Santé!: Les six mousqueteries with Nigel Wilkinson and Tom King (RSJ Restaurant, London)
(LR: from empty place – Catherine Ogereau, Nigel Wilkinson, Vincent Ogereau, Tom King, Claude Papin, Yves Guegniard, Joëlle Papin)
 

Mid-afternoon yesterday we headed out to the Domaine de la Bergerie (Champ-sur-Layon) to taste the wines of the six Mousqueteries who had come to London to for the last of the tastings to mark ther 30th anniversary of the RSJ restaurant. We started with Domaine Ogereau (Catherine and Vincent Ogereau), followed by Domaine de la Bergerie (Marie-Annick and Yves Guegniard) and then finishing with Château Pierre-Bise (Joëlle and Claude Papin). 

  

Scallops and a jerusalem artichoke sauce

After the tasting we had an excellent dinner with some lovely older vintages from the six at La Table de la Bergerie, run by David Guitton the son-in-law of Marie-Annick and Yves.

Wonderfully tender venison with vegetables and a rich wine sauce

We finished with a small selection of cheese, which included a very good Cantal, and then a varition on crèpes suzette.

Domaine de la Bergerie (Yves ad Marie-Annick Guegniard): harvest picnic in Le Clos le Grand Beaupréau: 28th September 2010

Yves Guegniard: Chenin in Le Clos le Grand Beaupréau: 28th September 2010

The Layon@Chaudefonds-sur-Layon (above and below)

Pigeonnier@Château de Chasseloir (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine)

Once at magnificent tree in front of offices of Chasseloir – now sadly on its way out

Chenin Blanc in Claude Papin's parcel

On Tuesday our last visit in Anjou was to the Clos le Grand Beaupreau, the Savennières vineyard shared by Vincent Ogereau, Yves Guegniard and Claude Papin. We were there to see Yves and his team make a first tri (selective picking) there. After the decidedly miserable weather on the Monday afternoon (light rain) Tuesday was gloriously sunny, although not as hot as the previous week had been.   

Yves with some of his pickers

Grapes in Vincent Ogereau's parcel