Côt or Cabernet Franc?

I'm hoping that someone is going to help me out here. Yesterday passing through the vines of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher it was clear that a big majority of the grapes have now been picked. There was a block that still had some unpicked black grapes, so I stopped to take some photos. These are with Côt or Cabernet Franc. Initially I thought they were Côt (Malbec) from the colour of the leaves but then I noticed that some leaves were indented indicating that they might be Cabernet. Now looking again at the photos I'm inclined to go back to my first guess – that these are Côt. Your thoughts please.

The leaves

Then on to the Clos du Porteau in La Vallée Pitrou (part of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher) where I caught up with Aynard de Clermont Tonnerre and Henri Chapon. Aynard has again been busy this year during the harvest with his thermo-vinification system helped in 2011 by Henri as they rush around the Loire vineyards heating up their customers' must with the thermo machine.

Aynard: "We have been very busy, especially as there is quite a lot of rot about, mainly in weed killered vineyards, and one of the advantages of thermo-vinification is that it removes the taste of rot. There is much less rot in grassed over vineyards."

Aynard's 2011 Sauvignon (made by Isabelle, la vigneronne du Clos du Porteau) tasted promising. We tried vats from a number of different parcels. The fruit was picked around 12%-12.5% alc and has some weight and good clean flavours. They are increasing relying on the natural yeasts.

 Shop@Antoine Simoneau

Open day@Antoine Simoneau, Le Domaine de la Rablais, 20 Rue des Vendanges, 41400 Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, tel: 02.54.71.36.14, www.antoinesimoneau.com 

 

Isabelle de Clermont-Tonnerre (winemaker)

A quick call yesterday evening to Isabelle de Clermont-Tonnerre (Clos du Porteau, Saint Georges-sur-Cher)  established that they had just picked the last of their Cabernet that day, which had come in a 14%. Apparently a number of other producers in Saint-Georges also also finished yesterday including Norbert Berry.

Aynard, le chauffeur extraordinaire, is still very busy hiring out his thermovinification machine in many parts of Touraine. Demand appears to have been boosted significantly this year due to the prevalence of rot. Apparently heating the must up to 60˚C gets rid of the taste of rot and the thermomachine has been used on a wide range of wines including Sauvignon Blanc in Touraine and Chenin in Vouvray and Montlouis. It will be interesting to taste the wines as I think it is similar to the technique used in parts of Beaujolais and the Côte Roannaise as the process emphasises the fruit. I don't know whether this reduces the wine's potential to age, although many of these wines will be made for early consumption so it may not be an issue.

Further research required I fancy.

Sauvignon Blanc

Harvesting here in the Cher Valley appears to be just getting underway with a few vignerons starting. I assume that many more will be starting early next week. There was some rain on Wednesday but since then it has been fine and the forecast for the next few days is good. We saw a parcel of Sauvignon Blanc being machine harvested and the fruit looked pretty clean, although not on this small sample as perfect as last year with a few traces of rot.

Here the grapes were coming in at 11.5%-12% potential alcohol.

 

 Vineyard hut and Château de Chissay in the distance 

The previous pictures of lifeless vineyards dosed with weedkiller came from Epeigné-les-Bois. These come from nearby Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. Not all the vines in this part of Touraine are blitzed in this way but far too many are, including a significant area in Saint-Georges. I thought napalm went out when the Americans left Vietnam!

A close up of orange grass

The previous posting on the dead vineyards of Touraine drew this comment from Laurent Saillard:

'How awful! Readers need to know that the grapes harvested in these vineyards are full of chemicals that you'll find in the wines.
Read last year study published by PAN: www.pan-europe.info/Resources/Briefings/Message_in_a_bottle_Results.pdf
In fact since there is no life in the juice coming from these grapes more chemicals need to be added to it in the cellar in order to make it an alcoholic beverage. And lets call it what it is: a manufactured alcoholic beverage not wine. We are all responsible for this: the conventional winemaker for having the pretention of making wine; the natural winemakers for not being able to speak with one voice on the matter; the consumer for believing that what he is buying is wine and the critics, the "professionals" for making a living on these lies.

Enough! Who are we kidding here?'

Although there have been criticism of the Pan-Europe research – see Jamie Goode's Wine Anorak piece, it is surely clear that blitzing the vines in this manner will not be acceptable for much longer nor does it make any sense in the medium or long term. This is not a sustainable practice – period! With their root systems mainly on the surface, these vines are highly unlikely to produce good fruit – if supplying the local cooperative that may, perhaps, not be a consideration with volume more important for the grower than quality. The local ecosytem will have been destroyed and the vines likely to require multiple treatments to counter various diseases and pests. Furthermore what is the point of encouraging wine tourism if the vineyards look like this?



Over the last 20 years the area of vines around Epeigné-les-Bois has reduced very considerably and, although it is sad to see vineyards disappear if they are only viable if an arsenal of chemicals are used then perhaps it is time to admit defeat and recognise that they are neither profitable or sustainable.


This, of course, doesn't just apply to this small corner of Touraine weedkillers are used in many parts of France and other parts of the world. My impression, however, is that their use is much less prevalent in Italy and Germany. Once again the fault is not solely the producers but all the way down the supply chain: from the négociant who pays little for the grapes or must they purchase, the buyer – often for a supermarket but not invariably, and the consumer who buys cheap wine especially the buy-one-get-one-free. These blitzed vineyards are the inevitable consequence of the desire to have cheap wine. Here journalists/wine writers have a responsiblity to alert the consumer to the consequences of buying wine at prices which is too low to permit sustainable viticulture.

Church and blossom

Lézard Vert and blossom

Daffs

Forsythia

Forsythia

The last week or so has seen the blossom really come out and the trees turning green. Sadly there is still widespread use of weedkillers in many of the vineyards around here – Epeigné, Francueil and Saint-Georges-sur-Cher.

Visited 25th March 2009

Aynard and Isabelle de Clermont Tonnerre

Pulley once used for operating the old vertical press

Marks cut into the tuffeau by ropes used to operate the old press

Aynard and Isabelle are particularly interested by Côt: a bottle of Vanneau Huppé 2005

(to be continued)

The new shop in Place Bretonneau, Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

The old shop

Closure sign and announcement of new premises

The new bakers nearby in the Place Bretonneau

Philippe Goulet, the long established Saint-George butcher, opened his new shop today in the Place Bretonneau. Philippe Goulet said that the new shop was much easier to work in as it is all on one level, while in the old shop he had to do a lot of the preparation and work downstairs in the basement. The new shop also allows them to display their meat and other produce to much better advantage. Monsieur Goulet makes particularly good boudin – both noir and blanc.

Philippe Goulet, 13 pl Pierre Fidele Bretonneau, 41400 Saint-Georges-sur-Cher.
Tel: 02 54 32 30 35



Other news
Ryanair's Tours-Marseille service opened yesterday. The new service will run three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until 24th October. Report here in today's La Nouvelle Republique.

•••

Céré-la-Ronde has just opened its own internet site.

More photos of the Bléré carnival here and a report in the NR here.

New cycle taxi service (le cylotaxi) is to be launched in Tours on 31st March. The cycles, which will take two adults and a child of less than 6, have an electric motor and the fare will be 1.50€ a kilometre. Details in the NR.

•••

New shops and restaurant@Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

The constructions of the new parade of shops in the square behind the church is now finished. The bakers has already moved in and today Le Delice des Mets, a new restaurant, will open. Menus at 11.50€ (weekday lunch), 21€, 27€, 32€ and a kids menu@8€. I understand it is run by someone who used to be a caterer with Super U. Lunch today is already fully booked.

Bookings on 02.54.32.04.14

Saint Georges' long established butcher, Philippe Goulet, is moving into new premises on the square and will open on Wednesday 1st April – special offer on Les Poissons d'Avril perhaps? The old shop is now closed.

•••

Francueil: new roundabout on D976

Very good to see that there is now a new roundabout on the D976 (old N176) at the junction with the road (D80) from Francueil to Chisseaux. This used to be a very dangerous junction because of poor visibility and the speed of traffic on the D976.

•••

Le Château de la Celle-Guenard changes hands
Two English guys have bought this château in Touraine Sud. La Renaissance Lochoise (25.3-31.3) reports that it changed hands on 12th December 2008. The new proprietors, Steve Palluel and Mickael Carrington, plan to open gités and chambres d'hôtes here as well as holding music festivals etc. They plan to open in May.

Saint-Georges-sur-Cher: hard frost on the vines

Vines@Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Vines and cabines@Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Driving down to the market (very few stalls today) in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher just after 10am this morning the temperature outside was a steady -5.5˚C despite bright sunshine. The cold is forecast to continue for several days with the possibility of some snow to come.

Eglise and vapour trail@Epeigné-les-Bois

Frost and sunshine on a roof@Epeigné-les-Bois

Vincent Roussely and the 2006 Anthologie du Clos

Although I have drunk some of the wines before, today was the first time I have visited Clos Roussely. There I met Vincent Roussely, who took over the domaine in 2000. Vincent has 22ha of vines. 14 here in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, which he bought from a couple from Champagne when he set up in 2000. The property was previously called Domaine de la Chauverie. Vincent has another 8ha at the small village of Angé just a few kilometres further east down the Cher Valley. Angé is where the Roussely's have their roots. Mention of the family in the local archives goes back to 1650 and Vincent's grandfather and great-grandfather looked after the family vines here. His great grandfather was the first to train his vines rather than letting them grow as bush vines.

Vincent did his training at Bordeaux and Reims and then spent time working at L’Avenir in South Africa, BRL Hardy in Australia and Moët & Chandon in California. Vincent’s father was a négociant in Angé but he sold his business in 1996. The deal included renting the cellars to the purchaser. This is why Vincent had to find new premises in which to vinify when he returned in 2000. The cellars in Angé has just become free again, so the buildings of the Clos Roussely are now up for sale as Vincent intends in future to vinify at Angé in future. Starting in 2009 if he is able to sell building at Saint-Georges.

Cement vats dating from 1905

The eight hectares at Angé are on the premier côte, which is principally limestone, and are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyards are in their second year of conversion to organic status and will be receive their certification next year. Vincent’s aim is for the vines at Saint-Georges-sur-Cher to be organic but he explains that this will be more difficult than at Angé because the soils here – argile-silex – are heavier with a higher proportion of clay. However, the vineyard is here is grassed over and weeds under the vines are kept under control by cultivation.

Vincent: “The soils here are well suited to red varieties. We have Côt, Cabernet, Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis. Some of the Pineau d’Aunis is over 100 years old – planted in 1905 the same year as the first concrete vats in the chai were built. The yields from the old Pineau vines are low – between 12/20hl per ha. However, 90% of the original vines still survive.”

We tasted his current range of wines and I was impressed with the attractively citric and gooseberry Le Clos Touraine Sauvignon 2007 (5.20€ retail from the domaine), the delicately floral and peppery 2007 Temps Danse – the rosé made from the old Pineau d’Aunis vines, and the delicate and fine Crémant de Loire – a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Chardonnay. The base wine is from 2004 and spent nearly four years sur latte, which explains its finesse. Once again I was impressed by the Anthologie du Clos 2006, which I have already drunk on a couple of occasions. A blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Côt, this rich and attractively texture wine should age well over the next four or five years.

The domaine's emblem

Vincent has commissioned an interesting and attractive design, which includes a dragon representing Saint-George, the fleur de lys of France, a broken spear in a V – victory shape and vine leaves. Unfortunately on a number of his labels this is combined with a picture of the vineyard and cellars in Angé (see photo of Anthologie du Clos 2006 below) making the label rather cluttered and not taking full advantage of the quite striking design.

2006 Anthologie du Clos

Vincent is certainly another promising young producer in the Cher Valley and is certainly one to follow.

Vincent Roussely, Domaine du Clos Roussely, La Chauverie, 41400 Saint–Georges-sur-Cher.
Tel: 02.54.32.86.46
Email: clos_roussely@yahoo.fr
Web: www.clos-roussely.fr

Saint-Georges: a good, friendly small
market under decidedly grey skies today

Every Sunday morning there is a small market in the centre of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher just in front of the church. Here you can buy everything you need to eat well on a Sunday. There are a couple of vegetable stalls, a butcher, a stall selling various duck patés, foie gras, magret de canard, eggs etc. from the Ferme du Prieure in Pocé-sur-Cisse, goats' cheese from Epeigné-les-Bois, a baker and oyster stall as well as a fishmonger. For a good half of the year there are strawberries from the farm in Epeigné.

Domaine de la Chesneraie: stall

You can also buy wine from the Domaine de la Chesneraie in Saint-Georges, although I’m afraid I can’t recommend the wines – admittedly on little experience. However, in October I did buy a disappointing bottle of 2000 Côt AC Touraine that was dilute and uninteresting – presumably from overcropped vines. It did have the merit of being cheap but I would rather spend more to get an interesting and enjoyable bottle.

Despite the weather being grey and damp (maussade and grisaille are wonderfully apt French words for this weather condition) it was good to drop down and buy a few things. Of course the big markets at Loches (Wednesday and Saturday am) and Montrichard (Friday am) are excellent but it is good to have a good, small neighbourhood market.

There is a useful list of market days in southern Touraine on the Les Saveurs du Val de Loire site. The area covered runs from Chatillon-sur-Indre to Bléré and across to Mantelan.

Montrichard and its fortress

Worth adding to this list is the small Sunday morning market in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher and the large and very good market in Montrichard on Friday morning.

Loches market and a saucisson stall