Sébastien Redde (Michel Redde et Fils) and the nascent 2011 Pouilly-Fumé

Apologies for a rather belated report on our visit to some producers in Pouilly-Fumé on afternoon of Friday 23rd September.

Although we didn't have time to visit very many, and a couple of people we wanted to see weren't around, our impression was that a number of producers here have been very pleasantly surprised at how 2011 has turned out and that their fears at the beginning of the harvest have not been realised. Certainly the nascent wines that I tried were all clean and precise with no off flavours.

Valérie Dagueneau (Serge Dagueneau et Filles): "I was afraid before the harvest that the grapes would not have enough potential alcohol, that many would be rotten and that the acidity would be low. Certainly we needed to be very selective – we now pick a third of our vines by hand. We started on Monday 5th September and finished on Friday 16th. The Sauvignon came in at around 12% potential and had kept a good level of acidity. Our Chasselas is at 10.5%, which is a good level for this grape, which is very rot resistant."

Jean-Michel Masson and Melanie

Pierre Masson

In the centre of Pouilly-sur-Loire I dropped in and tasted at Masson-Blondlet, who were also happy with the outcome, despite the threat of rot in early September. They harvested between Thursday 8th September and Monday 19th.

Alain and Loïc Cailbourdin

Picked between 6th and 16th September.

Cailbourdin winery extension

Sébastien Redde

Sébastien Redde: 'The Ban des Vendanges was on the 5th September but we had a special derogation to start on Friday 2nd because of the threat of rot in some of our parcels. We finished on Friday 16th. Everything is picked by hand – this year we had a team of 60 pickers and a sorting table in the cellar." Sébastien and his father, Thierry, think that 2011 may be better than 2010.

After tasting with Sébastien we went to see a new Redde vineyard – see a separate post shortly.

2009 Rosé Les Montées de Saint Lay

Normally I should have drunk this 2009 Rosé (pure Pinot Noir) about nine months to a year ago. Fortunately this rosé from the Côtes de la Charité has withstood time well – many rosés need to be drunk within a year of being made otherwise they become tired. Serge Dagueneau's has remained fresh in colour and flavour with seductive red fruits and grenadine. Being 2009 it has a little sweetness in the finish, which I find slightly cloying after a glass or so. However, I'm well aware that this will apeal to those who find sharp acidity difficult.

The vineyards of the Côtes de la Charité lie to the east of La Charité-sur-Loire, particularly around the hamlets of Saint-Lay and Chasnay.

 

Following on from the two 2008 Pouilly-Fumés drunk earlier this week, last night I tried the 2009 Tradition from Serge Dagueneau et Filles. This has the richness that I expect from the 2009 vintage and while it doesn't have the same concentration and complexity that their 2008 Clos des Chaudoux has, it does have well balanced grassy and citric fruit well balanced with mineral acidity. In any case you would expect the single vineyard Clos des Chaudoux to be a more interesting and complex wine than the Tradition, which is Dagueneau's 'entry level' Pouilly-Fumé.

Certainly it is a more interesting and complex wine than the 2008 de Ladoucette. Furthermore it is considerably cheaper: wine-searcher shows that it can be bought in France from 11.80€, while the de Ladoucette is now from 17.99€.