Pre-pruning

Hard to believe with all this warm weather in November but yes, growers are already starting to prune their vines. In an ideal world they would wait for a decent cold snap to make sure the vines have had a dormant phase and viruses and diseases have been knocked on the head.

Practically speaking however, in many cases it's a question of the number of vines to prune, the manpower available and the deadline for finishing. So, pruning has commenced.

These pictures show the process known as pre-pruning. These blades sweep through the vineyard and make the 'first cut'. This allows the hand pruners to follow on with their secateurs (either electric or conventional). This second manual pass is the important one, where the pruner chooses the cane or canes (according to local tradition, appellation etc) that will bear the vine's fruit the following year.

There are two sets of circular blades that straddle the row of vines at the level of the top wire. The tractor passes slowly through the rows and the blades move out and around the posts. It's clever and saves a lot of time pulling and tugging canes that are stubbornly clinging on to the wires.

Reflections on the 2011 Vintage from Christophe Daviau of Domaine de Bablut

I received a few thoughts from Christophe Daviau of Domaine de Bablut on the 2011 vintage this morning so have taken the opportunity to translate them into English.

It's already a month since the harvest finished.

We brought in the last grapes on Tuesday 11th October - it was those from the hillsides of the Grouas and those destined for Petra Alba that closed the season for us. It's quite rare to finish so early. It was in part what we all expected but also partly due to the fact that the passes through the Coteaux de L'Aubance normally push us right in to mid-November and this year, with the hot and humid weather in September, noble rot spread quickly through the rows and the yields from the Grandpierre parcel were down due to a localised hailstorm in April.

The Sauvignon blanc 'Petit-Princé' and the Rosé de Loire are ageing gently on their lees, Ordovicien has just about finished 'devouring' its last sugars and the rich sweet wines are in full swing.

As for the reds, we can expect another great year. I have to admit being a little concerned about the Cabernet Franc but the results are very surprising. We took the decision to hold off harvesting until the grapes had achieved full phenolic maturity (always a risk) as they were lagging behind at the beginning of September. The Petra Alba and Rocca Nigra are still macerating (or should I say infusing!) and are tasting very good indeed. I am pleasantly surprised by the fruit and the roundness of the tannins. The heterogeneity of the Cabernets (particularly the Cabernet Franc) worried me before harvest and I feared we would see vegetal notes in the wines due to these grapes having a delayed maturation, however, I am delighted with what we have. It seems that we made the right decision delaying harvest and have avoided the problem. I can't say that the level will be up there with 2009 and 2010 but it will be very good.

Watch this space...

Bien cordialement

Christophe Daviau

Photos from the Coteaux du Layon 11 November

We were in the Layon today paying a visit to Pithon-Paillé. What a splendid day it was - glorious sunshine highlighting the colours of the falling leaves on the vines.

La Récolte Nouvelle est Arrivée - Olive Oil from Provence

There are hundreds of different grape varieties in the world, each one having its own flavour profile and characteristics. Did you know that it's the same with olives? In Provence alone there are more than 100 varieties of olive tree. Some are very old and each one has a specific 'terroir' that comes partly from the soil in which the tree grows but also from other factors such as micro-climate, water and production know-how.

Mass produced olive oil is fine for every day use and for cooking but if you want to really step it up a notch then it's worth seeking out a good supplier. Like cheese, you can find pretty decent cheese in the local supermarket (in France) but if you buy from a top quality fromagerie then the quality jumps to an entirely different level.

Leïs Öoulivades is an olive oil sold by the specialist shop Première Pression Provence which specialises in high quality oils made by a selection of artisanal producers. La Nouvelle Récolte is what is says 'the new harvest'. It's an olive oil that was pressed in October 2011 - the Beaujolais Nouveau of oils you might say.

And what a treat it is. Made from olives harvested early it has a wonderful grassy aroma and flavour with a real pepperiness on the finish. The Arboussane olives are grown in the Bouche du Rhone at Mas Thibert owned by André Meiffre. Whereas many producers are used to blending different varieties, André prefers milling the Catalan olive as a mono varietal. Prone to suffering from the cold, he always harvests early even if yields are low.

Don't waste it in cooking, just savour the creamy unique flavour drizzled over fresh tomatoes or a few salad leaves, grind a little black pepper, add a few flakes of sea salt and dip your pain de campagne in it. This takes olive oil to a new level.

It's strange how we justify spending quite a lot of money on a delicious bottle of wine that is consumed in a single evening and yet we hesitate about spending the same kind of money on a bottle of olive oil that will last for several weeks at the very least.

I think we've found a new passion.

http://www.ppprovence.com/fr/

Our cellar is a great place for a party. We had about 20 family and friends for a bit of a celebration last weekend but also hold our larger tastings for groups here too.

Un oeuf is enough!

Great to see this ovoid fermentation vessel being used at Domaine des Rochelles. The wine gently fermenting inside is the Roches des Rochelles 2011, a 100% Chenin Blanc that normally has a wonderful minerality and real class that comes from extended ageing upon the yeasty deposit (the lees).

A supposed benefit of using this type of vessel (a modern take on the old amphora used by the Romans centuries ago) is that the lees remain in suspension, adding depth and complexity without the need for stirring. Can't wait to taste the end result.

So, why is Domaine des Rochelles only using one egg shaped vessel this year? Because un oeuf is enough!

Vintage 2011 Update - Pierre-Jacques Druet in Bourgueil

Yesterday we were in Bourgueil with Pierre-Jacques Druet, a maverick winemaker in Benais who makes one rosé and a range of red wines from the Cabernet Franc grape variety.

The rosé is unusual. Pierre-Jaques uses an old method of production called Guillage. When we arrived he was just preparing a batch of grape juice for fermentation. After adding a little bentonite (an absorbant clay that helps clarify the juice) he chills it down to about 1° and then transfers it directly to old wooden barrels.

Having a look at the machine harvester that brings in the grapes

This is one of the barrels that will contain the fermenting juice for the rosé

Cleaning the barrel with water before filling up with the clarified juice

Having a look from above - this wine has finished fermenting and the skins are being pressed to form the press wine

After the juice has been transferred to the barrels they are transferred to his ancient cellars about half a kilometer away. These cellars, like many in the region are made of tuffeau limestone that was quarried from the 10^th century onwards leaving a labyrinth of tunnels all around the region. With a constant temperature of 12° (52F) all year and around 85% humidity, they are perfect for barrel maturation.

Guillage is an ancient method of winemaking that is little used in the region. Once the wine has been chilled and put into barrels, they are brought to the cellar and here the fermentation commences. Slowly, slowly, the yeast starts to do its work. As the cellar is cool, fermentation takes much longer than normal – 3-4 months or sometimes even longer. The barrels are kept full to the brim and each day they must be topped up and cleaned as solids rise to the top and are pushed out by the fermentation.

The result is a wine that has character, body, fruit and balance. A rosé that can be drunk with friends or accompany a meal.

Guillage - the barrels are wiped and topped up every day for 3-4 months

Solids rise to the top and around 10% of volume is lost as the fermenting wine spills over

Tasting a range of wines at the end of the morning

Pierre-Jacques is only half way through harvest. The grapes from vines planted on the sandy gravel flats have been brought in but his best parcels are taking advantage of the extra ripeness that will come over the next few days. He has a smile on his face.

You probably wouldn't even think to call in on Pierre-Jacques Druet if you drove past the winery. It's the ugliest red brick building and is quite difficult to find if you don't know where you are going. However, you are missing a real treat. Of all the producers we work with, he gives us the closest insight into his world. His passion for what he does shines through, he takes time to show and explain and what's more, his wines are excellent. Here he is talking us through the mechanics of machine harvesting, winemaking and technique of guillage.