england new fashion: September 2011

Thursday, September 22, 2011

LeManS

2011 Loire vintage: Chinon and Bourgueil (20th September)

Generous bunch of Cabernet Franc in a Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil vineyard on the gravel

Despite some rain in September the Cabernet Franc looks for the moment to be resisting rot in Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Picking is at different stages in the three appellations. The vineyards on the gravel and sandy flats of Saint-Nicolas have now been largely picked often by machine. Despite reports of rot in these vineyards the grapes that remained looked healthy and there appeared by be very little rot about. Bourgueil is now underway – some started at the end of last week while others waited until Monday. In Chinon some have started on the reds, while others like Baudry-Dutour and Couly-Dutheil are picking for rosé this week and will start on the reds at the beginning of next week. Others, like Nicolas Grosbois and Bertrand Couly, are picking the reds now.

For the white Chinon, Baudry-Dutour have picked their domaine white but waiting to pick for their barrel fermented Chinon Blanc. Couly-Dutheil are picking their most fragile parcels of Chenin.

Chenin Blanc@Couly-Dutheil (above and below)

Reasonably nobly rotten

Less noble

Trailer of Chenin

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2011 Loire vintage: start of the vendange in Chinon – Nicolas Grosbois

Vendanges 2011: c'est parti pour Nicolas Grosbois (Panzoult, AC Chinon) – above and below

The first visit we made in Chinon was to Nicolas Grosbois on the western edge of Panzoult. Nicolas has started early – last Saturday. Grapes were coming in at 12.5-12.8% potential with an acidity of 4.2 and a ph of 3.3.

Nicolas: "We started last Saturday. 2011 is not an easy year as the flowering was extended over a long time, so there is variable ripeness – some mauve berries amongst the black grapes. Because of the rain we have 15% more juice than last year. I think the resulting wines will be relatively light – easy drinking, vin des copains", although there may be a few more structured cuvées from the terres blanches vineyards."

Tasting the 2011 juice suggested that the resulting wines are likely to be light.

Bunch of 2011 Cabernet Franc@Domaine Grosbois: well aerated bunch

Group of the Grosbois' pickers

PLAIN

Red bicyclette – fake Pinot Noir appeal judgment delayed

Real Pinot Noir in Sancerre late August 2011

For those of you waiting impatiently for the appeal court judgment, which was due today, on those convicted in the fake Pinot Noir scandal the announcement of the judgment has been delayed due to a lack of staff. The judgment will now be announced on 12th October.

See details here.

There are a number of posts on Jim's Loire about the Fake Pinot case – here, here and here.

Shortage of staff

This seems to be a frequent complaint in France at the moment. La Nouvelle République recently ran a story on the difficulty of recruiting locals to pick grapes. As a result producers are increasingly hiring workers from Eastern Europe and in this particular instance from Bulgaria.

It is the same in the restaurant trade, perhaps particularly in rural areas. Marc Hammani (chef/proprietor at Auberge de Montpoupon) and Xavier Fortin (sommelier at La Promenade, Le Petit Pressigny) have both complained about the difficulty of recruiting waiting and kitchen staff holding back their businesses.

TOP WALLPAPERS CELEB JESICA ALBA

Jessica Alba

2011 Loire vintage: Bourgueil: couple of videos from Lamé Delisle Boucard

Philippe Boucard

Couple of videos here from Lamé:

Tasting the 2011 Cabernet Franc grapes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMkuuct-mA&feature=player_embedded

Dealing with grapillons (unripe third generation grapes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIksldxnteo&NR=1

Bourgueil: Café de la Promenade – la Bourgueillothérapie ! 1st and 2nd October

Café de la Promenade, Bourgueil

'Un seul moyen de lutter contre le blues automnal : la Bourgueillothérapie !

Comme l'an dernier, le bar à vins de la Promenade à Bourgueil organise samedi 1er et dimanche 2 octobre sa Bourgueillothérapie.

Des artistes rencontrent des vignerons et créent une oeuvre durant une journée sur le thème de l'art de boire. Les oeuvres seront vendues aux enchères au profit des restos du coeur.

Je vous remercie de relayer cette information et je serais ravi de vous retrouver à Bourgueil à cette occasion.

Cordialement,

Guillaume Lapaque'

Programme

Samedi

Soir : Dégustation des vins des vignerons participants + Cocktail dinatoire = 25€ / personne au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil

Dimanche :

A partir de 9h : vous pouvez venir récupérer un verre de dégustation et le plan du parcours dans le vignoble bourgueillois (moyennant 5€ pour le verre) au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil
De 9h à 10h : Petit déjeuner, accueil des artistes et des vignerons bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil
De 10h à 17h30 : Visite des caves et des artistes avec votre verre de dégustation et le plan du parcours dans le vignoble bourgueillois.
De 10h à 12h : Café philo sur le thème « l’art de boire » animé par Hélène Paulin au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil
De 14h30 à 16h : Dégustation verticale pour expliquer l’histoire du climat à Bourgueil animée par P.Gabillot au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil
A 18h : Exposition des œuvres réalisées tout au long de la jou rnée dans les différents vignobles + apéro au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil. Remise des prix du jury. Le premier prix du jury sera le visuel de l’affiche de l’édition de l’année suivante.
A 19h : Ventes des œuvres par Maître Chabert, huissier à Chinon, au profit des restos du cœur au bar à vins de la promenade à Bourgueil Soirée de clôture

Pour plus d'infos :
Sophie et Ludovic Ragot
Café de la promenade
1 avenue du général De Gaulle
37140 BOURGUEIL
02 47 95 10 87
lecafedelapromenade@orange.fr

www.bourgueillotherapie.com

XLCafeRacer

who is the 'only one man' ?

Yesterday's setting sun in car mirror

Reflections of the setting sun: 20th September

After a day spent in Chinon, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Bourgueil (reports to follow) under a largely grey sky, the sun finally came out towards the end of the day. We caught the final rays as we headed along the road from Sublaines to Luzillé.

A few minutes earlier on the A85 autoroute

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Best Modification Harley Davidson

WereWolves on Wheels

2011 Loire vintage: Montlouis and Vouvray – mixed reports

Chenin in the Clos Mosny (Montlouis – Jacky Blot) where picking started 7th September

A quick sweep through Montlouis and Vouvray yesterday afternoon brought mixed reports from the vignerons. Some happy and relaxed with the way the 2011 vintage is going, others describing it as difficult and likely to produce no more than pleasant wines. The one common factor appears to be the worry that acidities are low this year, so giving wines that may be a bit heavy and lacking some minerality.

Bertrand Jousset@work

During our visit in Montlouis we saw Bertrand Jousset and Ludovic Chanson who were both happy with the way the harvest was going.

Bertrand: 2011 is much more relaxed than last year, which was a panic. We started about ten days ago and have picked the Chardonnay, Gamay and Grolleau as well as the Chenin for the sparkling. We are now picking the Chenin for the still wines. It is coming in at around 13.5% potential alcohol, although the acidity is a bit low. We will still be picking into next week.

Ludovic Chanson considering 2011 Montlouis

Ludovic: "It has been my easiest vintage so far. We started on Monday 12th September. We have picked the Sauvignon Blanc and grapes (Chardonnay and Chenin) for the PetNat and some of the dry Chenin which is between 12.8%-13.2% potential. The yields are reasonable in 2011 – 35 hl/ha for the Chenin, 40 for the Sauvignon Blanc and 37 for the Chardonnay."

Montlouis: wild ferment!

Sorting table Clos Mosny (above and below)

Clos Mosny: some rot

Clos Mosny – discarded grapes

Report to be finished but first off to Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur