Evening light on Château de Brissac

It was a beautiful late summer's afternoon last Tuesday in Anjou and the last day of August. Here are some photos from that visit, which included a tour of the vines of Domaine de Bablut with Christophe Daviau to see how the grapes were looking, although there is still another 20 days or so before tpicking will start with the early varieties.

Sign for the small river L'Aubance which in the right conditions provides enough morning moisture in the autumn to provoke noble rot

The peaceful L'Aubance

Bablut Chardonnay to be used for Crémant de Loire

The varying colours of Cabernet Franc showing the extended véraison which is characteristic of the Franc – notice the pinker grapes at the top of the bunch

Cabernet Sauvignon: in contrast to the Franc the véraison in CS is much more uniform and quick, although the Cabernet Sauvignon will be ripe later. The véraison for the two varieties usually occurs around the same time.

Bablut: Grolleau for Rose de Loire

More Grolleau

Looking through the vines towards the small town of Brissac and its château to the right

Brissac-Quincé

The market town of Brissac-Quincé is both the centre of the Coteaux de l' Aubance and can add its name to Anjou Villages as this is considered to be the best area for Anjou Villages. This is not to say that individual producers of Anjou-Villages from elswhere in Anjou do not make equally good wines – Vincent Ogereau and Claude Papin to mention but two.

Château de Brissac

A quick call this evening to Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut, to find out how the vintage is progressing. The Daviau family have been at the Bablut in the market town of Brissac since 1546 – an estate agent’s nightmare!

Christophe: “We are still harvesting. We have finished the Cabernet Sauvignon – the last grapes were picked on Friday. The Cabernet Sauvignon was very ripe including the pips and skins and this year is much more evenly ripe than the Cabernet Franc, which is decidedly variable. I expect that there will be a 2008 Rocca Nigra (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) but am less sure about whether we will release a Petra Alba (Cabernet Franc on calcaire – limestone) in 2008. As usual the Cabernet Franc on calcaire is later in ripening.

Cabernet Sauvignon vines@Brissac
overlooking the L'Aubance Valley

“There is still not much juice in the grapes. Yields are about two thirds of what I had anticipated – about 25-30 h/ha for the Cabernet Sauvignon.”

“We didn’t pick this morning as there was a little rain but I expect we will start picking the Cabernet Franc tomorrow morning and finish on Friday. We picked the Chenin for the Anjou Blanc on Thursday and Friday of last week. It was a good thing we did as noble rot really developed over Saturday and Sunday. As for the Coteaux de l’Aubance I expect that we will begin on Friday and we’ll pick Monday and Tuesday – the forecast is good until Wednesday. Noble rot is now developing. I might release a little Grandpierre (Christophe’s single vineyard L’Aubance, which has a wonderfully mineral character, but there will be very little as the parcel was frosted.

It’s is a problem getting some of the grapes fully phonologically ripe as most of the leaves have now fallen off – because the vines started to anticipate winter early due to the cool temperatures in August. Also, of course, the vintage is later than in recent years.”