Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé)

Christophe (5.9.11): "We started picking our Chardonnay for the Crémant today. Later this week we'll pick the Sauvignon and the Grolleau. The Grolleau is around 11% potential alc. and part will be used for the Rosé de Loire and part for Topette (Christophe's fresh, easy drinking red closed with a screwcap). The Sauvignon is at around 12.4% potential alcohol with 5.2-5.4 acidity. Then early next week we'll pick the Chenin and Cabernet Franc for the Crémant.  

"It has been a really bizarre year with a lot of rain during the early part of the winter until January and then very dry after that until July. Hot and summery in April, May and the early part of June. Cold and unsettled in July and August with the occasional heat spike, especially around 18th-22nd August.

"There's no panic to pick – it is only early September. We'll pick the early varieties and then wait for the Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the still wines. The Chenin and the Cabernet Sauvignon are looking good, while the Cabernet Franc (on limestone for Petra Alba) is more complicated. The flowering was very drawn out and the last Franc berries only changed colour at the end of August. I will wait until the Franc is really ripe – end of September beginning of October. Planted on limestone Franc resists rain weather as the limestone acts as a sponge and the grapes don't take up the rainwater." 

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Christophe's Coteaux de l'Aubance was recently selected by Biocoop – see video here. 

 

Domaine de Bablut bunch of grapes concentrating


Small bunch of Chenin with morning dew

Mechanically harvesting Cabernet Franc

Château d'Avrille (Biotteau family)

Haute-Perche vineyard with high rise buildings of Angers in distance

Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut)

Saturday April 23rd, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th: Portes Ouvertes  Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé

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Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May: Ampelidæ, Manoir de Lavauguyot, 86380 Marigny-Brizay

2002 Chinon Blanc, Christophe Baudry

Time for a round up of recent bottles starting with this very attractive 2002 Chinon Blanc from Christophe Baudry, which must have been made prior to the tie up with Domaine de la Roncée and the founding of Baudry-Dutour. Nicely evolved with honey and tufa (the aromas of a dry, clean limestone cellar), this has the typical balance of the 2002 vintage. Enjoyed it as an apéro over several nights and if anything it got better and fuller with time. 

2007 Les Millerands, Côte Roannaise, Domaine Robert Sérol

Two reds from Domaine Robert Sérol that I visited last August. The 2008 Cuvée Troigros (name of the famous 3-star Michelin restaurant in nearby Roanne) is a typical easy drinking Gamay, which can be drunk on its own or with a light lunch. Rather mistakenly I tried with a magret de canard and as I should have realised it was too light for the duck. Les Millerands, even though it was a 2007, would have been better as it has more structure but we had opened that a couple of nights previously with cold chicken – a good match.

2008 Cuvée Troigros, Domaine Robert Sérol

 

2008 Touraine Sauvignon, Antoine Simoneau

Antoine Simoneau is a family estate in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. This 2008 has a few grams of residual sugar that rounds the wine out making attractive and easy to drink with ripe grassy and goseberry scents.The domaines whites tend to be more successful than the reds. Unfortuntaely there is a reliance on the use of weedkillers, which in some vineyards with a slight slope causes some erosion. It would be good to see a reduction in their use.    

 

2003 Anjou Villages, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau 

Domaine de Bablut in Brissac-Quincé is biodynamic and this rich and powerful 2003 is very typical of this heatwave vintage. Lot of concentrated black fruits giving the impression of coming from somewhere well to the south of the Loire. Still very much on good form and looks to be good for a number more years.

 Christophe and Lindsay Oram assessing the reds

Last night Christophe Daviau of Domaine de Bablut in Brissac-Quince opened the RSJ Restaurant's 30th anniversary celebrations with a tasting dinner attended by around 40 people.

The apertif was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, a Vin de Pays Val du Loire. Not yet bottled it was the first opportunity to most present to taste a 2009 from the Loire. It is softly fruited with some of the richness that will become associated with the 2009 vintage. Due to be bottled at the end of this month. 

Then three Anjou whites from Chenin Blanc:

                2008 Petit Princé, Anjou Blanc
                2005 Ordovicien, Anjou Blanc
                1989 Anjou Blanc (from the same vineyards as Ordovicien)

Petit Princé comes from the Haute-Perche where it is flatter and there is more clay. It is vinified in stainless steel. The 2008 has the wonderful, fresh fruit precision that is typical of this vintage. Ordovicien comes from vines planted on a slope on sandstone and slate. This is vinified in barrique and is a richer style of wine – in part because it is 2005 (a rich vintage) but also because the wines from this vineyarid is richer due to its soil and geology. Christophe says that the acidity level in both wine is roughly the same with the 2008 slightly higher. However, when tasting the two side by side, you certainly have the impression that the 2008 has considerably more acidity. It is the 2005 richness  that masks it.

The golden coloured 1989 was very interesting as initially it had quite a maderised nose but with time in the glass this dissipated leaving a full bodied, powerful and complex wine.     

These wines were served with the first course:

Poached organic salmon and leek tartlet, cuncumber and rocket salad, salmon caviar beurre blanc

The 2008 Petit Princé was clearly the preferred wine without food, while the 2005 Ordovicien became the most popular by a small margin from the Petit Princé with the salmon tartlet.

The reds: 

               2007 Petra Alba, Anjou Villages Brissac
               100% Cabernet Franc from vines on clay and limestone
               2005 Petra Alba, Anjou Villages Brissac
               2005 Rocca Nigra, Anjou Villages Brissac
               100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines on schist

Christophe explained thr logic behind planting the Cabernet Franc on limestone and the Cabernet Sauvignon on imprevious rocks – schist, slate and sandstone. Franc needs regular water, which the sponge like nature of the limestone, can provide. It suffers in very dry years like 2005 when  the region had been dry through 2003 and 2004. In contrast Cabernet Sauvignon likes dry conditions and reacts badly to wet soils, so is well suited to the imprevious rocky soils that do not retain water. The CS was much more at the ease in the drought conditions of 2005 than the Franc.

Served with:

Roast saddle of English lamb, carrots, broccoli, roast new potatoes, lamb jus

With the delicious lamb I thought the 2005 Petra Alba was probably the best match as the 2005 Rocca Nigra was impressive but tended to dominate. 

The sweets:

Christophe is an acknowledged expert on sweet wines and the stages that Chenin Balnc goes through as botrytis takes a hold. These two wines from 2005 are fine examples of Christophe's skill.

                2005 Aubance Selection Coteaux de l'Aubance 

                2005 Grandpierre Coteaux de l'Aubance

The Selection is the entry level cuvée picked with a lower level of botrytis and so less sweet. This style is more versatile than some of the very rich styles from the L'Aubance or the Layon. It works well as an aperitif or a range of dishes such as rich chicken and pork recipes, patés and blue cheese. Grandpierre is very often my favourite sweet wine from Christophe – he also makes a Vin Noble in very good vintages. Grandpierre has a lovely balance of richness and minerality.

Served with:

               Beenleigh Blue

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               Caramelised apple and hazelnut pudding

 

2008 winning drinks book Ciderlands by James Crowden

I've a busy week ahead starting with the presentation of the 2009 André Simon Awards tomorrow night. These annual awards are for the best food book and the best drinks book. Details here. Results should be up on Jim's Loire on Tuesday.

 

Christophe Daviau

Then the following night Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé in Anjou) will be presenting a selection of his wines during a tasting-dinner at the RSJ Restaurant. There are still a few places left, so for reservations call Tom King on 020-7928 4554.   

Then Wednesday it's the big 'France under One Roof tasting – still if French wine sales in the UK continue to drop dramtically it will soon be France in a telephone kiosk! From a quick look at the catalogue there will be some intersting things to taste particularly from Les Caves de Pyrène and also a chance to see how the Domaine Fouassier wines are coming along as the estate is in coversion to biodynamics. There are also the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Ambassadors. Otherwise the Loire offering is mainly from the larger companies, so this will be a good opportunity to taste them without the distraction of being lured away to try wines from interesting small producers.

17th October 2009

2003 Anjou Villages Brissac, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau
1990 Anjou Villages Domaine Vincent Ogereau

Having started our Saturday evening with the 1982 Roche aux Moines, Savennières from Château de Chamboreau followed by a interlude provided by a bottle of Jacky Blot's Triple Zero, we moved onto a couple of Anjou Villages wines, which both showed extremely well.

2003 Anjou Villages Brissac, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau

Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, this has all the power and richness of a 2003 – sweet black fruits, soft but powerful structure, length and a lower level of acidity than is normally customary in an Anjou Villages. There are some that maintain that the 2003s will not last. As yet this shows no signs of tiring and I think it is likely that this 2003 will develop further.



1990 Anjou Villages Domaine Ogereau, Vincent and Catherine Ogereau
This was a real delight – a fine mature bottle showing at its best with soft, silky prune and figgy fruit, fully integrated tannins. 1990 is another vintage that has been attractive from its youth but yet has stayed the course. I'm not sure that this will develop further but it should happily last for at least another five years would be my guess. Probably made from 100% Cabernet Franc but may have had a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon as this was before the Ogereau's bottled their Cabernet Sauvignon separately.

It would be interesting to taste these blind against some good Bordeaux and see how they fared. They are certainly more reasonably priced.

16th October 2009

Ripe enough to pick?

Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut) showed me how to check to see whether the Cabernet Franc on argile calcere destined for his Petra Alba cuvée was ripe enough to pick. The days of relying just on a refractometer that tells you the potential alcohol are now well past. We walked up a row selecting single grapes as we went and separated the sweet pulp from the skins and the pips.

When you have a palm full you chew the skins as though it is chewing gum. Is it bitter? How tannic? Is it green? Then you chew the pips. Amongst my pips a few were green but most were turning brown. Naturally they were quite tannic but it took a while for the tannin to become apparent and it wasn't excessively bitter. I had no reference point as this was my first experience of chewing a handful of pips but Christophe said that compared to a week ago both the pips and skins are much riper. They are likely to pick these by hand on Monday. Next I tried a grapillon (an unripe third generation grape). This was noticeably less ripe – green and sharp – and the pips immediately bitter and tannic. This bitterness lasted much longer in the mouth than the earlier handful of pips.

Harvesting Cabernet Franc for Anjou Villages

Emptying harvested Cabernet Franc into a trailer

Anjou Villages vineyards near Brissac

Botrytis developing: some raisins dorée and pourri plein (purple grapes). Skins are very thin and fragile at this stage

Christophe Daviau looking at his Chenin in the Grandpierre vineyard

Spent a fascinating morning with Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut) looking at his Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc that is yet to be picked.

We started with in Chenin in his Grandpierre vineyard that produces a very characterful and mineral sweet wine – a favourite of mine. Christophe has already done a tri here. Not enough of the bunches are ready for a second tri, although they might be ready for Monday if rain is still threatened for Tuesday. Once the botrytis gets established, it can develop very quickly given the right conditions.

Christophe explaining Chenin Blanc and the stages of botrytis developing

Bit further along plus some sundried berries

Well spread out bunches allowing the air to circulate around them (above and below)


Still needs a little more time to the botrytis to develop and the sugars to concentrate

A bunch of Chenin Blanc tends to have big variations of maturity – here some golden grapes others becoming shrivelled and raisin like

The main focus of this tasting held at the RSJ Restaurant, London SE1 (tel: 020-7928 4554) was on Sauvignon Blanc away from the classics of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, VDP du Val de Loire, Domaine de Bablut

Aperitif: 2007 Sauvignon Blanc VDP Val du Loire, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau

There was a welcome glass of Christophe Daviau’s Sauvignon Blanc. Coming from the western part of the Loire in Anjou this tends to be richer, rounder with an accent on tropical fruit – certainly less citric and mineral than the examples from Touraine and the Central Vineyards.

As we were a small group this evening we all sat around one large table in the basement of the RSJ. This was certainly a format that worked well on the evening with people feeling that they were able to contribute more easily to the discussion than when we have larger numbers. It may well be that this is an alternative format that we can offer from time to time, although the price may have to be a little higher to cover costs.

We started with three wines served blind. Not with the intention to challenge people to identify the wines but to answer one question – which of the three wines do you prefer.

2007 Les Pierris, Sancerre, Roger Champault et Fils

The three wines served blind:

2007 Les Pierris, Sancerre, Roger Champault et fils
The Sancerre had attractive weight and richness with the wine benefiting from a year in bottle.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc, AC Touraine, Domaine Sauvète
This was quite aggressively catty aromatically – some tasters also smelt elderflower – with a lean and lemony palate.

2008 Le Petiot, AC Touraine Sauvignon, Vincent Ricard
A little more concentration and weight than the previous wine with grapefruit flavours.

Of the three wines there was a preference by one vote for Le Petiot followed by the Sancerre and only one supporter of the Sauvète. All of the 2008s in the tasting are likely to take on more weight over the next three to six months. Most of them have only been in bottle for a short time.

•••

Then we served the next three with the first course.

2008 Clos Roussely, AC Touraine Sauvignon, Vincent Roussely
This turned out to be the favourite Sauvignon Blanc of the evening with good richness balanced by a clean, grapefruit finish. This further confirms that Vincent is making some very good wines.

2008 Touraine Sauvignon No2, Clos Roche Blanche
Although well-balanced this has softer acidity than the other Sauvignons having gone through a malolactic fermentation.

2007 Quincy, Domaine des Ballandors
Once again we could see the benefit of a year in bottle giving the wine additional weight and texture with a refreshing citric finish.

First course: Goats cheese, asparagus and red onion tartlet

The voting showed the Clos Roussely as the clear favourite, followed at a distance by the Quincy and then the Clos Roche Blanche. However, there was a general feeling that these three wines found it difficult against the sweetness of the red onion.

•••

We paired two Sauvignon with the main course.

2007 Oneiros Domaine Sauvète and 2008 Trois Chênes, Vinccent Ricard

2007 Oneiros, Touraine Sauvignon, Domaine Sauvète
Oneiros is a step up in the Sauvète range from the straight Touraine Sauvignon. It has attractive gooseberry flavours and some richness.

2008 Les Trois Chênes, AC Touraine Sauvignon, Vincent Ricard
Recently bottled this needs time to open up, although concentration is apparent along with a mineral finish.

Main course: roast organic salmon, samphire, pink fir potato, roast courgettes and beurre blanc.

In the voting Les Trois Chênes was the clear favourite with several fence sitters in this round.

2008 Canaille, Gamay, AC Touraine, Vincent Roussely

Also tried with dinner 2008 Canaille, Touraine Gamay, Vincent Roussely. One of our frequent tasters remarked that a light red would be good with the salmon. By luck we had a bottle of Vincent’s Gamay that we had opened earlier to taste, so we were able to put this suggestion to the test. Indeed Vincent’s juicy, brightly red fruited and spicy Gamay went well with the salmon.

Dessert; iced ginger parfait, poached pear, chocolate sauce and almonds

Conclusions?: That you don't have to stick with the established classics from the Central Loire and that there are some very good producers in Cher Valley with Vincent Roussely and Vincent Ricard being particulalry commended. Like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, these wines often benefit from some time in bottle to gain more weight. The VDP Sauvignon from Domaine de Bablut was also popular.

Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut, with some very young wine from the 2007 vintage

La Grande Maison blog has reports on this weekend’s Portes Ouvertes (11th-13th) at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac-Quincé and reviews of three of their favourite restaurants. These are Auberge Bienvenue in Doué-la-Fontaine, Le Pot de Lapin in Saumur and La Reserve in Amboise. As readers of Jim's Loire will know Le Pot de Lapin is a firm favourite but I haven't yet tried the other two.

Vignobles Daviau, Domaine de Bablut, 49320 Brissac-Quincé.
Tel: 02.41.91.22.59
Email: daviau.contact@wanadoo.fr
Site: http://www.vignobles-daviau.fr/

La Reserve, Amboise

Auberge Bienvenue, 104 Route de Cholet, 49700 Doué-la-Fontaine. Tel: 02.41.59.22.44
www.aubergebienvenue.com/accueil.htm

Le Pot de Lapin, Les Ardilliers, 35-37 Rue Rabelais, 49400 Saumur
Tel: 02 41 67 12 86

La Réserve, 28 place Michel Debré, 37400 Amboise
Tel : 02.47.57.97.96
Email: la.reserve.amboise@orange.fr

•••

Other items of news
Chisseaux: new market on Wednesday mornings
Chisseaux, one of a string of villages beginning with C on the north side of the Cher, now has a market on Wednesday morning. The village is between Chenonceaux and Montrichard on the D40, which becomes the D176 once you move into Loir-et-Cher at Chissay.

Portes Ouvertes
9th-10th Mai 2009 (10.00-18.00): Domaine Joël Delaunay, 48 Rue de la Tesnière, 41110 Pouillé
Tel: 02.54.71.45.59
Email: contact@joeldelaunay.com
Site: www,joeldelaunay.com

Le tasting room blog has an interesting report on the Distillery Combier in Saumur.
letastingroom.blogspot.com/2009/04/distillerie-combier.html

31 January 2009

Christophe in serious mood during the harvest@end of September 2008

It is just a short drive from Domaine des Rochelles in Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets across country to Domaine de Bablut (Vignobles Daviau) on the western edge of Brissac-Quincé – the venue for our last visit of the day with Christophe Daviau. The Daviau family have been growing vines here since 1546. They were also millers. Apparently Bablut means two windmills in old French and there still is an old mill on the property, now used a tasting room. At the end of the 19th century the family ceased to be millers and concentrated on vines and wine.

Christophe studied in Bordeaux and then worked for 18 months in Australia. I first met Christophe in September 1989, soon after he had returned to Bablut to take over the reins from his father, Jean-Pierre. Bablut has around 80 hectares, which have been farmed organically since 1996.

Our tasting on 31 January started with the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (VDP) – still in tank and due to be bottled in March, which has attractive grassy and gooseberry flavours.

Then on to the mineral 2008 Petit Princé – one of two Anjou Blancs Christophe makes. This is the junior wine, which comes from the well-ventilated plateau at Haut-Perche. Grandpierre, Christophe’s wonderfully minerally and balanced Coteaux de l’Aubance, also comes from this area. Petit Princé is fermented and aged in stainless steel. It matures on its lees, which are frequently stirred to give the wine additional weight. The 2008 will be bottled in June/July of this year.

Ordovicien is the ‘grand vin’ blanc sec and comes from vineyards on schisteous soils. Vinified and matured in barriques, Ordovicien is bottled after 18 months. The 2008 is still fermenting but has a promisingly rich structure. The long and slightly buttery 2007 is due to be bottled at Easter.

The 2008 Rosé de Loire at 11.5% alcohol was attractively light and fruity. Now made from 100% Grolleau, this used to be a blend with 30% Cabernet. Until recently the Rosé de Loire regulations required a proportion of Cabernet. Fortunately this has now been dropped and there are no minimum or maximum requirements as far as the permitted varieties (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis, Gamay and Côt) are concerned. Previously a number of Rosé de Loire producers used to ignore the rules, saving their Cabernet for either their red or Cabernet d’Anjou.

The dense, black-fruited 2007 Anjou-Villages-Brissac (70% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) is still in tank as is the 2007 Petra Alba (100% Cabernet Franc, grown on limestone), which is remarkably concentrated with soft tannins after 70 days of maceration. Bottling is due in March.

We discussed best drinking times for the recent vintages and Christophe suggested that it would be best to drink the 2007 and then wait for the 2006, which is high in acidity, and the 2005.

Because of difficult flowering conditions, Christophe didn’t make Petra Alba in 2008 with the grapes going into the Bablut Anjou –Villages-Brissac instead. However, he did make Rocca Nigra (100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on schist and slate) as his Cabernet Sauvignon flowered in better conditions, although the yield was under 20 hl/ha. Both of these wines are looking promising, although it is still very early days, especially for Rocca Nigra which won’t be bottled until Easter 2010.

To finish we tasted 2006 and 2005 Rocca Nigra and Petra Alba. In both cases the Petra Alba showed better at this stage with greater delicacy and balance, although all four are rich, powerful wines. Ideally all of them still need at least another two years in bottle and, in the case of the 2005 Rocca Nigra, a minimum of of three years in Christophe’s opinion.

2003 Petra Alba

2003 Petra Alba, Anjou Villages Brissac
2003 Anjou Blanc

During the past few days we’ve enjoyed these two wines from Christophe Daviau’s Domaine de Bablut (Brissac–Quincé). The Daviau family have been vignerons here since 1546. The domaine is now biodynamic.

Both wines are marked by 2003, the year of the heat wave in France, particularly during August. In the Loire the vintage was the earliest since 1893 with picking beginning in the Pays Nantais, Touraine, Quincy and Reuilly around 18th August. Even in Sancerre the vintage started in early September.

We drank the 2003 Petra Alba, which is 100% Cabernet Franc grown on limestone, with a simply roasted free-range chicken. Deep coloured and with rich, full fruit – plums and prunes. Tasted blind you would think that this comes from the south of France – the effect of the sunshine and high temperatures of 2003. For me, although CRM disagreed, there is a slightly roasted quality to the fruit particularly in finish that detracts a little from the wine, although it still a very enjoyable bottle.



The 2003 barrel-fermented and aged Anjou Blanc (100% Chenin Blanc) is the more successful wine. It has a lovely golden colour, rich honeyed fruit with just a touch of oxidative evolution that adds to the complexity. Unlike a number of 2003 whites it has enough freshness and acidity in the finish to balance the rich fruit. We drank it as an aperitif but it would I’m sure be a great match with richly sauced fish dishes or grilled sea bass or similar. Along with a number of other Anjou producers this is further evidence that, despite the poor image of Anjou Blanc, it is certainly possible to make very fine whites here from 100% Chenin Blanc.

Christophe now makes two cuvées of Anjou Blanc – Ordovicien which is the equivalent of the above, spending 12 months in barriques and bottled around 18 months after the harvest – and Petit Princé, which is bottled earlier, around nine months.

I was reminded today by a tasting note on the wine forum of Tom Cannavan's wine-pages that I have been meaning to post something on the 1996 vintage.

Tim York noted that the 'Chinon 1996 from L’Echansonne Sélection Noël Pinguet - Olga Raffault was a nice youthful seeming, savoury and robust Chinon full of red fruit, especially plums and damsons, abundant acidity offset by good body and an appealing wet leather tang'.

1996 Clos Rougeard, Les Frères Foucault,
Saumur-Champigny

For some time I have thought that 1996 is the best vintage the 90s decade, especially for reds, notwithstanding the fine and very appealing 1990s. 1996 is a classic good Loire vintage. It has a lovely balance of fruit, structure and acidity and has aged well as Tim's comment 'nice youthful seeming' bears out. 1996 and 1997 were both good years and naturally frequently compared. 1997 has always been ripe and opulent – a crowd pleaser. While the best have lasted better than they thought they might, they don't have the same level of balance and complexity found in 1996 reds. 1995 was potentially a good year for reds too but while I've had a few good 1995s the high level of acidity has meant that they have taken a long time to come round and it seems likely that marked acidity will continue to be a feature of the 1995s.

As well as the Clos Rougeard above other 1996 reds I have recently drunk and enjoyed include Les Châtains from Domaine de Nerleux, Grand Clos from Château de Villeneuve and the Anjou Villages from Domaine de Bablut. The 1996 Gamay from Clos Roche Blanche was showing well about two/three years ago – will have to check on its progress.

Not the Clos Roche Blanche's Gamay
but the 1996 Touraine Sauvignon

1996 is also a fine year for dry whites and demi-secs along with good sweet wines. With the sweets 1995, 1996 and 1997 make a fascinating trio with perhaps the 1997s being superior.

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.”

Christophe Daviau

After a fairly miserable day for much of yesterday in the Pays Nantais, it cleared up a bit when we moved eastwards to Anjou in the late afternoon.

Today started misty over the Coteaux de l’Aubance. Initially it promised to be fine once the mist lifted but blue skies soon gave way to clouds. I spent the morning with Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut) looking at the vineyards that are now run biodynamically.

Cabernet Franc destined for Petra Alba (calcaire soil)

Cabernet Franc destined for Petra Alba
– note grapillons on ground bottom left

Now around 10˚ potential alcohol and 8˚ acidity the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignons are at least a good ten days to a fortnight before they are ready to pick. There are signs of the start of some botrytis developing on the Chenin but it will be a while before they start picking.

Currently the team of vineyard workers going through the Cabernets are stripping off the grapillons (also called verjus) and dropping them on the ground. Grapillons are second generation bunches that ripen later, if they ever do, than the main first generation bunches. At the moment they are green, so easy to spot. Once they change colour they will be much more difficult to identify. If the grapillons are not eliminated, then they will give the wine green, unripe flavours.

A grapillon – unripe second generation grapes
that will make your wine taste green and sharp

In 1989, which had an amazingly fine summer and autumn, Didier Richou of Domaine Richou in Moze-sur-Louet made a small cuvée of Gamay from the grapillons harvested in late November or early December, which I believe had 13% alc.

Grolleau Noir

As rain was forecast Christophe didn’t pick yesterday instead getting the highly reputed mobile bottlers Brault to come. Amongst the cuvées bottled were the Coteaux de l’Aubance Grandpierre 2005 and 2006. Picking started again today with the Sauvignon Blanc (VDP de la Loire) being machine picked.

Sauvignon Blanc: VDP de la Loire

Machine picking Sauvignon Blanc