<p><em>“The hands on the label represent the idea that all you are getting is one grape from one </em><glossary term="Terroir" title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em> and the hands that interacted with it. That's it.”</em></p>
<p>Claire and Florent Bejon live in Saint-Germain-Sur-Vienne, a tiny village just 15 minutes from the town and vines of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Despite its proximity, Saint-Germain is on the left side of the <glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary> and, up until 2016, was excluded from the <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Technically between <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the area is a bit of a no man’s land for vines: only 50 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> are planted sporadically, usually in smaller, isolated <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> surrounded by sunflowers, cereal fields and newly built houses.</p>
<p>The Bejon have been making wine in the area since 2002. Neither are from <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> families, but Claire has been a wine lover for a long time and Florent spent over 20 years working for one of the Loire’s premier mobile bottlers: a company that comes with the equipment to properly <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> wine directly at a producer’s <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In fact, Florent’s worked with many of the <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> we import, knowing most on a first name basis.</p>
<p>Previous efforts went unreleased, but in 2015 the couple decided to commercialize a small amount of wine under their own name. The plan was to grow slowly and eventually quit their full time jobs, which finally happened in 2021. Claire and Florent currently work five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> with a bit of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The land being spread out and geologically distinct, it was decided early on that each <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> or sector would be <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> and <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> as its own <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>Pain-Perdu is their largest <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> and the only one where they have neighbors. Located on the right bank of the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary><span>, </span></span></span>1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of 40 year old <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> vines are planted in the <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary> of Beaumont en Veron on yellow <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Aeolian" title="72">aeolian</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sand" title="909">sands</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> This entry-level wine, first released in 2020, represents 50% of total production and is <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> the spring following <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary></span></span>.</p>
<p>All the other reds released 18 months after <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>:</span></span></span></p>
<p>Picrochole is a <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> of 60 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet</glossary> and 40 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> vines that are around 30 years old; the Bejon have been farming it since 2015 and purchased the land in 2021. Located on the left bank of the <glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary> between <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the soils here are heavy <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> with a strong presence of <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary> and <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> full south. </p>
<p>Saint-Germain consists of four small <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet</glossary> surrounding Claire and Florent's village, totaling 80 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are in their 50's and planted on <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>Les Bournais consists of two small, adjacent <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> in the <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary><span class="zalup"><span><span> of Ligré and totals one <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are between 40 and 70 years old and planted on <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>Finally, Les Gruches is a tiny, isolated <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> planted in 1957, nestled and surrounded by woods. This is the first <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> the Bejon <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> back in 2002. A wine of the same name used to be produced exclusively from this <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> but is now <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blended</glossary> with the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> from Picrochole and another small <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>Though all the wines are now eligible for the <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> after getting refused in 2015 for <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Typicity" title="1056">atypicity</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the Bejon have decided to <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> everything in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Neither are fans of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>’s rustic<span class="zalup"><span><span>,</span></span></span> powerful side; rather the goal is to bring fruit, finesse and suppleness to the wines. With music playing 24/7 in their natural <glossary term="Tuffeau" title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the red grapes <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerate</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> saturated with <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">carbonic gas</glossary> in 50<glossary term="Hectoliter" title="524">hl</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> for long periods of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Infusion" title="1378">infusion</glossary></span></span>: three weeks to three months depending on the <glossary term="Tannin" title="1010">tannic structure</glossary> they are looking for. <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">Elevage</glossary> then occurs in <glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary> and, as of 2020, <glossary term="Grès" title="1449">grès</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Amphora" title="103">amphoras</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Each <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> roughly 50/50 in <glossary term="Wood" title="1126">wood</glossary> and <glossary term="Grès" title="1449">grès</glossary> but that may change with time and experience. The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermented</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> is not added at any point in the production. </p>
<p>The small amount of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> produced is textbook to the best examples of the region: weighty and long in the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Finish" title="450">finish</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> all the while crystalline and refreshing. The reds, often vivacious from intentionally trapped C02, balance great fruit and drinkability with the structure of their <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> More than anything, you taste a sensibility in the Bejon's minimalist yet experienced approach: wines crafted to be full of energy and purity.</p>
harvest report04.01.2023
A Laborious But Satisfying 2023 for Claire and Florent Bejon
<p><strong>November 11th, 2023:</strong></p>
<p>This year we avoided any Spring <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frosts</glossary> and saw a nice load of grapes form on the vines. Through Spring into mid-July, a long period was marked with rain alternating with warm temperatures, creating a strong <glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary> pressure. The work in the vines was intense and constant, and we were <glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328">treating</glossary> well into the summer. For the most part we were able to keep the <glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary> in check, though the Bournais <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> did succumb to rot on the grapes. </p>
<p>A month before the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> we manually de-leafed the vines of the entire <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> to favor the aeration and <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturation</glossary> of the grapes. </p>
<p>The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> was picked over three consecutive mornings, the 11th, 12th and 13th of September. The first pass was done to drop the rotten <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary> who had fallen victim to the <glossary term="Suzukii" title="1000">suzuki</glossary> fruit fly. The grapes were <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and thanks to the rigorous <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> in the vines, the juices were precise and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentrated</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>We began <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvesting</glossary> the <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernets</glossary> for six days starting on September 20th. Episodes of rain punctuated and occasionally interrupted our picking. We began with the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> in Beaumont en Véron which produces "Pain Perdu". The grapes there were in good sanitary state and homogeneously ripe despite some damage due to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We then focused on the <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> that go into the Saint-Germain <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> where the grapes were very healthy and unaffected by illness. </p>
<p>Then came time to pick for the Pichrochole <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which was much more laborious as we had to sort berry by berry due to extensive damage from the <glossary term="Suzukii" title="1000">Suzuki</glossary> flies. This sector is also where the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> was attacked... By doing this <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> ourselves, we felt more serene when coming in with the team to <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> a few days later. </p>
<p>Finally, with Les Bournais, it was quite complicated and required an enormous amount of <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> due to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In the end we only <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> 15<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary> there. On average, we are at 28<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary> for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>At the time of this writing, all the wines have finished <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermenting</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The wines are balanced and show a true "Loire" freshness. We are happy that the time invested in the vines and <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> through grapes permitted us to once again produce wines without any <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Additive" title="1192">additives</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>The <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> went very well, we had a super team and the grapes were perfect and qualitative. Now we’re on to the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ermentions</glossary><span>!</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/f3/eb/f3eb98962627ed8bf6b3c94f541ad274.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/42/c5/42c571acca7ce46cbf00b6c37e2806a8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/78/e8/78e82694a85174a70161f5d94dbb754b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/ae/bf/aebfa89026cf4ebe006a744f749bff06.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/7f/6d/7f6d4e83f093af3761dea3172beba7bd.jpg" /></p>
<p><em>“The hands on the label represent the idea that all you are getting is one grape from one </em><glossary term="Terroir" title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em> and the hands that interacted with it. That's it.”</em></p>
<p>Claire and Florent Bejon live in Saint-Germain-Sur-Vienne, a tiny village just 15 minutes from the town and vines of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Despite its proximity, Saint-Germain is on the left side of the <glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary> and, up until 2016, was excluded from the <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Technically between <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the area is a bit of a no man’s land for vines: only 50 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> are planted sporadically, usually in smaller, isolated <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> surrounded by sunflowers, cereal fields and newly built houses.</p>
<p>The Bejon have been making wine in the area since 2002. Neither are from <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> families, but Claire has been a wine lover for a long time and Florent spent over 20 years working for one of the Loire’s premier mobile bottlers: a company that comes with the equipment to properly <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> wine directly at a producer’s <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In fact, Florent’s worked with many of the <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> we import, knowing most on a first name basis.</p>
<p>Previous efforts went unreleased, but in 2015 the couple decided to commercialize a small amount of wine under their own name. The plan was to grow slowly and eventually quit their full time jobs, which finally happened in 2021. Claire and Florent currently work five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> with a bit of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The land being spread out and geologically distinct, it was decided early on that each <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> or sector would be <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> and <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> as its own <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>Pain-Perdu is their largest <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> and the only one where they have neighbors. Located on the right bank of the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary><span>, </span></span></span>1.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of 40 year old <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> vines are planted in the <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary> of Beaumont en Veron on yellow <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Aeolian" title="72">aeolian</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sand" title="909">sands</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> This entry-level wine, first released in 2020, represents 50% of total production and is <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> the spring following <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary></span></span>.</p>
<p>All the other reds released 18 months after <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>:</span></span></span></p>
<p>Picrochole is a <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> of 60 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet</glossary> and 40 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> vines that are around 30 years old; the Bejon have been farming it since 2015 and purchased the land in 2021. Located on the left bank of the <glossary term="Vienne River" title="1395">Vienne</glossary> between <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the soils here are heavy <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> with a strong presence of <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary> and <glossary term="Exposition" title="430">exposed</glossary> full south. </p>
<p>Saint-Germain consists of four small <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet</glossary> surrounding Claire and Florent's village, totaling 80 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are in their 50's and planted on <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Flint/Silex" title="455">flint</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>Les Bournais consists of two small, adjacent <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> in the <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary><span class="zalup"><span><span> of Ligré and totals one <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are between 40 and 70 years old and planted on <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>Finally, Les Gruches is a tiny, isolated <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> planted in 1957, nestled and surrounded by woods. This is the first <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> the Bejon <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> back in 2002. A wine of the same name used to be produced exclusively from this <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> but is now <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blended</glossary> with the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> from Picrochole and another small <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>Though all the wines are now eligible for the <glossary term="Chinon" title="288">Chinon</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> after getting refused in 2015 for <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Typicity" title="1056">atypicity</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the Bejon have decided to <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> everything in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Neither are fans of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>’s rustic<span class="zalup"><span><span>,</span></span></span> powerful side; rather the goal is to bring fruit, finesse and suppleness to the wines. With music playing 24/7 in their natural <glossary term="Tuffeau" title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the red grapes <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerate</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> saturated with <glossary term="Carbonic Maceration" title="236">carbonic gas</glossary> in 50<glossary term="Hectoliter" title="524">hl</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> for long periods of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Infusion" title="1378">infusion</glossary></span></span>: three weeks to three months depending on the <glossary term="Tannin" title="1010">tannic structure</glossary> they are looking for. <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">Elevage</glossary> then occurs in <glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary> and, as of 2020, <glossary term="Grès" title="1449">grès</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Amphora" title="103">amphoras</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Each <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> roughly 50/50 in <glossary term="Wood" title="1126">wood</glossary> and <glossary term="Grès" title="1449">grès</glossary> but that may change with time and experience. The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermented</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> is not added at any point in the production. </p>
<p>The small amount of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> produced is textbook to the best examples of the region: weighty and long in the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Finish" title="450">finish</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> all the while crystalline and refreshing. The reds, often vivacious from intentionally trapped C02, balance great fruit and drinkability with the structure of their <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> More than anything, you taste a sensibility in the Bejon's minimalist yet experienced approach: wines crafted to be full of energy and purity.</p>
<p><strong>November 11th, 2023:</strong></p>
<p>This year we avoided any Spring <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frosts</glossary> and saw a nice load of grapes form on the vines. Through Spring into mid-July, a long period was marked with rain alternating with warm temperatures, creating a strong <glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary> pressure. The work in the vines was intense and constant, and we were <glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328">treating</glossary> well into the summer. For the most part we were able to keep the <glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary> in check, though the Bournais <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> did succumb to rot on the grapes. </p>
<p>A month before the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> we manually de-leafed the vines of the entire <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> to favor the aeration and <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturation</glossary> of the grapes. </p>
<p>The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> was picked over three consecutive mornings, the 11th, 12th and 13th of September. The first pass was done to drop the rotten <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary> who had fallen victim to the <glossary term="Suzukii" title="1000">suzuki</glossary> fruit fly. The grapes were <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and thanks to the rigorous <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> in the vines, the juices were precise and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentrated</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>We began <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvesting</glossary> the <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernets</glossary> for six days starting on September 20th. Episodes of rain punctuated and occasionally interrupted our picking. We began with the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> in Beaumont en Véron which produces "Pain Perdu". The grapes there were in good sanitary state and homogeneously ripe despite some damage due to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We then focused on the <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> that go into the Saint-Germain <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> where the grapes were very healthy and unaffected by illness. </p>
<p>Then came time to pick for the Pichrochole <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which was much more laborious as we had to sort berry by berry due to extensive damage from the <glossary term="Suzukii" title="1000">Suzuki</glossary> flies. This sector is also where the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> was attacked... By doing this <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> ourselves, we felt more serene when coming in with the team to <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> a few days later. </p>
<p>Finally, with Les Bournais, it was quite complicated and required an enormous amount of <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> due to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In the end we only <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> 15<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary> there. On average, we are at 28<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary> for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>At the time of this writing, all the wines have finished <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermenting</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The wines are balanced and show a true "Loire" freshness. We are happy that the time invested in the vines and <glossary term="Sorting" title="1380">sorting</glossary> through grapes permitted us to once again produce wines without any <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Additive" title="1192">additives</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>The <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> went very well, we had a super team and the grapes were perfect and qualitative. Now we’re on to the <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ermentions</glossary><span>!</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/f3/eb/f3eb98962627ed8bf6b3c94f541ad274.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/42/c5/42c571acca7ce46cbf00b6c37e2806a8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/78/e8/78e82694a85174a70161f5d94dbb754b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/ae/bf/aebfa89026cf4ebe006a744f749bff06.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//962/7f/6d/7f6d4e83f093af3761dea3172beba7bd.jpg" /></p>
