Frédéric (left) welcomes a visiting UK journalist in 2008

Frédéric Mabileau: le dimanche 12 juin Pique-Nique des Vignerons Independants: 11h-17h 

At the end of last year Domaine Frédéric Mabileau joined the Vignerons Indpendants Association. On Sunday 12th bring along your picnic basket and the Mabileau family will provide you with somewhere to sit and something to drink.

16th-17th July: Portes Ouvertes 

••

Pithon-Paillé

Invitation pour les Gaillardises

Nous présenterons nos vins avec une quinzaine de vignerons pendant Vinexpo

Le mardi 21 juin 2011 de 15 à 22 heures

au restaurant OLAKETAL

Bassin à Flot – Hangar G2 – Quai Armand Lalande – 33300 Bordeaux

http://gaillardises.over-blog.com/
(le blog avec toutes les infos va être mis à jour très prochainement)

***

FX Barc

Xavier Fortin  « Plein ciel » 6 Chemin Des Coteaux 37350 Le Petit Pressigny
Vous êtes conviés à la dégustation animée par François-Xavier Barc lundi 20 juin 2011

FX Barc, who used to be with Charles Joguet (Chinon) and is now working in association with Gérard Vallée in Bourgueil, is the next star to be showing his wines at one of Xavier Fortin's wine tasting evenings in Le Petit Pressigny.

Pour notre prochaine dégustation du Lundi 20 Juin 2011 à partir de 17h00, j’ai pensé vous faire découvrir les vins de François-Xavier BARC.

François-Xavier est l’ancien maitre de chai de la Maison JOUGUET à Chinon. Installé depuis 2008. Il vous propose de découvrir son deuxième millésime. Pour cela nous vous avons sélectionné différentes cuvées.

Pointe d’agrumes 2010 : 100 % sauvignon sec et très fruité – pamplemousse et citron dominant (apéritifs, crustacés et poissons) : 5.95 Euros.
Saumur blanc 2009 : 100 % chenin blanc, petite parcelle de 80 ares (3400 bouteilles seulement) 16 mois d’élevage en fut, riche et vif avec des aromes exotiques géniales (poissons en sauce, cuisine asiatique, fromages à pate dure) ATTENTION QUANTITE LIMITEE - 12.00 Euros.
Chinon rosé 2010 : 100 % cabernet franc, sec mais rond, plein de petits fruits rouges (apéritifs, crudités et charcuterie) : 5.50 Euros.
Bourgueil rouge 2010 – Les castines : 100 % cabernet franc, tanins fins et acidulés, aromes de fruits rouges et violettes (viandes grillés, terrine) 6.75 Euros.
Saint Nicolas de Bourgeuil 2010 – Les canonnières : 100 % cabernet franc, gourmand avec une belle minéralité et des fruits rouges plein la bouche (charcuterie et viandes grillées) 6.75 Euros.
Saint Nicolas de Bourgeuil 2009 – Terrasse de lune : : 100 % cabernet franc, dense et concentré un élevage en fut de chêne avec des notes de fruits noirs – vin de garde (viandes rouges) 15.00 Euros.
Saumur champigny 2009 : 100 % cabernet franc, vin intense et riche, presque confit, à réserver pour les belles viandes - 9.00 Euros.

La cave où aura lieu la dégustation sera fléchée à partir de la boucherie du Petit Pressigny elle se trouve à environ 200 mètres du restaurant. Si toute fois vous êtes dans l’impossibilité de venir gouter lors de notre dégustation veuillez me faire parvenir votre commande accompagnée de votre chèque à l’ordre de la SARL GV & FXB à mon adresse ci-dessous :

Xavier Fortin 6, Chemin des Coteaux 37350 Le Petit Pressigny France

Sincèrement Xavier Fortin

Xavier Fortin

 

Jo Pithon

Emile Hérédia

"Les papilles résistent, 1er salon des vins libres" organisé par la Cave d'Ivry, 40 rue Marat Ivry sur Seine
Les dates et horaires sont samedi 7 et dimanche 8 mai respectivement de 10h00 à 20h00 et de 10h00 à 18h00

Lieu : la Guinguette du Monde, 62 av. Georges Gosnat à Ivry sur Seine (dans le parc des Cormailles, accès en pièce jointe)
Possibilité de restauration à toute heure, repas en présence des vignerons et vigneronnes le samedi soir(réservation auprès de la Guinguette conseillée)

 

14 vignerons d'exception présents:

 

Domaine Pithon-Paillé Anjou, Savennieres, Coteaux du Layon

Domaine Jean David, Cotes du Rhône, Seguret

Domaine Xavier Benier Beaujolais, Cotes de Brouilly

Domaine de Turenne, Philippe Bénezet Cotes de Provence

Domaine Catherine et Claude Marechal, Chorey les Beaunes Pommard, Savigny

Domaine des 2 ânes Magalie Terrier Corbières

Domaine Nicolas Rousset, Saint Veran Pouilly Fuissé

Domaine Emile Heredia, Coteaux du Vendômois

Domine Marie Annick Lemaire Fournier Vouvray

Château la Bergère Camille Benoit Saint Georges Saint Emilion

Domaine le Bouscas Floréal Romero dans le Gers

Domaine Tres Cantous Bernard Plageolles Gaillac

Mas Champart, Isabelle Champart Saint Chinian

La Combe de Bussac Fréderic Cognac Grande Champagne

Les "Tontons François" charcutiers-paysans, producteurs de porc noir gascon dans le Tarn

 

Le dénominateur commun de ces vignerons , venus de différentes régions, c’est la manière d’appréhender leur métier et l’idée qu’ils se font du vin, travail des sols, petits rendements, peu de soufre, voir pas du tout, cela pour obtenir des vins complexes avec de la fraicheur, des vins de fruit aux vins de belles occasions, mais toujours des vins de partage qui donnent du plaisir, qui révèlent le terroir sur lequel la vigne a grandi, des jus complètement opposés aux vins standardisés.

 

 Alors affutez vos papilles et rendez vous les 7 et 8 mai, dans un cadre superbe, en famille ou entre amis .

                                                                      

Votre caviste, Paco Mora"

The first edition of Biojolaise, organised by the Beaujolais organic producers, will be held on Monday 11th April starting at 10am and continuing into the night. It will be held at the old distillery of Saint-Lager (69).

 

As well as some 14 organic Beaujolais producers, there will be a few producers from other parts of France including three from La Loire: Domaine du Picatier (see Richard Kelley's profile) and Domaine des Pothiers Romain Paire (see Richard Kelley's profile) from the Côte Roannaise and from Anjou – Domaine Pithon-Paillé-Jo Pithon.

Further information from http://labiojolaise.blogspot.com

Unfortunately once scanned in, the above invitation from Pithon-Paillé is a challenge to read. However, their Portes Ouvertes is at the end of November and they will be joined by Yvon and Chantal Contat-Grangé from Burgundy and Christiane and Jean Gilles Chasselay from the Beaujolais.

Jo and Isabelle Pithon will be at their Portes Ouvertes, while Wendy and Joseph Paillé will be at Le Salon des Anges Vins in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. A busy weekend!

Alexandre Cady with his 2010 Grolleau

We visited a number of Anjou producers today. They were all happy with the way the 2010 harvest is progressing even though the good weather of last week has broken. They don't need any more rain and some more sunshine would be good. However, for the moment rot is under control and the grapes are coming in at good potential degrees of alcohol - many Grolleaus at 12 or more, which is unusual. A few producers are starting small pickings of Chenin Blanc.

Here are a few photos:

  Golden Chenin Blanc@Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé

Coulée de Serrant, Savennières

Future 2010 Coulée de Serrant

Victor Lebreton, Domaine de Montgilet sorting plastic picking boxes

Domaine de Montgilet - new vibrating table to remove leaves etc.

Jo Pithon outside the new Pithon-Paillé winery in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay

Looking across the Layon towards the Quarts de Chaume and the hamlet of Chaume

2008 Coteau des Treilles, Pithon-Paillé*

Après avoir passé près de deux ans au Chateau la Fresnaye, nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer que nous venons d'acheter un chai à St Lambert du Lattay (ex Cave Lusson).

Isabelle Pithon at the new chai in Saint-Lambert

Nous vous joignons un plan, n'hesitez pas à venir trinquer avec nous. Veuillez noter nos nouvelles coordonnées.

Cordialement

Isabelle et Jo - Wendy et Joseph.

Pithon-Paillé  Sarl
19 rue St Vincent, 49750 Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay
Tel: 02 41 78 68 74

Isabelle:           06 89 40 97 82
Jo:                   06 45 75 60 98
Joseph-Wendy: 06 42 62 06 70
Tel Isa-Jo:         02 41 78 43 82
contact@pithon-paille.com
www.pithon-paille.com

Isabelle Pithon ready to receive Pithon-Paillé clients@the new chai (photos: Pithon-Paillé)

* I tasted the 2008 Coteau des Treilles, Anjou Blanc from Pithon-Paillé on Charles and Philippa Sydney's traditional Tuesday evening dinner with their producers. It is currently quite austere and mineral, although I expect with a little more time in bottle it will put on a bit more weight but keep the present purity of flavour. 

Pithon-Paillé: Wendy Wilson, Joseph Paillé, Isabelle and Jo Pithon

Micaela Frow (La Grande Maison) has kindly brought to my attention a link to Jim's Loire that Elisabeth Poulain makes in an article about Joseph Paillé of Pithon-Paillé. Elizabeth wrote Le Vin aussi est affaire de femmes. I haven't met Elisabeth but Micaela tells me that 'she has been writing about the Loire and it's wines for many years'. Here is Elisabeth's blog. I will have to look out for Le Vin aussi est affaire de femmes as well as the women that make wine in the Loire, there are many women at wine estates throughout the Loire, who play an unsung role keeping the show on the road, while the spotlight and the plaudits falls on the man.

•••

Charles Joguet expose à l'Hôtel de Ville de Tours (20.05 au 20.06)

Elisabeth's posting of the 8th May covers the Charles Joguet exhibition in Tours:

‘Sa prochaine exposition à l’Hôtel de Ville de Tours en témoigne. Elle va durer un mois (20 mai au 20 juin) chaque après-midi du lundi au samedi de 14 h à 18h.’

Charles was always a painter. When he retired from running his Chinon domaine in 1997 he was able to devote more time to his painting.

Chenin Blanc at the raisins dorée stage in the Layon 2005

Reports on the Renaissance des Appellations tasting and the launch of Domaine FL are now complete. There are still additions to be made to the reports on various visits made before the Salon as well as further comments on the Salon des Vins de Loire. However, the launch of Pithon-Paillé is now also complete as is the write up on Charles and Philippa's soirée.

Pithon-Paillé: new producer/négociant venture launched:
Wendy Scott, Joseph Paillé, Isabelle and Jo Pithon

January 2008 saw Jo Pithon split acrimoniously from his partner industrialist Philip Fournier, who had taken a big majority stake in Domaine Pithon in 2005. Now a year later Jo and Isabelle Pithon, along with Joseph Paillé, Isabelle's son, and South African Wendy Scott, Joseph's partner, officially launched the first vintages froom Pithon-Paillé. The new company, formed in August 2008, is a combination of producer and négociant.

Jo: "We have three roughly equal sections in Pithon-Paille – one third my wine, one third Anjou Blanc produced as a négociant and one third other Loire cuvées such as Savennières, Quarts de Chaume, Bourgueil, Chinon etc. I still have the three hectare Les Treilles and two hectares in Saint-Aubin – the Clos des Bois, which includes 0.5 ha of red – Cabernet Franc., and 0.25 ha in Savennières. We would like to get to seven or eight hectares with more vines in Saint-Lambert-sur-Lattay and Savennières adnplant a bit more of Les Treilles.

"For the moment we are able to vinify and age our wines at the Château de Fresnaye (near Saint-Aubin-sur-Luigné and which dates from the 17th century). The château, owned by Philippe and Laure Baudin, is up for sale but I anticipate that any sale is is unlikely to go through for a year or two. We plan to build a new chai at Beaulieu-sur-Layon in the future.

"We would like to buy all of our grapes from organic producers but for the moment this isn't possible but 80% of the grapes that we bought in 2008 came from organic producers. Our aim this year was to produce 50,000 bottles but due to the short harvest we only made 35,000."

I ask Jo how easy it is to buy grapes especially in appellations like Savennières. "Over many years in Anjou I have built up a lot of contacts. Also in view of happened last year many producers have been happy to give me a helping hand. In particular Etienne Bonnaventure (Château de Coulaine) helped me a lot in Chinon."

I tasted a range of wines –mainly unfinished ones from 2008. There will now be two cuvées from Les Treilles – a top cuvée called Coteaux des Treilles, which will represent 25% of the harvest and a second cuvée called Belargus des Treilles – named after Belargus a blue butterfly found in the vineyard. Most of the 2008s will be available from September.

Clearly the events of this time last year were traumatic for Jo and Isabelle but they have turned over the page and Jo is postive and optimistic about the new venture. "I was happy to leave – they did not have the same conception of wine as I have. Instead I'm happy to be doing what I am doing now – it is a great opportunity to be buying grapes from terroirs that I have never worked with before."

Pithon-Paille are continuing to work with Charles Sydney. I just hope that there is someone with a hard business head in the new team that will keep the show on the road. Over the past 20 years commercially Jo has had a roller-coaster ride but over that period he has produced some stunning wines.

Pithon-Paillé, Château la Fresnaye, 49190 Saint-Aubin-de--Luigné
Tel: 02.41.78.68.74; Jo (mobile): 06.45.75.60.98; Joseph & Wendy (mobile): 06.42.62.06.70
email: contact@pithon-paillé.com
site: www.pithon-paillé.com

Jean-Pierre Robinot and his wife: L'Ange Vin.
Jean-Pierre makes a range of thought provoking wines



Castel's stand was almost empty mid-morning and with Les Grands Chais de France (LaCheteau in the Loire and whose stand was considerably busier) they are easily the largest wine companies operating in the Loire


Rosalind Delaunay of Château du Cléray (Muscadet-de-Sèvre-et-Maine)

Rosalind was one of the first people I met in the Loire when I started writing about wine back in late 1988. My first professional trip to the Loire was in February 1989 and Rosalind had just recently started working for the Vins de Nantes as their press officer. She worked for the Vin de Nantes for a number of years before moving to work for the Sauvions at Château du Cléray.

Patrick Vadé, Domaine Saint-Vincent (Saumur and Saumur-Champigny)

Hoping to make a sale!

Back to his roots?
Richard Desouche of Château de Chaintres, Saumur-Champigny

Michel Smith continues his enquiries – Christian Papin (Domaine de Haute Perche, Anjou)

More pictures and comments to follow....

It is now less than three weeks to the annual Salon des Vins de Loire held in the Parc des Expositions at Angers. This friendly and very professionally run Salon is a great opportunity to taste wines and meet producers from all over the Loire – from the Pays Nantais up to the Côtes de Forez hundreds of kilometres upstream – all in one place.

Am now receiving reminders of the date from many producers including Pithon-Paillé, the new Jo and Isabelle Pithon venture along with Isabelle's son Joseph Paillé. Their stand is at I 196 in the Grand Palais. They claim to have a website: www.pithon-paille.com but it doesn't seem to be working yet.

Pithon-Paillé, Château la Fresnaye, 49190 Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné.
Tel: 02.41.78.68.74
Email: pithon-paille@orange.fr

Salon des Vins de Loire