for the harvest, is working at Château Vieux Robin in the Médoc.

We started with the crisp and lemony Domaine 2007 with characteristic mineral notes as an aperitif. Overall 2007 is a lovely vintage for fans of Loire wines but may be too austere for some uncommitted drinkers.

Then we drank the rich and concentrated 2006 Cuvée François de la Grange de Montigny Sancerre with the scallops. This cuvée comes from old vines of at least 50 years old. The wine is aged for 12 months in 50 hl wooden foudres and 1987 was the first vintage. Matilde had kindly fetched the scallops from a fishmonger in nearby Veaugues early that morning – and this is in the middle of the harvest! Veaugues is about seven kilometres east of Montigny.

If you have time and are travelling from Bourges to Sancerre, it well worth diverting off the main road just after Saint-Céols into Montigny and taking the much quieter and prettier road through to Veaugues and rejoining the main road just before Bué. This is a lovely drive through a mix of fields, vineyards and forests – particularly attractive with the autumn colours.

Sauvignon Blanc: Montigny

Every so often one of the family would get up from the round table and disappear either to fix the next course or to check on the harvest. “We started yesterday,” said Henry earlier, “and we have made a good start. The degrees are between 12 and 12.5, whereas last week they were at 11-11.5. The yields are fractionally less at 50-55 hl/ha instead of our normal 60. We try not to crop ate below 40 hl/ha as I think this puts the vines out of balance.”

Henry’s father was an English professor at the Sorbonne, who spent some time in Oxford during his son’s formative years. Henry was happy to reminisce about those times – Oxford, the River Cherwell and the Great Train Robbery, although none of us could at the time recall the exact date – August 1963. He recalled this father’s liberal approach to parenting and from the slight frisson around the table I sensed that Henry’s approach with his children had been rather more strict.

Henry also explained that his father was a friend of the father of Alphonse Mellot snr and he talked about the famous Maison de Sancerre in Paris that Mellot founded in the 1950s and which attracted many of the celebrities of the day.

Bell@the domaine

The Natters have four hectares of Pinot Noir. With the fish we drank the quite light but attractive Domaine Sancerre Rouge 2006. This wine straddles the divide between the very light traditional Sancerre reds and the much more structured and concentrated wines that an increasing number of producers are now making. It has a lovely spicy Pinot Noir character and rather more weight than you initially imagine. Their top red is a selection of the best juice and is called L’Enchantment – we were served the rich and soft 2005.

Henry Natter vines overlooking the village of Montigny

After lunch we went with Cécile and Henry on a brief tour of the vines up to the top of the ridge overlooking the village. “We are a little bit higher than Sancerre here,” explained Cécile. “Flowering usually occurs at the same time as Sancerre, while budbreak can be a little bit earlier. However, Sancerre is a bit warmer and the harvest here tends to be a week to ten days later – except in the exceptionally hot 2003 vintage when we harvested at the same time.”

If you are looking for a Sancerre producer to visit, who is off the main tourist drag, Domaine Henry Natter is cartainly one to try but you need to phone or email in advance. Open Monday to Friday.

Domaine Henry Natter, 4 Place de l'Eglise, 18250 Montigny
Tel: 02.48.69.58.85
Email: info@henrynatter.com
Web: www.henrynatter.com

(8th October 2008)

Report on our visit to Alphonse Mellot has been added to the Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Touraine posting (8th October 2008) plus a brief visit to Henry Pellé and to Henry Marionnet in Touraine. Visit to Henry Natter will a separate posting.