Concealed bottles ready to taste
 

Today was the occasion to choose Le Master (Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine) for 2010. The almost unanimous choice was the 2010 from Charpentier-Fleurance in Le Landreau-Bretonnière.
 
Launched in 1984 the concept of Le Master was established in the 1980s when Donatien Bahuaud was still family owned. The final selection would be made by a panel of tasters including oenologists, journalists etc. with the winning wine sold under the name of Le Master. When Donatien-Bahuaud went bust and was bought by Grand Chai de France this practice ceased. However, when Ackerman bought the Donatien brand in 2009 from Gabriel Meffre, they decided to relaunch Le Master. Once more there is a super-jury that makes the final selection.

I was invited last year to judge but unfortunately was in the UK, so unable to make it. This year as the tasting is a bit earlier it was possible with an early start from Bléré-la-Croix by train to Nantes.

Just as last year the tasting, followed by lunch, was held at La Cigale, a café-brasserie that is a Nantais institution.

We had ten bottles of 2010 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine to taste. Much of our work had already been done with a pre-selection process whittling down some 68 samples to ten.

My favourite wine turned out to be the overall winner – no 4 in the order. Next was Joseph Petiteau – Vigne et Saveurs and the third – Luneau Courtage, Vignobles Delaunay. I found Charpentier-Fleurance the best balanced with a lemony, mineral nose and good palate weight plus a long fresh finish. It certainly stood out in the line-up.

Tasters@work

All the stress of collating the results!

La Cigale: outside and the bar inside

Shellfish stall outside La Cigale

Preparing oysters

Bernard Jacob, director-general of Ackerman

Charpentier-Fleurance

La Bretonnière 
44430 Le Landreau
Tel: 02 40 06 43 39 

Bernard Jacob receiving the 2009 Wine Blog Trophy for the best producer blog Xnoir on behalf of its author – Margaux: Salon 2009

I managed to speak this afternoon to Bernard Jacob, directeur général, of Ackerman-Rémy Pannier. He had previously been tied up in meetings.

Jim: When did you conclude the deal?
Bernard: We signed last Friday – 4th December. The negotiations were complicated due to Donatien-Bahuaud having gone into administration in October 2006.
Jim: Why did Ackerman buy Donatien-Bahuaud? What advantages are there in having DB in your portfolio?
Bernard: Firstly Donatien-Bahuaud gives us a higher profile and image in the Pays Nantais, where Ackerman hasn't had a big presence. Donatien is well known for its Muscadets with good brands like Le Master. Secondly it allows us to preserve the Donatien name and its brand range like Le Master, La Diva and, in particular, the Maison des Princes in export markets like the UK. The Maison des Prince range is screwcapped and covers a number of the Loire appellations. It includes a Muscadet, a Chinon, Vouvray, Sancerre and a Pouilly-Fumé.
Jim: But isn't Le Master brand rather past it – faded with its glory days in the late 1980s and 1990s?
Bernard: It's true that over the past few years Le Master has not been what it once was – the best of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine selected by the producers. We will need to relaunch it and to go back to the spirit of what it once was.
Jim: Yes I think one year the blend for Le Master was selected by a panel of experts headed by Arabella Woodrow MW.
Bernard: We are convinced by the quality now produced in Muscadet and we want Le Master to reflect this. Furthermore Muscadet lacks strong brands.
Jim: What about the offices at Domaine du Cléray in Vallet?
Bernard: Although we will be moving Donatien's registered address to Saumur, we will continue to keep the Donatien offices at the Domaine du Cléray in Vallet. Domaine du Cléray is not part of Donatien and, of course, it is not the same as Château du Cléray which is now part of Grands Chais de France.

In the UK Donatien-Bahuaud will continue to be distributed by Guy Anderson Wines

The Ackerman vendangeoir@Le Puy-Notre-Dame: 3.10.09

I suspect that it will take considerable thought and investment to successfully resuscitate the Le Master brand. I also suspect that Le Master may no longer be a brand name that resonates in the 21st century. One to follow!

Yesterday's report on Ackerman buying Donatien-Bahuaud.

Bernard Jacob: director-general of Ackerman-Rémy Pannier

Saumur négociant and sparkling wine producer Ackerman-Rémy Pannier has just bought the Muscadet négociant, Donatien Bahuaud, from Gabriel Meffre. Donatien, founded in 1929 and once one of the leading names in the Pays Nantais particularly with its Muscadet brand – Le Master – and the Château de la Cassemichère with its claim to be the first place in the region where Melon de Bourgogne was planted, has been through somewhat turbulent times over the last decade. Initially DB formed an alliance with Pierre Chainier in 2001. Later they were bought at the end of 2004 by Gabriel Meffre and, since March 2009, have been part of the Boisset group. (For more details see my March 2009 post here.)

It would appear that Gabriel Meffre have probably decided that Donatien do not fit into their portfolio, which is centred on the Rhône Valley. Although in 2008 the Gabriel Meffre site carried this positive message about the future of Donatien within the group:

'The Management of Donatien Bahuaud and the Gabriel Meffre group are delighted to announce that following the restructuring that has been put into place over the last year, the company has now been taken out of administration and can continue the development of the business as planned.

The team of 11 staff, including new winemaker Mathieu Ressiot, has now moved to offices at Domaine du Cléray in Vallet, following the sale late last year of the previous bottling site and offices. Efficiency has been a key driver in the new structure of the business so bottling has been outsourced and commercial, marketing and logistics synergies with parent company Gabriel Meffre have been maximised. The number of wines in the Donatien Bahuaud portfolio has been reduced but several wine ranges such as La Diva, Le Master, Maison des Princes and the Domaine range "Vignobles Louis Luneau" have received extra attention in terms of winemaking and packaging.

Bertrand Bonnet, President of Donatien Bahuaud and of the Group Gabriel Meffre, said, "Everything points to a positive start in 2008 and we are confident that our wines, service and brands will exceed the expectations of customers and consumers.".'

In 2008 Donatien Bahuaud had a turnover of 3.43 million euros, while Ackerman's turnover for the year 2007 was 51.1 million euros. Donatien has considerably shrunk from what it was in the late 20th century having sold off their site at La Chapelle-Heulin. Nor am I sure how relevant its brands such as Le Master and La Diva are now in the 21st century. Whatever remains of Donatien it is good to see that it will now be run by a company based in the Loire where it is likely to fit better into Ackerman's portfolio than it did in that of Gabriel Meffre.