Elegantly attired picker: Mi-Pente, Domaine de la Butte
We did a quick sweep through Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny yesterday to see how the 2010 Cabernet Francs are looking. We were lucky to have a glorious autumn day with temperatures up to 25 – a considerable relief after miserable weather from Monday to Wednesday.
My overall impression is that the reds have held up a lot better to the rains of late September than the Chenin has in Montlouis and Vouvray, although there are worries that it is starting to get a hold. Some growers fear that it will spread quickly especially with the warm weather. However, the grapes we saw yesterday whether on the vines or just picked look healthy and tasted ripe. It is likely that there will be variations in ripeness depending on type of soil, cultivation and the amount of grapes.
Cabernet Franc: Mi-Pente, Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil
Separate reports to follow on Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny.
