Here is proof, if it were needed, that dry Loire Chenin Blanc ages wonderfully well. Although it is unlikely to last as long as the sweet wines, well made wines can last decades. On Sunday I opened this 1964 Saumur from the late Henri Aupy's Clos de l'Abbaye on the northern edge of Le Puy Notre Dame. Henri Aupy established the domaine in 1962. His 1964 is now mid-gold with a touch of aged maderisation along with dry honey on the nose. This touch of maderisation adds extra complexity to this still quite austere wine preserved by its backbone of vibrant acidity. No reason to doubt that this 1964 will last at least another decade or two. The weak point is likely to prove to be the cork.

I was born in 1964 ....

The domaine is now run by Henri's son, Jean-François. I visited the domaine on at least a couple of occasions during the 1990s but haven't been back for years. Not a criticism of the wines but a question of time. I must try and go back.

Henri Aupy was one of the architects of the recently recognised (October 2009) AC Saumur Le Puy Notre Dame, which is for red wines only. Aupy started the campaign in 1975. Whether he envisaged that the new appellation would cover not just Le Puy Notre Dame but 16 other communes as well is another matter.

Start of 2010 vintage@Le Puy Notre Dame

Message received yesterday from Micaela Frow of La Grande Maison: 

Harvest just started today 13/09/10 in the vineyards around Le Puy Notre Dame at Domaine de Moulin now owned by Pressoirs de France. Hand picking (I think Chardonnay but unable to confirm as pickers gone for lunch!) for the Crémant* into crates.

The white grapes are harvested manually at 80% to secure the appellation Crémant de Loire. The white wine-storehouse produces 1697 hectoliters.

* The Crémant décret requires the grapes to be picked by hand.

2010 Chardonnay for Crémant

My thanks to Micaela for this and the photos.

2007 Chenin Blanc, Saumur, Frédéric Mabileau

Priorities are always important: within minutes of arriving from London on early Friday evening we were all enjoying a glass of Frédéric Mabileau's 2007 Saumur Blanc. This is showing brilliantly at the moment. It showed really well when it was first bottled in 2008 but then by late January 2009 it has closed up with an austere minerality dominating.

Now the opulence – honey and quince –  has returned and this has a terrific balance with the still present mineral austerity and clean finish that is so typical of the 2007 vintage. Stunning at the moment but I fancy it will continue to keep really well. This is an historic bottle for Frédéric: not only was it the first vintage from his parcel of vines at Le Puy Notre Dame but also it was 60 years after his grandfather had made their last white, from Chenin Blanc, from the vineyards of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil.

See posting on picking the 2009 vintage with Frédéric, Natalie and the family. 

*

 2006 Le P'tit Domaine, Saumur-Champigny, Richard Desouche

Richard Desouche, the manager of Château de Chaintres (Saumur-Champigny) also has his own vines which are bottled under Le P'tit Domaine label. The 2006 is an attractive mid-weight wine which went well with some grilled lamb chops.

2006 back label

The George Sand on the Indre, Loches

From the Val de Loire newsletter:

Touraine: 50% off hotel rooms:

Durant 6 week-ends, du 6 novembre au 13 décembre, 1000 chambres d’hôtel sont commercialisées à moins 50% !

Une excellente occasion de découvrir, pour un prix tout doux, le patrimoine du Val de Loire. Partez pour des balades le long de la Loire ou sur les coteaux des vignes, visitez les caves troglodytes des vignerons, savourez les spécialités gastronomiques de la région...

Profitez également de votre séjour en Touraine pour déguster le Touraine Primeur et participez aux festivités autour de sa sortie !

Among the hotels participating in this special offer are: Le Bon Laboureur (Chenonceaux), Château de Noizay (Vouvray), Château d'Artigny (Montbazon), Auberge de la Brenne (Neuillé-le-Lierre), Le George Sand (Loches) and Château de Pray (Amboise).

Renseignements et réservations (further information and reservations) sur le site http://www.plusdetouraine.com/

Related articles by Zemanta

• Grape escapes: 10 French vineyard stays (guardian.co.uk)

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Finally...AC Saumur Le Puy Notre Dame!
Although the INAO accepted AC Saumur le Puy Notre Dame on 14th June 2006, it took a further three years and more for the French Minister of Agriculture to find his pen to sign the décret, which was done on 14th October 2009. Apparently the reform of the agrément system held things up.

The new AC is for reds only and covers 17 communes roughly centred on Le Puy Notre Dame. These are: Brézé, Brossay, Cizay la Madelaine, Distré, Doué la Fontaine, Epieds, Le Puy Notre Dame, Les Ulmes, Le Vauldenay, Les Vergers sur Layon, Meigné, Montreuil Bellay, Berrie, Les Trois Moutiers, Pouancay, Saix and Saint Léger de Monbrillais. The new appellation stretches nearly 30 kilometres from Doué la Fontaine in the west to Les Trois Moutiers in the east.

23 producers from the 17 communes covered by the AC will be making 3000 hls of the 2009 vintage, which will bear the new appellation. The late Henri Aupy started the campaign to get the appellation in 1975. Under the rules the base yield is 50 hl/ha, which is 20% less than that permitted for straight AC Saumur, with a maximum tolerance to 56hl/ha. Weedkiller can be used in part of the vineyard but not across the whole area. The wine cannot be put on the market before 1st June following the vintage. The producers are hoping that the wine will be priced between 6-10€ a bottle. (See l'anjou agricole (22.10.09).

CRM picking@Le Puy Notre Dame: 3rd October 2009

I don't want to make a big thing of this but it cannot surely be mere coincidence that Jim's Loire and friends spent half a morning picking Chenin Blanc (yes I know the new appellation is for red wine) at Le Puy Notre Dame on Saturday 3rd October and just eleven days later the new décret became official.

Chenin Blanc 2009 vintage: Le Puy Notre Dame

Related articles:
l'anjou agricole (22.10.09)

Le Puy-Notre-Dame et son vignoble

Mardi 4 août – 15h
'Vacances en Vigne'
Découvrez le métier de vigneron et son travail au quotidien. Une balade dans les vignes à la recherche d’indices vous permettra de vous interroger sur la vigne, le vin et la viticulture.

Une dégustation de jus de raisin et des vins du domaine vous donnerons des réponses à vos interrogations…

Rendez-vous au Domaine du Pont du Livier, chez Flore et Emmanuel Rialland à Saint Georges sur Layon.

8 €/ personne, gratuit pour les enfants.

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Le Puy: church and cherry tree

Also this Sunday 26 July the annual Grand Prix Rétro in Le Puy-Notre-Dame:

See here.

Le Puy Notre Dame: Auberge de la Collegiale – bar à vins

(Sunday 19th October)

In the village of Le Puy-Notre-Dame (eight kilometres west of Montreuil-Bellay) the vendange continues into the Sunday with many wineries still in action.

A marc collection (pomace) outside Domaine de Girardie

Pressing at Domaine de L'Enchantoir where
the old basket press meets
the Bucher RPF30 (pneumatic press)

Everyone has gone for lunch....but they were hand picking earlier
for Aymeric Hillaire the new kid on the block at Melaric
who has 3 ha of Cabernet Franc and and 0.7 ha of Chenin.

www.vins-melaric.com

Many thanks to Micaela Frow: www.lagrandemaison.net for the brief report and the photos.