Picking Cabernet Franc@Château de Villeneuve

Update from Cathy Shore (Le Tasting Room) on Villeneuve's vintage plans: start the Chenin this Tuesday and the Cabernet Franc on 19th. Further details see here.

**

Also from Saumur the use of micro-barriques (also called wood chips) is to be allowed during the alcoholic fermentation for AC Saumur Rouge. See here. The idea is that the use of micro-barriques masks the astringency of Cabernet Franc. There is, of course, another way of avoiding astringency – pick the fruit when it is ripe. Apparently their use is also permitted in AC Bourgueil.

**

2009 vintage – treading the grapes

News from Epeigné-les-Bois 'Grand Cru' – Clos Chossay (Mark Robertson reports):

'Squeaky bum time in the vignoble, Sauvignon harvested Sunday (3rd September) at 13%, after torrential rain on Saturday night (Bourgueil had widespread flooding).

Côt is close, but Cabernet has 3 weeks to go. Hope the grass soaks up the rain....'

Half of the dozen importers were showing some Loire wines at yesterday's tasting. To respond to Chris Kissack's comment, I'd better start with H2Vin. On this occasion they were showing just two. Firstly the 2010 Les Roses du Clos (£8.00), AC Touraine from Xavier Frissant. Attractively mineral and long, Les Roses du Clos is made from Fie Gris (Sauvignon Rose/Sauvignon Gris). This has a delicacy that many Touraine Sauvignon Blancs do not have and once again underlines the lunacy of the INAO's plans to ban 100% Fie Gris from the right to the Touraine appellation.

2009 Génération X1X, Sancerre, Alphonse Mellot 

 

Les Alphonses' barrel fermented Génération Sancerre Blanc (£26.50) is far from your typical crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, weighty, concentrated and long it gives more than a nod in Burgundy's direction. Its concentration in part reflects the warm summer of 2009 but also that the Mellot's along with many vignerons with vines around Sancerre town and Bué were severely hit by hail that year.   

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." 

*

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