Day trip to Paris for Vignobles & Signatures 25th anniversary tasting

Restaurant Laurent on the Avenue Gabriel just off the Champs-Élysées

There are 16 family estates in V&S from all over France: Paul Blanck et Fils (Alsace), Champagne Drappier from the Aube, Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Domaine de l'Hortus (Pic Saint-Loup), Château de Tracy (Pouilly-Fumé), Domaine Cauhapé (Jurançon), Jean Durup et Fils (Chablis), Guilbaud Frères (Muscadet), Domaine Rolet (Arbois), Joseph Janoueix (Saint-Emilion), Couly-Dutheil (Chinon), Saint André de Figuière, Antonin Guyon (Burgundy) and Louis Tête (Beaujolais).

From time to time it is good to have a respite from the daily grind of wine writing and enjoy a treat. Today was one such occasion – a day trip to Paris on the Eurostar even if it did mean getting up around 5.20am to catch the 7.25am from Saint-Pancras International – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Vignobles & Signatures – Les Club des Grands Domaines at the Restaurant Laurent.

Restaurant Laurent: part of its wedding cake construction

The train pulled into Paris' Gare du Nord just before 11am and I took the Metro to Place de la Concorde. It was a lovely, sunny autumnal day and I enjoyed the short stroll up the Avenue Gabriel to the Restaurant Laurent, which is a glorious wedding-cake confection.

Soon after I arrived it was time for the photographer to take the group photo to mark the 25th anniversary, so I caught a quick shot of the photographer and Pascal Guilbaud, president of the association trying to get the group into the required order.

Detail from above photo: President Pascal Guilbaud (brown jacket) getting stick from Jean-Paul Durup (left) and Jacques Couly

Representing the three Loire domaines in V&S were Jacques Couly, Comte Henry d'Assay (Château de Tracy) and Pascal Guilbaud. It was particularly good to see Pascal again as I haven't seen or spoken to him for a good couple of years – he has been absent from the Salon des Vins de Loire recently but will be back for the 2010 edition.

A happy Pascal Guilbaud reflecting on the fine 2009 Muscadet vintage – qualité et quantité aux rendez-vous

Pascal with the 2008 Soleil Nantais, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

Some latest harvest news:
Henry d'Assay: "For 2009 the quality is good with potential degrees between 13%-15% but because of hail for the second year running it's a small vintage – only 1000hls against an average of 1500hl and 1900hl in a big vintage."

Jacques Couly: "It's nearly complete. We will finish in the next few days. We were right to hold off picking: there's been very little rot and just on the flat ground. The degrees haven't risen very much recently. For the Cabernet Franc our average yield is between 45-47hl/ha."

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Tomorrow I will post on the wines tasted and served with the excellent lunch. The whole occasion brilliantly organised by Christine Ontivèro, who is the only person I know who can make producers throughout France stick to a programme achieved by a blend of charm and judicious and timely dose of terror.