2005 Chardonnay, Les Pénitents, Alphonse Mellot

On Sunday we had a small gathering of friends to mark late August. Among the bottles we put on the table were a couple of the 2005 Chardonnay, vin de pays des Coteaux Charitois, from Alphonse Mellot. We left people to help themselves. I was surprised that several friends remarked that they were taken aback that this was a Chardonnay. Used to big, oaky, blowsy Chardonnays from Australia, Chile etc. they didn't recognise this much fresher style as coming from the same grape variety, which they normally don't like.

2005 was the Mellots first vintage from the Coteaux Charitois having bought the vineyards that year from the consortium that developed the vineyards at Chasnay near La Charité. Initially quite successful the consortium ran into problems with frequent changes of winemaker and slow sales.

Of course it isn't really a surprise that this Chardonnay is very different from rich versions from hotter climes as Chasnay is only 100km from Chablis.      

This is the only stage in this edition to pass anywhere near to the Loire and is a ride deep into rural France – a part that I don't know at all well. I suspect that this is also true for many French people, too. The route will run to the east of La Loire and parallel to the river. It will not pass through any Loire vineyards.

The riders will leave the flat plains of Northern France behind. Although the course is officially described by Le Tour de France website as being flat in reality it is undulating – continuously up and down although no serious climbs only three 4th category climbs. The route skirts the hilly Morvan, possibly best known as the political home of late President, François Mitterrand, who was the Maire of Château-Chinon for many years.   

The closest vineyards to the race route are the Coteau du Giennois and the Coteaux Charitois, which will be to the west of the riders, while those of Chablis and the Yonne will not be far away on the eastern side.

At 227.5 kilometres this is the longest stage and will be very hot with temperatures forecast around 33-34˚C for much of the stage.

The chances are that this will again be a bunch sprint with Mark Cavendish looking to repeat yesterday's success. Tomorrow will be the Alps, so this will be the last chance for the sprinters for several days. It is likely that the breakaway will be allowed to allow to stay away for much of the day to be swallowed up a few kilometres from the finish.

The stage finishes not far from Charolles – famous for its beef cattle.

David McDuff has a special daily posting on the Tour on his blog. For Stage 6 he kindly invited me to be the guest writer. Click here.

Serge Dagueneau et Filles are best known for their Pouilly-Fumé from Les Berthiers, Saint-Andelain. However they also have 1.5 ha of vines in the Coteaux Charitois at Saint-Lay. Some 30 years ago Serge planted a number of different varieties there including Pinot Noir – he wanted some red wine. They also have some Pinot Beurot, a synonym for Pinot Gris, planted there.

The 2008 has attractive red fruits and is delicious and easy to drink now – another example of the lighter, but not weedy, Loire Pinot Noir that drinks very well when it is young. Not sure that there is much point is keeping it – better to enjoy the fruit while it is young. A good match with fish. Serve slightly chilled during the summer.