30 September 2009
Jérôme Choblet and his young family tasting 2009 juice before it has started fermentingHaving seen two producers in the Sèvre-Maine AC – Bernard Chereau (Château de Chasseloir) and Pierre, Monique, Pierre-Marie and Marie Luneau (Domaine Luneau-Papin) not forgetting Domaine de Topaze – we headed across to Bouaye to see Luc and Jérôme Choblet. Like Bernard and Pierre, they were both thrilled and exciting by the quality of the vintage – not surprising after the misery of last year's frost.
Jérôme Choblet: "The quality is extraordinary and as well we have a normal yield for the first time since 2005 – the last three years have been very difficult. We have finished the Melon de Bourgogne. Nothing came in under 11.5% potential and most of the crop has been around 12% potential. Acidity is between 3.5g-3.8g. We have 55hl/ha for the Melon and 65hl/ha for the Chardonnay vins de pays. We'll finish the Chardonnay tomorrow morning. It's been coming in at 12.96%-13.30% with the acidity between 4.2-4.4g.
Luc Choblet grins as he reverses one of the last trailer loads of Chardonnay towards the winery
Tasting the juice of both the Chardonnay and the Melon showed both to be impressively rich, clean but with good freshness in the finish. Indeed very like all the juice that I have so far tasted in various parts of the Loire over the past week.
Driving away from Bouaye towards our chambres d'hôtes in Monnières the exterior temperature at 6.20pm was still 24.5˚C – quite extraordinary!
(to be finished)
Jérôme Choblet: "The quality is extraordinary and as well we have a normal yield for the first time since 2005 – the last three years have been very difficult. We have finished the Melon de Bourgogne. Nothing came in under 11.5% potential and most of the crop has been around 12% potential. Acidity is between 3.5g-3.8g. We have 55hl/ha for the Melon and 65hl/ha for the Chardonnay vins de pays. We'll finish the Chardonnay tomorrow morning. It's been coming in at 12.96%-13.30% with the acidity between 4.2-4.4g.
Luc Choblet grins as he reverses one of the last trailer loads of Chardonnay towards the wineryTasting the juice of both the Chardonnay and the Melon showed both to be impressively rich, clean but with good freshness in the finish. Indeed very like all the juice that I have so far tasted in various parts of the Loire over the past week.
Driving away from Bouaye towards our chambres d'hôtes in Monnières the exterior temperature at 6.20pm was still 24.5˚C – quite extraordinary!
(to be finished)
