Some photos of the 2011 vintage@Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin kindly sent by Marie Chartier. Understandably she chose shots of the good 2011 grapes with none of the 30% of rotten ones that had to be discarded. See report here.  

 Very special pruning system found only in Le Landreau

 Pickers relaxing in one of the cru vineyards@La Chapelle-Heulin

 A trailer of Melon de Bourgogne

Pierre-Marie Luneau

Pays Nantais

The ban des vendanges was on Wednesday 24th August. La famille Luneau (Domaine Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine: Pierre, Monique, Pierre-Marie and Marie) will be starting at 8am on 30th August.

Anjou-Saumur

Picking the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the Crémant de Loire, Anjou and Saumur Mousseux started on Tuesday 24th August.

Touraine

Big thunderstorm in the Cher Valley overnight. Lots of lightning with flashes continuing for a couple of hours. Some 15 mm (0.6 inches) rain recorded in Epeigné-les-Bois. More rain further east in the Cher – around 23/25mm at Mareuil, 32mm at Noyers-sur-Cher but only 15mm at Thésée and 9 at Saint-Julien-de Chédon. May well not be good news for the Gamay that tends to act like a sponge sucking up water and diluting the juice. A few showers continuing this morning, which feels decidedly autumnal. Fortunately the forecast for the next few days is better – sun and cloud and around 20˚C.

Jacky Blot's team (Domaine de la Taille aux Loups) carried out their first maturity checks on their grapes in Montlouis and Vouvray yesterday. I tasted the domaine's 2010s – Rémus and Clos Michet (Montlouis); Clos de la Bretonnière and Clos de Venise (Vouvray) that will be bottled in the next fortnight. All four cuvées looking very good – more akin to 2008 with precision and minerality than the richer 2009s.

Central Vineyards

Picking due to start in Reuilly and Quincy next week with Sancerre and Pouilly the following week – beginning of September.

2007 SuaVignon, Domaines des Maisons Brulées, Beatrice and Michel Augé

Renaissance

Excellent Sauvignon Blanc (VDT Français) from the biodynamic Domaine des Maisons Brulées in Pouillé with all the definition and precision you associate with 2007 with the the leaness and sharp acidity that some have.

 

Stéphane Bernardeau being interrogated by the Wine Detective

Fine Chenins again from Stephané and Richard at the Renaissance tasting.

Richard Leroy

Mark Angeli trying out his Tony Blair look – hasn't got the Blair wonky eye right yet

Another shot of Sébastien David modelling his ultra-chic range of decanters

Salon

Couple of fine Muscadets
Respecting a long tradition I started the Salon by tasting Pierre Luneau (Domaine Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine) starting with the latest vintage – 2010, which is already showing well with a combination of weight of fruit plus minerality. A sso often the future Clos des Allées was a favourite.

Rather disappointingly the Luneaus' fridge was better regulated than usual so the wines were at the correct temperature for tasting, so no chance to enjoy their famous Muscadet glacé. 

   

Terre de Pierre, Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine, Domaine Luneau-Papin 

Not sure what vintage the above Terre de Pierre is – could be either the 2009 or the 2008 as I tasted both. Anyway this comes from the vineyard (Butte de la Roche) belonging to Pierre-Marie Luneau, which overlooks the Marais de Goulaine. The 2009 is richer with more concentration and some minerality in the finish. In contrast the 2008 is leaner, more precise but austere at present but it has good length and may well keep longer, although production was small due to the April frost so the number of bottles will be severely limited.

Label above must have been for the 2009...

Next stop after the Luneaus was Gadais Père et Fils (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine) starting with their easy drinking 2010 Emotion, which is already in bottle. Of the five wines I tasted here the stand-out was the very fine 2009 Vieilles Vignes. Beautifully balanced it is delicious to drink now but will surely age well over the next five years or more.